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ACPHA Bylaws


A. Preamble

Bylaws are essential to enable an organization to begin its work; to provide guidelines for the operation of an organization; to amend procedures as needed in the life of an organization.

B. Name & Duration

The name of the organization shall be the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA) herein referred to as the Commission. The period of duration for the Commission is perpetual.

C. Mission Statement

The mission of the Commission is the quality assessment and the quality enhancement of Hospitality Management Education programs at the Associate and Bachelor’s Degree level.

D. Organization of the Agency

  • Composition – The Commission membership is composed of representatives from hospitality education, the hospitality industry, its community of interests, and public-at–large. The Commission shall be composed of eleven (11) voting members as follows:
    a. Hospitality Administration/Management Educators: Eight (8) members from accredited programs representing two and four-year programs.
    b. Hospitality and Related Industries Representatives: Two (2) industry representatives from the hospitality and/or related industries.
    c. Public-at-Large Representative: One (1) individual from the public sector, representing the consumer interests of hospitality administration programs at the national and international levels.

  • Terms of Office; Nominating and Vacancy Procedures
    a. All seats on the Commission are three (3) year terms. No member of the Commission may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms with the exception of the Immediate Past Chairperson who may complete his/her two-year commitment in this role should this exceed the two (2) consecutive term maximum. After completing two (2) consecutive terms, a Commissioner may return for another three (3) year term after he/she has been off the Commission for one (1) year.
    b. The Commission Chairperson shall establish a Governance Committee composed of chairs of the Commission’s committees.
    c. The Commission will solicit nominees from ACPHA accredited programs. Nominees will submit a CV and letter of interest for review by the Governance Committee.
    d. The Governance Committee will present its slate and the full Commission will vote at the summer ACPHA meeting.
    e. The names of the elected Commissioners will be electronically published and made available to the ACPHA member programs.
    f. In the case a Commissioner is unable to fulfill his/her term, the Commission Chairperson will propose a qualified appointee to the Commission for approval. The appointee shall complete the term of the vacated member and then will submit a CV and letter of intent for review by the Governance Committee if he or she wishes to seek additional terms on the Commission. In the case a Commissioner moves from his/her constituency base representation; the member shall relinquish his/her seat on the Commission.
    g. A Commissioner may be removed from the Commission by a vote and/or a petition signed by three-fourths (3/4) of the Commission membership.

  • Officers, Elections, and Vacancies
    a. The Commission will elect a Chairperson to serve a two-year term. Upon completion of the Chairperson’s term, he/she will then serve a two-year term as Immediate Past Chairperson.
    b. The names of the elected Commission officers will be electronically published and made available to the ACPHA member programs.
    c. An officer of the Commission may be removed from office/Commission by a vote and/or a petition signed by three-fourths (3/4) of the Commission membership.
    d. In the case where an officer of the Commission is unable to fulfill his/her term, the Commission Chairperson will propose a qualified appointee to the Commission for approval. The appointee shall complete the term of the vacated member.
    e. In the case where the Commission Chairperson is no longer able to serve, the Immediate Past Chair will become the interim Chairperson until the next regularly scheduled meeting.
  • Immediate Past Chair: The immediate Past Chair may serve the Commission in an “Advisory Role” if requested. This position does not have voting rights during Commission discussions. If the Past Chair is not interested or not available the “position” remains open until such time as a seated Chair exceeds their term limits and is willing to continue to serve.

E. Commission Function and Responsibilities

  1. To develop and enhance standards and guidelines for evaluating program effectiveness in the field of hospitality administration/management; to foster excellence in the same, and to publish those standards and guidelines for evaluating program effectiveness.
  2. To ensure the effectiveness of, and objectivity in, the accreditation process.
  3. To provide counsel and assistance to established and developing hospitality administration/ management programs and to disseminate information to all programs that might stimulate improvement in hospitality administration education.
  4. To ensure that the accreditation process recognizes the diversity of hospitality administration/management and provides assurance that programs are of acceptable quality.
  5. To develop and maintain a policy manual and other manuals for programmatic self-study made available upon request.
  6. To develop and maintain site team visitor’s manuals, implement the appropriate training of all team members, and assemble the site teams.
  7. To set and collect fees for the accreditation process, maintain appropriate records, and disburse appropriate payments for expenses incurred through the accreditation process.
  8. To schedule the process for accreditation for hospitality administration/management programs and to coordinate the entire review process.
  9. To be solely responsible for the final decision on accreditation of hospitality administration/management programs.
  10. To receive, review, and arbitrate written appeals from any program claiming to be aggrieved by a negative action of the Commission.
  11. To function as the policy-making body in all matters of accreditation within hospitality administration/management programs.

