The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may recognize accrediting agencies with a commitment to academic quality and student achievement that demonstrate, through an application process, compliance with the following criteria:

1. (1) Eligibility. The accrediting agency's application for recognition must demonstrate that the entity:

   1. (A) Is recognized by the Secretary of Education of the United States Department of Education as an institutional accrediting agency authorized to accredit educational institutions that offer the associate degree or higher;
   2. (B) Is applying for the same scope of recognition as that for which it is recognized by the Secretary of Education of the United States Department of Education;
   3. (C) Accredits higher education institutions that have legal authority to confer higher education degrees;
   4. (D) Requires an onsite review by a visiting team as part of initial and continuing accreditation of educational institutions;
   5. (E) Has policies or procedures that ensure the entity will promptly respond to requests for information from the Board; and
   6. (F) Has sufficient resources to carry out its functions.

2. (2) Continuing Recognition. To receive and maintain continuing recognition from the Board, the accrediting agency must:

   1. (A) Provide the Board with current standards used by the entity in initial and ongoing accreditation reviews of educational institutions and invite the Board to participate in such reviews;
   2. (B) Provide the Board with written evidence of continuing recognition by the Secretary of Education of the United States Department of Education. Loss of recognition from the Secretary automatically results in loss of Board recognition at the same time;
   3. (C) Provide a list of Texas educational institutions accredited by it; notify the Board in writing of any change to its list of Texas accredited institutions within ten (10) days of the change;
   4. (D) Notify the Board of any investigated complaints concerning a Texas institution accredited by it where accrediting agency took official action on issues of non-compliance and the disposition of those complaints; and
   5. (E) Seek Board approval for any expansion of its recognized scope of accreditation authority.

Source Note:The provisions of this §7.4 adopted to be effective February 24, 2008, 33 TexReg 1526.