Meetings are a key element of your institution's operations. Adequate minutes demonstrate the involvement of staff, faculty, and board members in all areas of your institution. You will use meeting minutes in Exhibits to be prepared for accreditation visits. Meeting minutes or attendance issues are among the most common visit findings. Download our TRACS School Guide – Annual Meetings.

Recommended Meetings

Institution's Board (at least annually)
Program Reviews by Faculty (annually)
Financial (quarterly)
Academic (quarterly)
Institutional Assessment and Planning (quarterly)
Strategic Planning (quarterly)
Staff Meeting (annually)

Audit personnel files at least annually including full-time, part-time, and contractors. Personnel files are as important as student files. Elements to audit: employment applications, resume, official transcripts, licenses, copies of valid ID, job descriptions, new employee acknowledgment forms, employee orientation, faculty orientation, annual performance evaluation, staff development plan, annual certificates of eight (8) hours of continuing education completion, class observations, personnel advising forms, personnel grievances. Download our TRACS School Guide – Employee File Documents.

EMPLOYEE FILE BEST PRACTICES

REQUEST A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION

Student files should use a standardized checklist. We recommend auditing student files at least once a year. Elements to audit: entrance exams, admission documentation, student orientation, enrollment agreement, SAP reports, leave of absence, attendance, academic evaluations, advising forms, tutoring forms, grievances, externship completion documentation, ledger cards, refund calculations, exit interviews, transcripts, and diplomas. Download our TRACS School Guide – Graduate Student File Documents and TRACS School Guide – Withdrawn Student File Documents.

Your school's annual operating budget should include additional items to reflect funding allocation to each one of your institution's departments such as admissions, human resources, technical infrastructure, student services, financial, learning resources, academics, placement services, institutional planning, distance education, operations, and maintenance.

4 - TRACS Readiness Self-Assessment

7 – Aligning Your Institution with TRACS Standards

STUDENT FILE BEST PRACTICES

PREPARING FOR TRACS ACCREDITATION VISITS

TRACS provides accreditation to vocational and degree-granting Christian institutions. Download our Eligibility and Readiness Assessments. Learn about the application process. Free reference guides.

HOW TO PREPARE TRACS SELF-STUDY

6 – TRACS Visits

Follow all instructions received from the visit coordinator. Team members will interview personnel and students and also contact graduates and employers.

We hope the information included on this page has answered your questions regarding TRACS eligibility and the application process. Still needing assistance? We are glad to help! Request a free consultation by calling 786-618-2277, emailing [email protected], or completing the free session request form. We are readily available to assist your school with the TRACS accreditation process.

BEFORE YOU START

10 – Reference Pages and Publications

CONDUCTING SURVEYS TRACS COMPLIANT

The Transactional Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) may update its manuals, forms, and applications between the time you read this page and start your application process. Institutions are expected to adhere to the latest manual, forms, and instructions on their website. Check TRACS publications and forms often.

HOW TO PREPARE TRACS STRATEGIC PLAN

TRACS ACCREDITATION CONSULTING PACKAGE

An annual operations calendar is key to maintaining your institution in compliance. Items to include: deadlines with regulatory agencies, meetings, surveys, inventory reviews, reports, issuing the revised strategic plan, teacher planning days, training, annual employee performance evaluations, and class observations. Download our TRACS School Guide – Annual Operating Calendar.

TRACS standards are published in their Accreditation Manual, available on TRACS Publications Page. Accreditors review their publications often. We recommend reviewing their website often and making the appropriate changes to your policies and procedures manual to observe compliance.

The Strategic Plan identifies the institution’s goals, aligning human and physical resources with the school’s mission, objectives, and budget. The plan is revised and approved annually by the institution’s Board. Download our TRACS School Guide – Preparing the Strategic Plan.

CONDUCTING MEETINGS TRACS COMPLIANT

PREPARING A RESPONSE TO TRACS TEAM VISITATION REPORT

2 - TRACS Accreditation Process

YOUR INSTITUTION’S OPERATING ANNUAL CALENDAR

CREATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ALIGNED WITH TRACS

9 – Download Our Free TRACS Reference Guides

Transactional Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Information

After a visit, institutions receive an Evaluation Team report which will include areas of non-compliance (violations). A response must be presented showing violations listed in the visit report have been properly addressed. Follow the instructions received for the response preparation.

11 – TRACS Consulting Services

Surveys are the medium by which students, graduates, employers, staff, faculty, and board members provide evaluation and feedback in the different areas of an institution. Survey results are presented at the annual meetings. Download our TRACS School Guide – Annual Surveys. Consider Survey Monkey for running your school's surveys and preparing the reports for meetings.

Recommended Surveys

Course Survey (end of term)
Student Survey (end of the academic year)
Graduate Survey (upon graduation)
Employer Survey (upon student employment)
Employee Survey (annually)
Policies and Procedures Survey (annually)

The Self-Evaluation Report is a narrative format document that, along with the exhibits, will demonstrate your institution's compliance with TRACS standards. Review TRACS's Self-Study Guidelines. We have prepared a reference guide that includes recommended steps for the preparation. Download our TRACS School Guide – Preparing the Self-Study

8 – What to Expect After Initial Approval

We can help you accomplish the first step of your accreditation journey: aligning your institution's operations with best practices and TRACS standards.

