All about accreditation
Accreditation is a process by which a facility's
services and operations are examined by a third-party accrediting agency to
determine if applicable standards are met. Should the facility meet the accrediting
agency's standards, the facility receives accredited status from the accrediting
agency.
In the United States, the term is most often used with reference to schools and hospitals. Accreditation of these institutions is performed by private nonprofit membership associations known as accreditors. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation oversees accrediting agencies and provides guidelines as well as resources and relevant data. [3] In contrast, in many other countries the authority to operate an educational institution is at the discretion of the central government, typically through a Ministry of Education (MOE). In these countries, the MOE may provide functions similar to those of accreditation body, depending on resources and government interests.
Accreditation in the U.S.
When discussing accreditation in the
, it is important that the concept of accreditation not be confused with the authority to operate. The authority to operate a school in the
is federal republic, the authority of the U.S. Department of Education does not extend to authorizing schools to operate, to enroll students, or to award degrees. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education is not responsible for accreditation of institutions.
In the United States of America the accreditation of schools has long been established as a peer review process coordinated by accreditation commissions and the members, and predating the U.S. Department of Education by many decades. As noted the U.S. Department of Education itself [4], it does not accredit schools. These accreditation commissions are formed, funded, and operated by their members to create an academic community that is self-regulating.
With the advent of the U.S. Department of Education and under the terms of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, the U.S. Secretary of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the quality of education or training provided by the institutions of higher education and the higher education programs they accredit. The federal government makes no distinction between accreditation bodies, giving all equal standing.
Regional accreditors
There are six regional accreditors. They include among their membership nearly all elementary schools, junior high schools, middle schools, high schools, community colleges, public universities, and private universities.
National accreditors
There are 52 recognized national accrediting bodies.[1] The national accreditors include a variety of religious, professional, and vocational accreditors, and get their name from their common policy of accrediting schools nationwide or even worldwide. Requirements for accreditation vary from each national accreditor according to the speciality.
In general terms, the national accreditators may be divided into those that accredit academic programs leading to a degree, those that accredit vocational programs leading to preparation for a career, and those that offer specialized and professional accreditation as an add-on to other accreditation.
The major national accreditors for academic programs include the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) for nationally accredited distant learning institutions, and the Accrediting Council for
Accreditation bodies for institutions that focus on developing career-oriented skills include the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology(ACCSCT), Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, Council on Occupational Education.
Of the specialized and professional accreditors, the most visible is perhaps American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation. Also prominent among the specialized accreditors is the American Bar Association because its accreditation is a prerequisite to sitting for the bar exam in all of the states except California. Next would probably be the Association of American Medical Colleges for medical schools, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business for business schools, the American Veterinary Medical Association for Veterinary Medicine, and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for engineering schools.
Religious schools may seek regional accreditation or a secular national accreditation, or they have the option of four different specialized agencies, which include Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS), Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS), Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), and Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). These groups specialize in accrediting theological and religious schools including seminaries and graduate schools of theology, as well as "normal" universities, which teach from a religious viewpoint and may require students and/or faculty to subscribe to a Statement of Faith.
The remainder of the accrediting organizations are formed by groups of professional, vocational, or trade schools whose programs are industry/profession specific and at times can require technical oversight not provided by the broader accrediting organizations (i.e. the Commission on Opticianry Accreditation, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education).
Unaccredited institutions
Despite the widely recognized benefits and accountability of accreditation, some institutions choose, for various reasons, not to participate in an accreditation process. According to the United States Department of Education, it is possible for postsecondary educational institutions and programs to elect not to seek accreditation but nevertheless provide a quality postsecondary education. [2] Yet, other unaccredited schools simply award degrees and diploma without merit for a price.
Some religious schools claim that accreditation could interfere with their mission or philosophy even though organizations do exist specifically to accredit religious institutions without compromising their doctrinal statements.[3] Some states, such as
, allow exemption from accreditation for religious schools. Thus, occasionally diploma mills operate as religious universities to avoid laws against diploma mills.[4] Meanwhile institutions, such as Strassford University, claim "none of the recognized regional accrediting organizations accept as members institutions that are not dedicated to traditional education," and thus, Strassford does not "desire" traditional accreditation.[5] The
is listed by the Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization as part of a diploma mill operation.[6] Furthermore, other schools simply do not have the means or organizational structure to meet accreditation standards and others, like San Diego Christian College, have had their accreditation status revoked after failing to meet minimum requirements.
