If TEAC receives confirmed complaints that the institution does not continue to adhere to the TEAC quality principles and standards; discovers substantive changes in the program’s professional education programs that were not reported to TEAC; or learns through the program’s annual report or a complaint that the program no longer has the evidence to support the claims made in its Brief, then TEAC has proper reasons to believe that the institution or program may no longer have the evidence to support or justify its accreditation status.

In such cases, TEAC may require the program to provide a report showing corrective action regarding unmet claims or promptly repeat the accreditation process for initial accreditation. Or TEAC may take adverse action against the program.

TEAC may also take adverse action if a program fails to pay dues and fees or fails to otherwise comply with the obligations of membership in TEAC.

The question to be considered in an adverse action proceeding is whether to withdraw the program’s accreditation status.

In this procedure, TEAC will provide to the program, in writing, its complaint; the program head must respond in 30 days. TEAC then reviews the program’s response.

TEAC’s president then places the matter before the TEAC Accreditation Committee for consideration. If the Accreditation Committee determines that the program fails to comply with TEAC’s principles, standards, or requirements for continued accreditation, the program will be notified of the Accreditation Committee’s decision to consider the complaint and be permitted to provide additional evidence concerning the matter. At the next meeting of the Accreditation Committee, the members will review the program’s responses and decide whether the program should submit additional information regarding the complaint and its compliance with TEAC standards or whether the program’s accreditation status should be changed. A written response that details the basis for the Accreditation Committee’s decision will be sent to the program head within 30 days of this meeting.

Adverse action is also taken against programs holding accreditation whose subsequent Inquiry Brief fails to meet the quality principles and standards (when the decision is “accreditation denied”), but this kind of adverse action is taken by the Accreditation Committee.

In adverse action cases, provided the program still meets TEAC’s eligibility requirements, the program may continue to hold candidate status if it so desires.

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