Announcing the 2026 ATS/COA Biennial Meeting theme

This June, leaders from ATS will gather at the 2026 ATS/COA Biennial Meeting under a theme that names both our calling and our practice: Theological Education: Nurturing Vital Ecosystems to Serve Our World. The theme affirms a simple truth. Theological education does not stand alone. To nurture this ecosystem is to sustain the conditions in which theological education can serve the common good.  Listen Here.

ATS welcomes David Han as director of accreditation

ATS is pleased to announce the appointment of David Han as a director of accreditation, effective March 2026. Han joins ATS as part of a planned expansion of the Commission on Accrediting team to ensure the capacity required to continue delivering exceptional service to member schools and to accompany them in their ongoing growth and mission. Listen Here.

Assessing student formation: a new overview of approaches and challenges

The norms of graduate theological education call schools to attend to the “intellectual, human, spiritual, and vocational dimensions” of student development as defined in ATS Commission on Accrediting Standard 3. Yet, measuring growth in areas like faith maturity, emotional resilience, or relational depth is notoriously difficult. How do ATS schools know whether their efforts to promote students’ spiritual formation are working? This is the first in a miniseries on student formation. Listen Here.

Shifting landscape calls for new religious leaders’ skill stack

The American religious landscape is rapidly shifting, reshaping how communities engage faith, spirituality, and public life. As traditional institutional models lose traction, religious leaders face growing misalignment between the realities of their work and the systems that have historically formed them. This article by guest contributor Sandy Hong explores how changes in congregational engagement intersect with the systems that have historically shaped religious leadership, highlighting emerging approaches and skills suited to today’s context. Listen Here.

The mission of The Association of Theological Schools and The Commission on Accrediting: continuity and change

In comparing our organization’s current mission statements with the original statement put forth in 1920, ATS director Stephen R. Graham notes a number of changes to fit modern contexts. Yet, “a common core of purpose endures even as the scope of ATS work has grown and adapted to particular needs within the schools and those they serve,” Graham observes. Listen Here.

Reformed Theological Seminary receives nearly $1 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. for new project

Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) has received a grant of nearly $1 million from Lilly Endowment Inc., awarded through the Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, to help establish The Kaleo Project, a strategic five-year initiative designed to address the growing shortage of pastoral candidates within Reformed and Presbyterian church constituencies. The Kaleo Project employs a two-pronged approach to addressing the pastoral shortage: proactive vocational exploration and strategic recruitment, combined with enhanced resources and support to equip students for ministry. Through this initiative, RTS seeks to increase the number of Master of Divinity graduates from a three-year average of 83 students to 110 students annually within five years.

Know your accreditation terms

Teach‑outs. Additional locations. Why do these terms matter for your school’s accreditation? To help schools better understand language used in the Standards of Accreditation, the Commission accrediting group regularly updates the Accreditation Key Terms and Definitions page. This page offers both quick and detailed explanations of the accreditation terms most essential to your work.


These are the newest terms added to the page. Visit the page for the full definitions.


Teach‑out

A planned process that allows students to complete their degrees when a school, program, or location closes or relocates.


Teach‑out plan

Outlines how students will be supported if a program or location closes or relocates. It includes communication, completion options, costs, timelines, and other required information.


Teach‑out agreement

A formal agreement where other institutions agree to help students finish their programs when closing schools cannot do so on their own.


Additional location

This is a teaching site geographically separate from the main campus. The level of approval or notification depends on how much of a degree program is offered there.