New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. - Bylaws - Adopted and Effective as of June 7, 2017 - Amended and Effective as of April 21, 2023

Sep 4, 2026

Governing bylaws of the New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. set out the corporation’s name, office, and charitable educational purpose under applicable U.S. federal and Massachusetts law. The document defines the organization as a non-member nonprofit corporation, describes board authority and governance mechanics, and establishes criteria for institutional membership, including nondiscrimination requirements. It also specifies membership termination triggers, annual conference responsibilities, and how dues, fees, and charges are set by the Commission.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

ARTICLE I NAME, OFFICE AND PURPOSE

Section 1.01. Name and Office

Section 1.02. Purposes

ARTICLE II GOVERNANCE

Section 2.01. Non-member Nonprofit Corporation

ARTICLE III INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS

Section 3.01. Qualifications

Section 3.02. Termination of Membership

Section 3.03. Annual Conference

Section 3.04. Institutional Members' Dues, Fees and Charges

ARTICLE IV THE COMMISSION

NEW ENGLAND COMMISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION, INC. (A Massachusetts Nonprofit Corporation) BYLAWS Adopted and Effective as of June 7, 2017 Amended and Effective as of April 21, 2023 ARTICLE I NAME, OFFICE AND PURPOSE Section 1.01. Name and Office. (a) The name of the corporation is: New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the "Corporation") . (b) Prior to the formation of the Corporation, the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education was an unincorporated division of the Association with independent and autonomous control over its financial, human resources, and accreditation activities pursuant to certain delegations in the Association bylaws and a certain Memorandum of Understanding, dated September 19, 2013, entered into between the Association and the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The Corporation is the successor to the Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education and continues that mission as a separate and independent corporation. The Corporation shall hold the assets and liabilities allocated toit as mutually agreed upon with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. (c) The principal office of the Corporation shall be located at 301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, Massachusetts or such other place as may be designated by the Executive Committee. The Corporation may have such other offices within or without the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as the Commission may designate from time to time. Section 1.02. Purposes. The Corporation is organized exclusively to promote charitable and educational activities within the meaning of Section 50l(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and is incorporated under chapter 180 of the Massachusetts General Laws (the "Act") for any lawful purpose, not inconsistent with Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, for which a nonprofit corporation may operate under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts including, in particular, the following: (i) To provide educational, accrediting, quality assurance and other services to its member institutions, degree granting post-secondary educational institutions offering higher education and located inside or outside the United States; (ii) To serve as an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and authorized by the departments of education or equivalent government authority of each state or relevant jurisdiction to conduct voluntary, non-governmental peer review and make decisions concerning the accreditation or pre-accreditation status of member institutions, programs, or both; (iii) To promote quality assurance and improvement through voluntary accreditation via peer evaluation and instill public confidence in its institutional members' missions, goals, performance, and resources through its rigorous accreditation standards and their enforcement, and (iv) To initiate and sustain such training and research activities as may be consistent with the general purposes of Commission. ARTICLE II GOVERNANCE Section 2.01. Non-member Nonprofit Corporation. (a) As stated in its Articles of Organization, the Corporation is a non-member nonprofit corporation. Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, the board of directors of the Corporation (the"Commission") shall have full power to conduct, manage and direct its business and affairs, and all powers are hereby granted to and vested in the Commission in accordance with Article IV of these Bylaws. (b) Any action or vote required or permitted by the Act to be taken by members of the Corporation shall be taken by action or vote of the same percentage of the directors ofthe Corporation. ARTICLE III INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS Section 3.01. Qualifications. (a) All institutions that are accredited and that are in good standing with respect to payment of dues and other obligations of such institutions shall be institutional

FAQs

What is the corporation’s stated purpose in these bylaws?

The corporation is organized to promote charitable and educational activities and to provide educational, accrediting, and quality assurance services consistent with applicable law.

How does institutional membership qualification work?

Accredited institutions in good standing regarding dues and obligations become institutional members, following the Commission’s standards, policies, and processes, including nondiscrimination requirements.

When does institutional membership terminate?

Membership ends automatically if an institution withdraws, is removed from the accredited list under Commission standards and procedures, or fails to pay annual dues for two successive years unless the Commission waives non-payment for good cause.

Sep 4, 2026

Upload by Olivia Brown