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ATS Accreditation Standards
Brainstorming and Discussion 
Presenters: Debbie Creamer (The Association of Theological Schools) and Mitzi J. Budde 
(Virginia Theological Seminary), members of the Task Force for the Redevelopment of the 
ATS Commission Standards. 

ABSTR ACT The presenters provided an overview of the two-year 
process (2018–2020) to redevelop the standards and procedures 
for accreditation of the Association of Theological Schools. The 
session elicited conversation among Atla librarians about the current 
accreditation standards and how future redesigned accreditation 
standards might best support the work of theological education, 
particularly theological libraries, librarians, information resources, and 
educational technology. 

OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF 
THE STANDARDS

The session began with an overview of the process that is currently 
underway for the Redevelopment of the Standards of Accreditation 
of the Association of Theological Schools Commission on Accredit-
ing (ATS). The standards come from the membership, are written by 
the membership, are designed for the sake of the membership, and 
are approved by the membership. This comprehensive redevelop-
ment was authorized by action of the ATS membership at its biennial 
conference in Denver in June 2018. The goal is for a proposed set of 
new standards to be presented to the ATS membership for adoption 
at the ATS biennial conference in June 2020 in Vancouver. 

The first year of the Redevelopment process, 2018–2019, 
has been a year of listening, researching, and reflecting. This 
conversation group comes near the end of an extensive listening 
process with participation from multiple stakeholders. The 
second year, 2019–2020, will be a year of writing, revising, and 



Conversation Group  121

recommending. It will also be a year for feedback and engagement 
from the constituency. The current plan is for the Redevelopment 
Task Force to disseminate two drafts for feedback before finalizing 
the text: the first draft in December 2019 and the second in February 
2020. During February and March, six regional meetings will be 
held across the United States and Canada to receive feedback from 
the ATS constituency; webinars will also be held. The Task Force 
expects to present a third and final draft by May 2020 for vote at the 
June ATS biennial conference. If adopted, the new standards will 
take effect immediately after the vote. There will be a grandfathering 
option for those schools who are scheduled for an accreditation visit 
between 2020 and 2022. 

The scope of the redevelopment task includes drafting new 
accrediting standards, accrediting processes, accreditation 
visitor education resources, and a new self-study handbook. This 
process does not include revision of the annual statistical report 
form, as that is a joint Atla/ATS form. The expectation is that the 
new standards will provide greater clarity while streamlining the 
standards, and that they will uphold quality in theological education 
while providing greater flexibility for schools to respond to the 
standards by context and mission. 

The Redevelopment page on the ATS website offers additional 
information about the Redevelopment process and timeline. 

CONVERSATION QUESTIONS:

1. How have the current standards helped your school in better 
achieving its mission?

2. How have the current standards hindered your school from 
better achieving its mission?

3. What are some things in the current standards that you hope 
will not change in the new standards?

4. What are some things in the current standards that you hope 
will change in the new standards?

This session was offered twice. Thirty people participated on June 13, 
and seventeen on June 14.

https://ats.edu/accrediting/overview-accrediting/redevelopment-ats-commission-standards-and-procedures

