Institutions must meet 21 eligibility requirements to apply for accreditation by the ACCJC. The requirements set standards for the faculty, administration, curriculum, legal standing, financial resources and student services. For instance, the institution must be licensed to operate as an educational institution by the appropriate government bodies and must have a clearly defined mission, a governing board and a chief executive officer. In addition, the educational programs offered must correspond to established fields of study in higher education and a "substantial portion" of courses and programs offered must lead to a degree.
Once eligibility requirements have been met, the institution must meet the accreditation standards. The institution is assessed based on the ACCJC's four primary standards areas, which are institutional mission and effectiveness; student learning programs and services; resources; and leadership and governance. Once an institution has been accredited, it must be re-accredited on a six-year cycle, with midterm report due on the third year of each cycle and follow-up reports and campus visits from the ACCJC occurring for "special purposes."
ACCJC publishes a newsletter -- ACCJC News -- two to three times a year. The newsletter reports on the general business of the ACCJC and includes articles on theory and practice of higher education as they relate to the region. ACCJC also hosts several events each year, such as the Academic Resource Conference, the Strengthening Student Success Conference and various industry retreats.
As of January 2011, the ACCJC was made up of 18 commissioners -- including a chairperson and vice chairperson -- and a commission staff. The commissioners are drawn from the public and from the faculty and administration of ACCJC-accredited institutions. The commission holds semi-annual meetings, in January and June of each year.