ACEN Policies

To ensure that all matters dealing with the accreditation of programs by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) are conducted with integrity, fairness, impartiality, and objectivity, the ACEN has adopted this policy addressing conflict of interest, conduct, and confidentiality.

Conflict of Interest for Peer Evaluators

In all circumstances, conflicts ofinterest as well as the appearance of conflicts of interest must be avoided.All peer evaluators (site visitors, Evaluation Review Panel members,Commissioners, and Appeal Panel members) and any other individuals who act onbehalf of the ACEN shall not have direct involvement with and/or participate in any decision-making capacity for a nursing programif they have an actual or potential conflict ofinterest with the program. Peer evaluators have a duty to disclose any actualor potential conflicts of interest. Actual or potential conflicts of interestmay include (but are not limited to) the following:

1. Being a currentor former employeeof the governing organization that is underreview.
2. Being a currentstudent, former student,or graduate of the governing organization that is under review.
3. Maintaining employment in the same state(U.S. and U.S. Territories) or in the same non-U.S. country as the nursingeducation unit that is under review.
4. Maintaining a primary residence inthe same state (U.S. and U.S. Territories) or in the same non-U.S. country asthe nursing education unit that is under review.
5. Having served as a peer evaluator in the past eight years on any ACEN accreditation matterinvolving the nursing education unit that is under review.
6. Having served as a consultant in the past eight years on any accreditation matter involving the governing organization or nursing educationunit that is under review.
7. Having served in an evaluationrole in the past eight years for an agency other than the ACEN regarding thesame governing organization or nursing education unit that is under review,including (but not limited to) membership on the state regulatory agency for nursingsite visit teams,institutional accreditation teams,or evaluation committees for boards of trustees, regents,or a similar entity.
8. Having been paid or otherwise profited(or appeared to have profited) from service from the governing organization or nursing education unit under review.
9. Having affiliations or closepersonal or professional relationships in the past eight years with key personnel in the governing organization or nursing education unit that is under review.
10. Having immediate family memberswho are current employees, board members, or students enrolled at the governingorganization that is under review.
11. Having a current financialinterest in the governing organization that is under review, including (but notlimited to) ownership of shares of stock in the governing organization or anyparent of the governing organization, excepting shares or interests heldindirectly (such as but not limited to in mutualfunds, insurance policies, or blind trusts);in addition, havingany immediate familymembers with any of the abovefinancial interests.
12. Having any other relationship or reason that could serveas an impediment to rendering an impartial, objective, and professional judgment regarding the nursing programthat is under review.

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Conduct and Ethical Guidelines for Nursing Programs

1. It is the responsibility of each nursingprogram to facilitate a thorough and objective appraisal of its nursingprogram.
2. Nursing programs may veto a peer evaluator if it can be demonstrated in writing to the ACEN Chief Executive Officer or designee that an actual or apotential conflict of interest exists.
3. Any perceived inadequacies of the ACEN procedures or processes shouldbe reported by theprogram’s nurse administrator to the ACEN Chief Executive Officer or designee at the time ofthe occurrence rather than withheld until after the ACEN Board of Commissionersmakes an accreditation decision.

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 Conduct and Ethical Guidelines for Peer Evaluators

1. Any commissioner or member of theEvaluation Review Panel, who was a member of a site visit or has a primaryresidence or is currently employedin the same state as the nursing education unit underconsideration, must recuseher/himself from theEvaluation Review Panel or commission discussion about the program and mustabstain from voting.
2. When the governing organization ornursing education unit with which a commissioner is employed is beingconsidered for accreditation or appeal, the commissioner will recuse her/himself from the portionof the ACEN Board of Commissioners’ meetingagenda concerned with the evaluation of that program and will abstain from voting.
3. Peer evaluators are required torefrain from accepting membership on a team and are to recuse themselves fromthe discussion during the review of any program if their presencewould constitute or appear to constitute a conflict of interest, abstaining from voting if a conflictof interest is identified.
4. Peer evaluators have a duty to disclosetheir actual or potential conflicts of interest.
5. Individualsshall not advertise their status as an ACEN peer evaluator for the purposeof consulting.
6. Individualsshall not solicitconsultation arrangements with programs preparing for accreditation review.
7. Individuals shall not give advice or consult for a nursing education unit for a period of eight years after serving as a peer evaluator on any ACEN accreditationmatter related to that nursing program.
8. Individuals shall not offer definitive answers related to ACEN policies and procedures or the ACEN Standards and Criteria.

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Conflict of Interest, Conduct, and Ethical Guidelines for ACEN Staff

In all circumstances, conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest must be avoided.No staff membershall have direct involvementwith a nursing education unit if they have an actual or potential conflict ofinterest with the program.

Staff should inform the ACEN Chief Executive Officer where an actual or potential conflict of interest exists. While not intendedto be a comprehensive list, examples of when a staff member may have a conflict of interest include the following:

1. Was a compensated consultant, appointee, employee of, or candidatefor employment at the governingorganization or nursing education unit.
2. Is a graduateof the governing organization.
3. Has a closepersonal or familialrelationship with personsat the governing organization.
4. Has a strongbias regarding the governing organization or nursing education unit.
5. Has any other relationship or reason that could serveas an impediment to actingin an impartial, objective professional manner toward the governing organization or nursingeducation unit.
6. Has a current financial interest in the governing organization under review, including (but not limitedto) ownership of shares of stock in thegoverning organization or any parentof the governing organization, excepting shares or interests held indirectly (suchas but not limited to mutual funds, insurance policies, or blind trusts),or has any immediate familymembers with any of the aforementioned financial interests.

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In addition, staff are prohibited from accepting fees,awards, or honorarydegrees from a governing organization with a nursingprogram that is accredited by the ACEN.

Confidentiality and Communications for Peer Evaluators and ACEN Staff

 To ensure that all matters dealingwith the accreditation of nursing programs are conducted with integrity,fairness, impartiality, and objectivity, individuals who participate in ACENactivities, including (but not limited to) peer evaluators and ACEN staff, mustmaintain confidentiality with regards to all non-public information related to the accreditation reviewand consideration of a nursingprogram by the ACEN. Accordingly, peer evaluators and ACEN staff shall conduct themselves asfollows:

1. Documents, reports, and othermaterials prepared by the program for the ACEN must be treated as confidentialmaterials in the absence of specific policiesmaking clear the degree and extent of their permissible exposure. The ACEN will releasematerials only in responseto a valid court order or otherwise as may be required by law.
2. All materials pertinent to the nursingprogram under revieware considered confidential materials prepared for use by the ACEN andshould not be shown to or discussed with anyone other than peer evaluators andACEN staff as appropriate and when necessary.
3. Peer evaluators and ACEN Staff maynot use open-source artificial intelligence (AI) for any program-relatedmaterials during a review process or formulating a report.
4. Accreditationdecisions issued by the ACEN Board of Commissioners must be kept confidential. Accreditation decisions will be communicated to the program in writingonly by the ACEN Chief Executive Officer or designee.
5. Apeer evaluator or an ACEN staff membershall not sharewith a governing organizationor nursing education unit employee or any otherperson any information regarding the review proceedings.
6. Any request by a peer evaluator for additional information from the governing organization/nursing program following a site visitor related to an EvaluationReview Panel must be directed to the ACEN staff. Direct communication between apeer evaluator and the governing organization and/or the nursing program underreview only occurs when preparing for an upcoming site visit.
7. ACEN Staff shall not useopen-source AI for any non-public ACEN materials.

Disclosure and Commitment to Comply with Policy #1

 Prior to each site visit,Evaluation Review Panelmeeting, or Boardof Commissioners meeting,each peer evaluator will sign electronically or by hand anattestation that they agree to comply with all aspects of the Policy #1 ACENCode of Conduct and Conflict of Interest. Annually, each ACEN staff member willsign electronically or by hand an attestation that they agree to comply withall aspects of the Policy #1 ACEN Code of Conduct and Conflict of InterestPolicy.

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