In fulfilling these charges, the Commission has developed the following.

  1. Eligibility requirements for programs seeking accreditation.
    a. Program must submit an application and fee.
    b. Program must submit a completed Self-Study Report and schedule a site visit within one year of acceptance of the application and fee. The ACPHA Commission will consider extenuating circumstances if a Program petitions for an extension of the one-year application period.
  2. Objectives of the accreditation process, including
    a. Overall objectives of the accreditation of programs in hospitality administration/management.
    b. Specific objectives of hospitality administration/management accreditation.
    c. Specific objectives of the accrediting process in evaluating a program in hospitality/management administration.
  3. The accreditation process, which includes a programmatic self-study, a visiting team report, the program response, and final Commission action.

F. Meetings, Attendance, Quorum, & Voting Rights

  • The Commission will hold a minimum of two (2) meetings per year for the purpose of general Commission business. The meeting may be held virtually or in-person.
    a. Electronically-distributed notices of all meetings shall be made available to all ACPHA-accredited programs.
  • Only elected members of the Commission may vote on matters before the Commission; no votes may be accepted by proxy.
    a. Each Commissioner may have only one (1) vote.
    b. A quorum requires the presence of a minimum of six (6) voting members. A three-quarter (3/4) affirmative vote is needed to act on specific programmatic accreditation, including a grant of accreditation, a grant of accreditation with the stipulation, deferral, warning, focused visit, show cause order, show cause order focused visit, vacate the show cause order, fail-to-accredit, and voluntary withdrawal.
  • A Commissioner will forfeit his/her seat on the Commission if the member is absent from two (2) meetings during his/her term.
  • All meetings of the Commission are open to the public, except when the Commission convenes Executive Session to consider accreditation action on a specific program’s file.
    a. A Commissioner will recuse himself/herself in the case of perceived conflict of interest. The Commissioner should notify the Commission Chairperson so that a quorum may be ensured. Each Commissioner will complete a COI form in advance of each meeting to ensure compliance. This form shall be kept on file and in case of a conflict will be indicated in the meeting minutes.
    b. A seated Commissioner may serve in a pre-visit consulting role or as a member of a visiting team but must recuse himself/herself during the Commission review and action.

G. Committees

The Commission may establish, as needed, one or more of the following committees and elect or assign a chair and members:

a. Executive Committee
1. The Executive Committee would consist of the current Chair, the immediate Past Chair, all other Committee Chairs, and the Executive Director.
2. Sub-Committees may be assigned as needed by the Chair.
3. Accreditation Liaisons may be appointed by the Chair in consultation with the Executive Director.

a. Accreditation Liaisons: Two (2) individuals representing hospitality education who have served as Chair/Past Chair, Commissioner or from a currently accredited program. This appointment cannot be selected from currently seated Commissioners. These individuals will be appointed by the Executive Director, in agreement with the current Chair, based on past involvement in accreditation activities. This appointment is for a period of 3-years and subject to renewal by Chair and Executive Director based on performance.
b. Education Committee
c. Finance Committee
d. Governance Committee
e. Standards Committee

I. Indemnification of Committee Members

The ACPHA Corporation will indemnify all members of the Commission in accordance with current Commission Bylaws and practices against any and all expenses as a result of pending or completed action in connection with official activities of the Commission.

J. Amendments

These Bylaws of the Commission may be amended by a three-quarters affirmative vote of a quorum either in person or via electronic poll.
Any Commissioner may propose in writing an amendment to the Bylaws. Notice of any such amendment must be presented to the Commission for discussion not less than 30 days prior to the next scheduled meeting

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