Eastern Virginia Medical School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the Doctor of Medicine degree, Masters’ degrees, Doctoral degrees, and Certificates. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Eastern Virginia Medical School.
EVMS is also accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The school received full, eight-year accreditation during its most recent review, which was completed in early 2013.
In addition, many of the programs in our School of Health Professions have received specialized accreditations from appropriate accrediting bodies.
- The Graduate Art Therapy and Counseling Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE). As of September 2019, the next accreditation review is in 2024.
- The Pathologists’ Assistant Masters Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). PATH-A received the maximum five (5) year initial accreditation on April 30, 2019. The program is not due for a site visit until 2024 but will send annual progress reports to NAACLS and a Self-study report in 2023.
- The Physician Assistant Masters Program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc (ARC-PA). This accreditation has been in effect since 2009 and will come up for review again in 2026.
- The Master of Public Health Program is seeking continued national accreditation through the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The site visit will be held in March 2020, and the accreditation decision is expected in July 2020. The Program has been continuously accredited by CEPH since 2000.
- The Surgical Assistant Masters Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The recent peer review conducted by the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA) and CAAHEP’s Board of Directors recognizes the program’s substantial compliance with the nationally established accreditation Standards. The next comprehensive evaluation of the program, including an on-site review, is scheduled to occur no later than 2029.
- The Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). This accreditation has been in effect since 2013 and will come up for review again in 2020.
Policy on Accreditation and Program Integrity
Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) considers accreditation of its programs to be essential to educational and institutional excellence. It is the policy of EVMS that all EVMS educational programs seek the appropriate regional, national, and/or specialized program accreditation as soon as such is available to the program. Further, each program that has achieved accreditation status shall ensure that it conducts all of its activities in such a manner as to maintain its accredited status on a permanent basis including notifying the appropriate accrediting body of any substantive change as defined herein. Programs for which accreditation is not available because no entity currently serves as a related program accrediting body shall develop policies, procedures, and best practices that ensure the highest educational quality and program integrity and shall be subject to a formal self-study process at least every five years.
Substantive Change
- Definition. “Substantive Change” means a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of the educational mission or program(s) at EVMS and includes:
- Any change in the established mission or objectives of the institution;
- Any change in legal status, form of control, or ownership of the institution;
- The addition of courses or programs that represent a significant departure, either in content or method of delivery, from those that were offered when the institution was last evaluated;
- The addition of courses or programs of study at a degree or credential level different from that which is included in the institution’s current accreditation or reaffirmation;
- A change from clock hours to credit hours;
- A substantial increase in the number of clock or credit hours awarded for successful completion of a program;
- The establishment of an additional location geographically apart from the main campus at which the institution offers at least 50 percent of an educational program;
- The establishment of a branch campus;
- Closing a program, off-campus site, branch campus or institution;
- Entering into a collaborative academic arrangement such as a dual degree program or a joint degree program with another institution
- Acquiring another institution or a program or location of another institution;
- Adding a permanent location at a site where the institution is conducting a teach-out program for a closed institution; and
- Entering into a contract by which an entity not eligible for Title IV funding offers 25% or more of one or more of the accredited institution’s programs.
- Board of Visitors Approval. All proposed Substantive Changes shall be approved by the EVMS Board of Visitors in accordance with the EVMS Bylaws and applicable law. All educational programs for which academic credit is awarded must be approved by the EVMS Board of Visitors.
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
- Notification and/or Approval. In addition to reaffirmation of accreditation by SACS every 10 years, EVMS must notify and, in some cases receive approval, from SACS prior to initiating a Substantive Change. All notifications must be timely made in accordance with SACS policy and must be coordinated through the EVMS SACS Liaison. As SACS may need to be notified as much as 12 months in advance, it is imperative that the SACS Liaison be consulted at the outset of any discussions regarding a proposed change. No change may actually be implemented until such time as the SACS Liaison advises that the proposed change may proceed.
- SACS Liaison. Substantive Change notifications and requests for approval may only be made through the designated SACS Liaison or his/her designee. Information on the current SACS Liaison can be found on the EVMS website.
- Other Accrediting Bodies. EVMS programs that are also accredited by other regional, national or other specialized accrediting bodies shall follow the prescribed processes of each relevant accrediting body for notifying and obtaining prior approval for all Substantive Changes planned.
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