An ongoing problem within higher education accreditation is the existence of diploma mills and accreditation mills. These organizations exist to grant apparent degrees without course work to give a willing buyer a degree for money. Sometimes both the buyer and seller know this or a potential student is not aware of the fraud. In some cases a diploma mills and/or its "accreditor" is unrecognized and exists only at a post office box or Web page owned by the proprietor of the school.
Accreditation of certification bodies
Organizations which certify third parties against many official standards are themselves formally accredited by the standards bodies, hence they are sometimes known as "accredited certification bodies".[5] The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable i.e. they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically, employ suitable quality assurance and other measures etc.
Examples include accredited test laboratories and certification specialists that are permitted to issue official certificates of compliance with physical, chemical, forensic, quality, security or other standards.[6]
Without accreditation, anyone would be able to issue certificates and bad practices or incompetence might discredit the certification process as a whole. The flip side, of course, is that accreditation and formal processes incur additional costs.
Legal considerations
In the United States, unaccredited degrees may not be acceptable for civil service or other employment; criminal penalties sometimes apply should such a degree be presented in lieu of one from an accredited school. The use of such degrees are restricted in Oregon, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, Nevada and Washington where improper usage can result in misdemeanor charges punishable by fines. For instance, the state of
passed a bill in March 2006 "prohibiting false or misleading college degrees."[7]. The state senate "unanimously amended and approved a bill that would make issuing or using a false degree a class C felony, a crime of fraud that could warrant five years in prison and a $10,000 fine" [8] unless the degree were accredited or otherwise recognized.
has a procedure in which unaccredited schools can apply for authorization from the state, which maintains a list of approved and exempt unaccredited schools which are permitted there. An Oregonian wishing to use an unaccredited degree not approved by the state must make it clear that the school is not accredited.[9]
Some state laws allow authorities to shut down large illegal
operations of unaccredited schools or diploma mills. In November 2005, a group of operators in
Accreditation outside the
U.S.
In much of the world, institutions of higher education are
authorized to operate by the government, typically through a Ministry of Education
(MOE). The MOE is responsible for ensuring the institutions meet government
standards, so in a sense the government serves as an accreditation body, too.
For example, in
India
Accreditation for universities in India are required by law unless it was created through an act of Parliament. Without accreditation, "It is emphasized that these fake institutions have no legal entity to call themselves as University/Vishwvidyalaya and to award ‘degree’ which are not treated as valid for academic/employment purposes."[11] The University Grants Commission Act 1956 explains,"the right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised only by a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, or a State Act, or an Institution deemed to be University or an institution specially empowered by an Act of the Parliament to confer or grant degrees. Thus, any institution which has not been created by an enactment of Parliament or a State Legislature or has not been granted the status of a Deemed to be University, is not entitled to award a degree."[12]
Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission[13]:
Russia
In
has followed the UNESCO international regulations to ensure Russian institutions and international institutions meet high quality standards. It is illegal for a school to operate without government approval.
South Korea
It is illegal to falsely claim a degree in
United Kingdom
In the
degree unless the body offering it is on a statutory list maintained by the Department for Education and Skills.[8] Prosecutions under the Education Reform Act are rare, as many of the bodies on the internet are based outside UK jurisdiction.[citation needed] It is also worth noting in this context that the Business Names Act 1985 made it an offence for any business in the UK to use the word "university" in its name without the formal approval of the Privy Council.[9]
Prosecutions under other legislation do occur. In 2004
See also
- Accreditation mill
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation
(
- Diploma mill
- .edu
- List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
- List of unrecognized accreditation associations of higher learning
- List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
- Regional accreditation (
References
- Accreditation Search from the United States Department of Education
- United States Department of Education. Diploma Mills and Accreditation (accessed 15 Sept 2006)
-
-
- Strassford University
- Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
- Stephen Phillips A stress-free PhD? A snap at $250 The Higher Education Supplement 25 November 2005
- The Education Reform Act 1988, section 214 (Unrecognised degrees) [1]
- Evidence given by Charles Clarke, then Secretary of State for Education and Skills MP, to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education and Skills, 7 July 2004 [2]
-
Alex Thompson, 2004. College fined £1,000.
External links
Accreditation resources
- Database for Accreditation in the
- Database for
Accreditation in the
- Database for
Accreditation in the
- Database
for Accreditation in
- Database for Accreditation in
- Database for
Accreditation in
- Database for Accreditation
in the
- Database
for Accreditation in
- Database for Accreditation in
the
- Database
for Accreditation in
- Database for
Accreditation in
- National Recognition Information Centres
- List of non-accredited colleges/universities by State of
- List of non-accredited colleges/ universities by the State of
- List of unacceptable/illegal schools by Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization
- List of non-accredited colleges/ universities by State of
- The World Higher Education Database (IAU/UNESCO) List of accredited schools throughout the world
- The World Higher Education Database (IAU/UNESCO)
Bogus accreditation resources
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
mill
|
Life Experience
Degrees |
accreditation mill
Accreditation mill refers to an accreditation group with low educational standards and without recognition from government and mainstream academia. Much like a diploma mill, many schools get accreditation from a group with low standards or the school sets up its own accreditation board. This gives the appearance that an outside group has approved the education offered at the school. While standards vary from organization to organization, without recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States Department of Education, the claims made by independent groups may hold no value in the academic community. For further information about accreditation mills, visit [1]
While CHEA and USDE are related
See also
- Diploma mill
- List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
- List of unrecognized accreditation associations of higher learning
- School accreditation
References
- Levicoff, Steve. Name It and Frame It? New Opportunities in Adult Education and How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by 'Christian' Degree Mills (4th ed., 1995)
- Bear, John. Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning (Ten Speed Press, 2001).
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
|
|
|
BMG Surplus |
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
|
|
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities, which also recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations. Each accreditor is independent, which means the requirements vary from group to group. The association is based in Washington DC. The CHEA website contains a searchable database to check accreditation status of approved accreditation agencies, accredited schools, or schools currently in the process of getting accreditation. The database includes schools that are "candidates" for accreditation.[citation needed] [1] CHEA's "user agreement for publications of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation" states that it does not guarantee that all accredited schools are listed in the database.
CHEA Board members
John D. Wiley, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is the chairman of the CHEA Board of Directors. A list of current CHEA board members is available at the CHEA web site.
See also
- List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
- List of unrecognized accreditation associations of higher learning
- List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
- School accreditation
External links
- CHEA.org – Official website
References
- CHEA Database of Institutions and Programs Accredited by Recognized US Accrediting Organizations. Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Retrieved on 2006-10-01. (You must accept the license agreement to see the source text.)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
|
Accounting MBA in |
|
Get a Student
Visa. |
List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
|
|
List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
This article lists colleges, seminaries, and universities whose qualifications may possibly not be accepted by civil service or other employers. These institutions may have been listed on publicly available lists of unaccredited institutions, or are absent from UNESCO related IAU Universities List of world universities (see "external links" at the bottom of this article). Some are also suspected of being diploma mills, while others are no longer in existence. Several unaccredited universities have names chosen because they are similar to those of accredited institutions or falsely imply that it is a public university.
Therefore, taking the legal issues mentioned below into account, this list should not necessarily be viewed as complete or authoritative.
Legal issues and considerations
United States of
America
In the
, the most reliable source for verifying information about a school, including its accreditation status is the US Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)and its College Opportunities Online (COOL) link. Lists of accredited institutions may be obtained from the United States Department of Education [1] or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). In the United States, unaccredited degrees may not be acceptable for state or federal civil service or other employment; in certain cases and circumstances; criminal penalties may even apply should such a degree be presented in lieu of a degree from an accredited institution. However, such degrees in and of themselves are illegal only in Oregon, New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, Nevada and Texas, where they are considered as misdemeanors mostly punishable by relatively small fines [2].
Wyoming-based
Kennedy-Western University sued Oregon to cease listing it as
a diploma mill in 2004
[3], claiming that its degree-holders had a First Amendment right to say they were degree-holders. The case
never reached a trial because the "University" and the Oregon Department of
Justice reached an out-of-court settlement, which affects only Kennedy-Western
and is not a precedent. According to the settlement, Kennedy-Western degree-holders
may now say that they have degrees when applying for jobs in the private sector
in
Australia and New Zealand
The University of Newlands, a school that was listed as a "wannabe" or
"degree mill" by The Australian newspaper, was given permission by the New Zealand High
Court to proceed to trial in its suit against the paper's publisher for defamation.[6] The presiding judge noted that such degrees may be illegal
and that purporting to offer such degrees could be deemed dishonest or unethical
conduct. He also ruled that defamation occurs in the country where the material
is downloaded from the Internet. In December 2005 the Court of Appeal said the
defamation case could not go ahead. Newlands and Ms Forrester had not shown it
had a good arguable case that an act had been done in
In
India
According to the India Department of Education, without accreditation or an act of Parliament "It is emphasized that these fake institutions have no legal entity to call themselves as University/Vishwvidyalaya and to award ‘degrees’ which are not treated as valid for academic/employment purposes."[7]
South
Korea
In March 2006 prosecutors in
United
Kingdom
In the United Kingdom the institution offering degrees must be
accredited and a list maintained by the Department for Education and Skills.[9]
Prosecutions under the Education Reform Act are rare, as many of the bodies on
the internet are based outside
Prosecutions under other legislation do occur. In 2004 Thames
Valley College in
Warning signs
Main articles: Diploma mill, school accreditation, and United States Department of Education
Not every unaccredited school is a diploma mill - all schools start out unaccredited. These are some of the warning signs which may indicate a diploma mill:
- It lacks accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, especially if it is accredited by an accreditation mill; some such institutions may refer to themselves as being "fully accredited" on the basis of accreditation by an accreditation mill.
- Words denoting a legal status such as "licensed", "state authorized" or "state-approved" are misused to suggest an equivalence to accreditation.
- The address is a postal box or mail forwarding service.
- Promotional literature contains grammatical and spelling errors, words in Latin, extravagant or pretentious language, and sample diplomas.
- Degrees can be obtained within a few weeks or months from the time of enrollment, back-dating is possible.
- Faculty members hold advanced degrees from the institution itself or similar organizations.
- Academic credit is offered for life experience, and this features heavily in the selling points of the institution.
- Tuition and fees are paid on a degree basis rather than on a per-semester, per-quarter or per-course basis.
- Prospective students are encouraged to "enroll now" before tuition or fees are increased, or they qualify for a "fellowship", "scholarship" or "grant".
- It has no library.
- Doctoral theses and dissertations are not lodged with the Library of Congress or other national repository.
- The school's website looks amateurish or unprofessionally made.
List
- Adam Smith University
- All
- Almeda
University (aka
- Alternative Medicine Research Institute (aka The Alternative Medicines Research Organization)
- American Central University
- American Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc.
- American Global Universities
- American Global University School of Medicine (address in
- American Open University (
- American Pacwest International University
- American
State University (
- American Universities Admission Program [10]
- American World University (registered in Pascagoula, Mississippi, operator in
- Andhra Christian Theological College (
- Ashford University (London) (not to be confused with Ashford
University in
- Ashwood University
- Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society
- Baptist Christian University (Renamed in 1993 to
- Barber-Scotia College
- Bay Ridge Christian College
- Belford University(not to be confused with the University of Bedford which is linked to University Degree Program) (a PO Box in Humble, Texas)
- Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad
- B. H. Carroll Theological Institute (aka Benajah Harvey Carroll Theological Institute)
- Board of Theological Education of Senate of
- Brentwick University
- Breyer
State University (
- Bronte International University (aka
- Buxton University (not to be confused with the University of Derby's Buxton campus) (Connected with instantdegrees.com)
- California American University
- California Biblical University and Seminary
- California Graduate School of Theology
- California Pacific School of Theology
- Calvary Chapel Bible College
- Camford Business School
- Canadian Institute of English
- Canbourne University (not to be confused with Camborne School of Mines)
- Christ For The Nations Institute
- Christian Bible College (Rocky Mount, North Carolina)
- Clarksville School of Theology
- Columbia Evangelical Seminary (aka Faraston Theological Seminary)
- Columbia Pacific University (now Columbia Commonwealth College in Wyoming)
- Commercial University Ltd.
- Commonwealth Open University (not to be confused with Commonwealth Institute)
- Concordia College and University (This institution is in no way connected to the Concordia University System or with Concordia University)
- Crown
College (Tennessee) (
- Degrees-R-Us
- Dublin European Institute (not to be confused with
institute of the same name at
- Eastern Baptist Institute
- École supérieure Robert de Sorbon (purportly in
- Edison University (aka University of San Gabriel Valley,
- Elim Bible Institute
- Ellington University
- European Open University (cited [18] in Quackwatch.com) Not to be confused with the European Open Universities Network at European Association of Distance Teaching Universities
- Education Council of Tamil Nadu
- Faith Theological Seminary and
- Focus on the Family Institute
- Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith
- Gammon Theological Seminary
- Geneva Reformed Seminary
- Glendale University (not to be confused with Glendale University College of Law in California)
- Golden State Baptist College
- Golden State School of Theology (
- Golden
State University (aka
- Great Lakes Bible College
- Greenwich
University (
- Gulf Coast Bible Institute
- Gurukul Lutheran Theological College
- Hamilton
University (aka American State University,
- Harrington University
- Hartley University
- Hindu Online University(
- Hawaii College of Pharmacy
- Heartland Baptist Bible College
- Holy Trinity College and Seminary (New Port
- Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary (
- Honolulu
University (aka
- Hubbard College of Administration International
- Hyles-Anderson College
- Indian Education Council of U.P
- Indian Institute of Planning and Management
- Indian Virtual University(
- Indiana Christian University
- Instantdegrees.com (aka
- Institute of Noetic Sciences
- Instituto Tecnológico de Tehuacán[21]
- International Open University Of Medicine (
- International Institute of Management (
- International Theological Seminary
- InternationalUniversity of Engineering &
Technology (
- Irish International University/Irish International
- Islamic
- Islamic Online University
- James
Monroe International University (aka
- Karnataka Theological College
- Kepler
College (aka
- Kennedy-Western University
- Kesarwani Vidyapith
- King's
- Kingsfield University
- Knightsbridge University
- Koinonia Institute (
- Landford University
- LaSalle University (Louisiana) [23] [24] (not to be confused with LaSalle
University (
- Lexington University
- Louisiana Baptist University
- Madison University (not to be confused with University of Wisconsin-Madison or James Madison University)
- Maharana Patap Shiksha Niketan Vishwavidyalaya
- Mahila Gram Vidyapith
- Master's
- McQueen's
- Metropolitan Collegiate Institute (associated with
the fake teaching hospital
- Midwestern Baptist College (aka
- Modern
- National
- Newport University (California)
- New Life Theological Seminary
- New Geneva Theological Seminary (
- New Testament Christian Seminary (
- Northfield University (not to be confused with the Northfield Mount Hermon School)
- North Tennessee Bible Institute
- Open University of
- Open University of
- Oxford Graduate School
- Pacific International University (aka Pacific College
Incorporated and Pacific
- Pacific Southern University
- Pacific Western University
- Parkwood University
- Patrick Henry College
- Patriot Bible University
- Peace River Bible Institute
- Pensacola Bible Institute
- Pensacola Christian College
- Queens University of Brighton Diploma mill accreditated by accreditation mill
- Rastriya Vidyapeeth(
- Rastriya Shiksha Parishad(
- Rastriya Sewak Samaj(
- Regions University
- Richardson
University (
- Robertstown University
- Rochville University (aka www.speedydegrees.com)
- Rushmore University
- Sequoia
University (aka
- Shaftesbury University
- Shelborne University
- Shepperton University
- Editing
- Southern Christian University
- Southwestern Christian University
- Sri Venkateswara Open University (
- St Christopher Iba Mar Diop College of Medicine
- St.
Clements University (Called a "degree mill" by the State of
- St. Luke Evangelical School Of Biblical Studies
- St.
Regis University (not to be confused with Regis
University) (aka
- Strassford University
- Stanton University
- Suffield
University (
- Tabernacle Baptist Theological Seminary
- The Center for Independent Studies at
- The Indian Institute of Planning and Management
- The
- Thames Valley College Limited (A company based in
- Thornewood University
- Tooling University
- Trinity College and University (not to be confused with institutions listed at Trinity College)
- Trinity Southern University (See: Colby Nolan) [29]
- Trinity Theological Seminary (not to be confused with Trinity Evangelical Divinity School)
- Trump University
- Tyndale Theological Seminary
- Urban Harvest Bible Institute & Seminary
- University Consulting Inc. (The parent group of some diploma mills)
- University Degree Program (nearly 50 institutions linked to this operation)
- University of
- University of Bedford (linked to University Degree Program)( not to be confused with the unaccredited Belford University)
- University of Berkley
- University of Beverly Hills
- University of Devonshire
- University of Dunham
- University of Engineering & Technology (
- University of Health Sciences Antigua
- University of Ravenhurst
- University of San Gabriel Valley
- University of San Moritz
- University of the Nations (Provost office in
- University of the Nations at Kona (
- University of Wexford (aka
- Uttar Pradesh Vishwavidyalaya
- Vancouver University Worldwide
- Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya
- Visible School
- Vision International University (
- Warnborough University Name changed to
- West Coast Baptist College
- Weston Reserve University (not to be confused with Case Western Reserve University)
References
- Cited by Times Higher Education Supplement, Sept 8 2006 "College above discount shop dashes hopes"
See also
- Accreditation mill
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation
- Diploma mill
- Distance education
- List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
- List of unrecognized accreditation associations of higher learning
- Nationally recognized accrediting agencies in the United States
- School accreditation