Policies

In recognition of the growing prevalence of AI technology in the workplace and our corresponding responsibility to ensure that any AI applications integrated into NEASC operations are used in a manner that is ethical, legal, and in line with our core values, we have created an internal AI Acceptable Use Policy.

By establishing clear guidelines and sharing a public summary of NEASC's internal policy below, we aim to not only promote understanding of our approach to using AI technology but also to foster a culture of accountability and transparency within the organization, our membership, and the greater NEASC community.

Overview of NEASC's internal AI Acceptable Use Policy

1. Approved AI Applications:
   NEASC has a documented process to review and approve AI applications for internal use. This process helps to ensure data security and privacy, and also to avoid bias and ethical violations.
   
   NEASC employees and consultants are required to use NEASC-approved AI applications when working with NEASC business-sensitive or business-confidential content, including any content related to any NEASC member.
    
2. Required Content Authentication:
   For accuracy, all content created using AI applications requires direct human review, editing, and verification based on individual professional knowledge and fact-checking of related source content. Citations must be requested for any generative AI content output and authenticated by the application user.
    
3. Ethical Use:
   All AI application output will be used by NEASC in a manner to avoid harming or deceiving others. Discovery of biases or ethical concerns related to AI application output will be referred to and addressed by the NEASC Leadership Team.
    
4. Policy Review:
   Ongoing reviews of this policy will be regularly scheduled, with additional reviews scheduled as necessitated by significant changes to available AI applications.
    
5. Transparency:
   NEASC will update this public overview of our internal policy whenever relevant changes are made.
    

An institution shall have the right to appeal an adverse accrediting action made by a Commission of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Please refer to the guide for instructions:

While NEASC recognizes and celebrates the unique nature of each member school through a variety of Standards and approaches to accreditation, there are some areas that have standardized importance across all schools — one of which is the safety and well-being of children.

NEASC believes that: everybody has a responsibility to support the protection of children; all schools have a duty of care to children enrolled in the school and those who are affected by the operations of the school; and all actions on child protection are taken in the best interests of the child, which are paramount.

As such, we support an ethos of protection for all our schools and partners and commit to this work through the upholding of accreditation requirements related to best practices in child protection, and by providing resources for schools to strengthen their work in this area. NEASC Accredited schools are required to demonstrate that their current policies, procedures, and personnel protect the health and safety of students and other community members. Schools are expected to meet the following requirements to achieve and maintain NEASC Accreditation:

1. comprehensive due diligence in screening and hiring including background and reference checks
2. documented policies and procedures that ensure the safety and welfare of all students
3. appropriate and clearly outlined response if children are harmed, at risk of harm, or if allegations of harm to children are made
4. clearly defined leadership responsibilities for child safety and reporting
5. child protection training for all adults who work with students
6. child protection, including online safety, is included in the formal learning program for students
7. clear codes of conduct govern appropriate and acceptable behaviors for adult interactions with children and children’s interaction with other children
8. compliance with the legal, ethical, and cultural expectations and requirements regarding child abuse within the jurisdiction in which the school operates

Some school types may have additional child protection standards or indicators from NEASC that offer further guidance and requirements in areas unique to their school type or program, such as boarding programs, or schools located outside the United States which do not fall under US state requirements.

NEASC is a proud participant in the International Task Force for Child Protection (ITFCP) new standards for child protection. NEASC has also convened conversations around this topic with groups of public and private schools in the New England region, and takes into account state requirements in the New England region (ME, MA, VT, NH, CT, RI) as well as the National Association of Independent Schools report on this topic. The above NEASC requirements were developed taking these reports and resources into account. Additional resources related to institutional child protection programs may be found at the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) Education Portal.

Your feedback, including complaints about an affiliated school/center, is important to us. NEASC is concerned with institutional integrity and performance consistent with Association Standards and policies. While it does not intervene in the internal procedures of institutions or act as a regulatory body, it does address concerns about conditions at affiliated institutions that raise significant questions about the institution’s compliance with the Standards and policies for candidate or accredited institutions.

