COCA Standards for Substantive Change Requests

The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation’s standards and procedures state the commission reviews the following items for a substantive change request for an additional location:

• If the college of osteopathic medicine, or its parent, has accreditation from a regional agency recognized for that purpose by the U.S. Secretary of Education, then a letter indicating approval of the additional location from the regional accreditor must accompany the substantive change request.
• A COM, and/or its parent, must not have accreditation with warning, accreditation with probation, or be subject to a show cause determination that could alter accreditation status issued by the COCA or the regional accreditor prior to requesting the substantive change request.
• Assessment of the degree of support that the additional location has in the community, county and state, and the respective osteopathic professional associations. Written documentation must accompany this assessment. The assessment must include a letter of comment from the state osteopathic association for each state in which the proposed additional location intends to have clinical training sites.
• A statement of the curriculum proposed to be offered at the additional location and the COM’s previous experience with that curriculum. 
• Demonstrate and document with written verification that it has the availability of adequate clinical training sites. Documentation must include an assessment of the impact of the additional location’s proposed clinical training programs upon any osteopathic training programs already in existence at the clinical sites under discussion.
• A graduate medical education feasibility report (incorporating the retrospective GME accountability report outcome metrics of Standard 8.3) that demonstrates the expected placement of the COM’s current and prospective graduates in GME positions, including OGME positions. In addition, the COM must demonstrate educational planning and noted progress in generating postdoctoral training opportunities.
• The parent must provide for student services for the additional location as required by standard five: students.
• Identify the faculty who will provide instruction.
• Projected revenues, expenditures and cash flows at the additional location.
• Operation, management and physical resources at the additional location, including learning resources.