This consulting package includes the following:

Policies and Procedures Manual.
Operations Manual.
Meeting Guidelines.
Survey Guidelines.
Sample Student and Employee Files.
Catalog Review.
Ten Zoom Training Sessions.
Ten Additional Consulting Hours.

TRACS COMPLIANCE AND OPERATIONS CONSULTING PACKAGE

There are many elements that play a role in an institution's road to accreditation status. We invite you to download our free TRACS Readiness Self-Assessment. It includes 41 items we see as key players for any institution to achieve and maintain accreditation. Feeling overwhelmed? No worries. This page includes tips and reference guides to assist you to achieve your goal.

ATTENDING TRACS CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOPS

YOUR INSTITUTION’S BUDGET

The Transactional Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) is recognized by both the United States Department of Education (USDOE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a national institutional accrediting agency for Christian postsecondary institutions, colleges, universities, and seminaries.

This page includes an overview for new applicants organized in the following sections:

TRACS Eligibility Self-Assessment
TRACS Accreditation Process
TRACS Standards
TRACS Readiness Self-Assessment
Completing TRACS Applications and Reports
TRACS Visits
Aligning Your Institution with TRACS Standards
What to Expect After Initial Approval
Download Our Free TRACS Reference Guides
Reference Pages and Publications
Consulting Services

TRACS Pages and Publications

Bayside Projects Related Pages

Aligning your institutions' policies and operations with TRACS standards is a must. Many Self-Study sections will refer to your institution's policies and procedures. Creating the first Policies and Procedures Manual for your school will be hard work. You will be happy once accomplished! Download our TRACS School Guide – Policies and Procedures Manual and TRACS School Guide - Operations Manual.

HOW TO PREPARE TRACS ASSESSMENT PLAN

For detailed information on the accreditation process, we recommend reading TRACS's Steps Toward Accreditation. The initial accreditation requires completing the following milestones:

ACHIEVING APPLICANT STATUS

Complete Institutional submissions
Approval of Applicant status granted

ACHIEVING CANDIDATE STATUS

Complete and submit a Self-Study Proposal
Self-Study Staff Visit completed onsite or virtually.
Submit the Final Self-Study Report with supporting documentation.
Host an Evaluation Team Visit
Respond to the Evaluation Team Report
Appear before the Accreditation Commission
TRACS Commission grants the Candidate Status
Submit Annual Compliance Report addressing any non-compliance issues.

ACHIEVING ACCREDITATION STATUS

Institution receives TRACS approval to proceed toward Accreditation.
Submit the Self-Study Proposal.
Self-Study Staff Visit completed in person or virtually.
Submit the final Self-Study Report with supporting documentation.
Host the Evaluation Team Visit
Respond to the Evaluation Team Report.
Appear before the Accreditation Commission
TRACS Commission grants the Accreditation Status
Submit Annual Compliance Report addressing any non-compliance issues.

We recommend attending TRACS Annual Conference and Workshops before starting the accreditation process, as well as every year there after. Visit TRACS Conference Page.

Interested in TRACS Accreditation? Download our TRACS Free Eligibility Self-Assessment to verify how close are you to meeting the requirements for the initial application.

TRACS Accreditation

BAYSIDE PROJECTS

This consulting package includes four modules that align with TRACS's accreditation process. This approach allows your institution to commit to one objective and consulting fee at a time. You may cancel our services at any time without penalties. Each module focuses on a specific topic and includes ten (10) Zoom training sessions:

Module 1 - Compliance and Operations.

Module 2 - Meetings, Surveys, and Strategic Planning.

Module 3 - Assessment Plan.

Module 4 - Standard, Self-Study, and Exhibits.

Interested in learning more? Contact us for a complimentary consultation. Module 1 is the equivalent of our TRACS Compliance and Operations Consulting Package. Clients that have already completed that training only contract Modules 2 through 4.

The Institutional Assessment Plan evaluates the institution's effectiveness in accomplishing its mission and objectives. It reflects an ongoing process of self-evaluation completed annually. It requires first aligning your school’s policies, assessments, benchmarks, surveys, and meetings with TRACS standards. The plan is revised and approved annually by the institution’s Board. Download our TRACS School Guide – Preparing the Assessment Plan.

Once accreditation status has been granted by the Transactional Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, keeping the annual operations as you did is important. Follow your Annual Operations Calendar, and attend TRACS conferences. You may be able to start the Title IV application for the programs that qualify. You may consider applying with Homeland Security for SEVP Certification to grant International Student Visas.

1 - TRACS Eligibility Self-Assessment

3 - TRACS Standards

5 - Completing TRACS Applications and Reports

Reference guides are one of the many resources we provide our consulting clients. We have prepared one for each key player in TRACS's accreditation journey. We invite you to download them free of charge: