November 21, 2025
RE: Standards For Accreditation 2025 Review
On behalf of the MEAC Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce that the 2025 Standards revision process has been completed.
The Standards revision process began in April 2025 with the creation of a Standards Review Committee comprising members of MEAC’s Board of Directors, Community Midwives, MEAC Member School Representatives, and MEAC’s Director of Accreditation.
The Committee focused this process on changes in federal regulations around Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DEI); feedback from the Department of Education regarding MEAC’s Scope of Recognition (Direct Assessment not part of MEAC’s scope); changes in requirements regarding Distance Education; and updates in best practices in midwifery education. The Committee aimed to address any Benchmarks that lacked clarity or were unnecessary. The biggest changes you will see in the 2025 Standards for Accreditation include the removal of any and all references to DEI and Direct Assessment and the addition of a separate Standard for Distance Education.
The initial draft revisions were posted for public comment from July 2026 through August 2026. The Committee collected public comments and incorporated them into the final draft.
On November 12, 2025, MEAC’s Board of Directors voted to adopt the revised Standards for Accreditation.
On January 3, 2026, schools will receive an implementation and compliance reporting timeline. The implementation process will be spread out over 18 months.
MEAC looks forward to working with schools to embrace and implement the new Standards for Accreditation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Caroline Clark Rivera
Director of Accreditation & Continuing Education Coordinator