Policy Statement on Disclosure, Confidentiality and the Integrity of the Accrediting Process.

A policy statement on the accreditation process as adopted by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA) is presented. The process requires an honest, rigorous self-analysis, an on-site evaluation by a team of peers, a team report, a review by an accrediting body, and final action defining the accredited status of the institution or program evaluated. It is necessary to have respect for confidentiality of information. The purposes and process are endangered when disclosure of aspects of the process inhibits the institution's or program's ability to provide full information and assess itself candidly and the accrediting body's ability to render sound judgement. Though this is a private process, accrediting decisions are used as a consideration in many formal actions by different publics. Thus, accrediting bodies have come to be viewed as quasi-public entities operating for the public interest. Legitimate needs of accrediting bodies must be reconciled with broader societal needs requiring disclosure of basic and essential information. Relevant considerations are discussed. Five principles relevant to disclosure are listed. Guidelines for accrediting bodies on disclosure of accrediting information relate to: information that must be published and disseminated; information that should be published relevant to affiliation status; information available upon request; information available only from the institution, or by the accrediting body with the consent of the institution; information necessary to correct misrepresentation; and information not available for dissemination under any circumstances. (SM)

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