If you have a question or concern about a school accredited by NEASC, please contact the executive office for assistance. 

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The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, in recognition of its responsibility to affiliated institutions, governmental agencies, and the general public to make readily available accurate, fair and pertinent information about the accreditation status of its members and candidate institutions, maintains online directories of member and candidate schools. The specific information provided relates to school data and Commission actions.

The following information is periodically made available by NEASC:

1. actions taken by NEASC granting candidacy for accreditation or initial accreditation
2. adverse actions (i.e., denial of candidacy for accreditation, termination of candidacy for accreditation, denial of accreditation, placement on probation* or termination of accreditation) taken by NEASC after the right of appeal has been exhausted.
   • In these cases, the effective date of and the reasons for the action are also released. In addition, for institutions placed on probation, the relevant Commission’s plans to monitor the institution are stated

In addition, a Commission may elect to publish and disseminate information regarding the last and/or upcoming date(s) of review of an Accredited or Candidate institution.

*Probationary status indicates that a school has failed to align with one or more of the NEASC Standards for Accreditation to the extent that if identified concerns are not resolved in a timely manner the school is in danger of losing its accreditation. Schools on probation remain accredited by NEASC while working to resolve the problems identified.

Institutions are encouraged to make information about their accreditation status publicly available, including the findings of reports and any obligations or requirements established by Commission action. While NEASC does not release copies of schools' self-assessments, other institutional reports, evaluation reports, or notification letters, it believes it to be good practice for institutions to make these materials available after notification of action on their status.

Because of the potential to be misleading, institutions are asked not to publish or otherwise disseminate only selected excerpts from these materials. While NEASC does not initiate public release of information on actions of warning, show cause, or deferral, if such information is released by the institution in question, we will respond to related inquiries.

If an institution releases or otherwise disseminates information that misrepresents or distorts its accreditation status, the institution will be notified and asked to take corrective action. Should it fail to do so, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, acting through its Chief Executive Officer, will release a public statement in such form and content as it deems desirable providing correct information.

We are as excited as our members to share the news of a school's accreditation and to celebrate their efforts and achievement, but we must ask that a school wait until they have received official notification from NEASC before promoting their status or using a NEASC logo in their school's materials (printed or online). We also ask that you do not download logos off of the internet; we will provide you with a copy of the correct logo for your school. If you have not yet received a logo, you may request one at neasc.org/promote-accreditation

Accredited schools/institutions may refer to their organization as "Accredited by NEASC" and use the official "NEASC Accredited" logo in their materials.

Candidates for Accreditation may refer to their organization as a "Candidate for NEASC Accreditation" but should not yet use the "NEASC Accredited" logo in their materials. 

Eligible schools/institutions that have applied and been approved to start the accreditation process with NEASC but have not yet achieved Candidacy may not yet use the NEASC logo. However, we encourage you to share your status with your learning community with language such as:

• "the school is engaged in the accreditation process with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)"
• "the school has met the initial criteria to pursue candidacy with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)"

Termination/Withdrawal
If a school chooses to withdraw from NEASC Accreditation or if its accreditation or candidacy is denied or terminated by NEASC, affiliation with NEASC immediately ceases, unless otherwise specified in writing by NEASC.

• Schools that have withdrawn or whose accreditation journey has been terminated by NEASC:
  must immediately remove any reference to NEASC membership or status from their website and publications
• may not use the NEASC logo in any printed or digital materials

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is a voluntary association that depends on its membership to identify volunteers to conduct peer review. Accordingly, it is an expectation of membership that member institutions identify highly qualified volunteers annually. Each institution’s Commission determines the specific number of volunteers to be identified and may vary from Commission to Commission due to the varying sizes of visiting teams. Member institutions will be reminded periodically that providing and supporting volunteers is a condition of membership.

Learn more about becoming a member of a NEASC Visiting Team.

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