That's why accrediting agencies must be "recognized" by either the U. When the Department of Education works to determine if a school provides an education of sufficient quality to warrant federal money, it looks at accreditation. Only a school that has current accreditation can qualify for federal cash. If a school is accredited by an organization not recognized by the CHEA or US Department of Education, it's almost as if the school isn't accredited at all.
Just as accreditation ensures a school isn't a degree mill, recognition ensures an accrediting agency isn't an accreditation mill. These layers of protection for students help ensure their degree is much more than a simple piece of paper. There are two main types of post-secondary accreditation.
The first is institutional accreditation and it refers to an entire school or institution having met minimum academic quality standards. Most colleges and universities in the United States receive institutional accreditation from one of the six regional accrediting bodies. Even though a school may be accredited, its individual programs can be accredited as well. This second type of accreditation is called programmatic accreditation. Not all of a school's programs will have its own separate accrediting body, but many professional programs will; a few examples include engineering, nursing, law, medicine and business.
Prospective students choosing to enroll in one of these types of professional programs are strongly encouraged to ensure that their chosen program and school are both accredited by their respective accrediting bodies. Accreditation signifies that the educational institution provides a quality education by meeting specific academic standards.
These standards typically revolve around the school's ability to provide academic support to its students, the rate in which students are expected to progress, how well students are prepared upon graduation, faculty quality and curriculum requirements. Accreditation ensures that all colleges in that particular region or area that obtain accreditation can compete against each other on a level playing field; for instance, a student won't necessarily get a better education at one college over another.
By attending an accredited school or program, a student knows that they will obtain a certain level of knowledge and training. Accreditation also increases the likelihood that an external party, such as another school or employer, will recognize the academic credential the students has worked so hard to achieve.
Without accreditation, there is no way for an employer, government agency or another school to know that the student didn't just buy a college degree from a degree mill over the weekend. Though that sounds far-fetched, before accreditation came along, it was an entirely possible scenario.
The consequences of going to a non-accredited school will depend on the exact reason the student enrolls in a course or program. But generally speaking, if a student attends a school that's not accredited, they will miss out on certain advantages and face the possibility of graduating with a degree, diploma or certificate that is practically worthless beyond any personal satisfaction the student may garner from the accomplishment. Students interested in an online college or university should be particularly careful to make sure the school is accredited.
Most online programs in the United States today are not degree mills and expect the same level of academic performance from their online and on-campus students. However, the risk remains and prospective students interested in a particular school or program should verify its accreditation status as soon as possible, even before applying.
This is because there's little point in completing an application, possibly paying an application fee and writing an admissions essay to a school that's not accredited. But how can a student know for sure? The following is the process by which prospective students can tell if a particular school is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency. Most accredited educational institutions will have a link to their accreditation status on the bottom or corner of their front page.
At the very least, it should be easily found through the website's search function. If looking for programmatic accreditation, the prospective student will probably need to find the accreditation information on the specific program's homepage.
The accreditation process takes an average of 18 weeks from the date you paid. It can be quicker at quiet times and take longer at busy ones, especially if your application includes a KSA portfolio.
It may also take longer if the accreditor contacts you requesting further information. If this happens, you will have a six week window in which to supply it. Join us Are you a member yet? Membership is open to all and is the first step towards accreditation. Find out more. A DEAC staff representative accompanies every visiting committee to coordinate the on-site logistics and serves as a resource regarding accrediting standards.
In addition, DEAC always invites a representative of the local state licensing agency to observe the on-site evaluation process, and, to the extent possible, partners with these officials to inform institutions of compliance issues. The evaluators use various rating forms that tie to DEAC's standards as tools to assist them with the on-site reviews.
The amount of time scheduled for an on-site visit is impacted by the number of enrolled students and number of programs offered by an institution. Typically, since most of the work may be done before the visits, and there are no students on site and no traditional campus, on-site visits are typically one or two days.
During the on-site evaluation, the committee members, having thoroughly read the institution's SER, subject specialists' reports, and student surveys, engage in a variety of activities to develop a thorough understanding of the institution, to verify the information in the materials, and to verify compliance with accrediting standards. Those activities include interviewing key staff and faculty, and students by phone ; reviewing records and files, and verifying outcomes data presented in the SER.
The Chair informs the institution of the opportunity to present additional or clarifying information to the committee. The Commission routinely extends an invitation to the appropriate state licensing agency to participate on the examining committee as an observer. As needed, representatives from the U. Department of Education may participate as observers. The Chair's Report and the Institution's Response to the Chair's Report are shared with state or federal observers who attended the on-site visit.
Evaluators known to have competing interests with the applicant institution are not appointed to serve on an Examining Committee. As part of the on-site evaluation process, DEAC examining committees include experienced educators who have advanced backgrounds in education and are charged with performing the educational reviews of any institution seeking accreditation or reaccreditation.
The on-site examination fee is a "flat fee" which includes the cost of travel for the Examining Committee members except for non-U. An ASIC application form known as stage 1 will need to be completed along with all the necessary documentation and the ASIC international application fee will be required to be paid.
ASIC accreditation is open to the following types of institutions both in the UK and internationally;. Please contact us at info asic. ASIC accreditation is not simply a one-off award and we are not only about policing education institutions. The whole process can be completed within 3 months from the point where a good application is received, however, this is also dependent on cooperation from the institution seeking accreditation in cases where ASIC needs clarification for documentation and arrangements for the visit etc.
For a new institution, the accreditation process is split into two parts with the possibility of ASIC accreditation being awarded for a period of up to one year upon the successful completion of stage 1 application and stage 2 inspection of campus.
The stage 3 inspection will need to be completed during that first year. Generally, ASIC accreditation is granted for a period of four years. If the institution is new, accreditation may be awarded for a period of one year after the successful completion of stage 1 application and stage 2 inspection of campus with the view of extending the period of accreditation to a further four years on the successful completion of the stage 3 inspection.
Yes, the first annual fee will become due immediately after the successful award of accreditation is announced and subsequently every 12 months on the anniversary of the date when the first accreditation was awarded. Click Here to view the handbook. Receiving ASIC accreditation is only the first step on what we hope will be a long and fruitful partnership between ourselves and the accredited institution. To facilitate this we will assist our accredited institutions to develop into providers of quality higher education who are respected worldwide.
We will endeavour to ensure that all the ASIC areas of operation are adhered to and the best possible education experience is given to students by utilising continuous quality assurance systems.
We will help to develop comprehensive, internal audit and self-evaluation systems alongside the accredited institution. We will also assist the accredited institution to develop quality partnerships on a global scale, as well as ethical marketing strategies.
By doing this the institution will gain international recognition for their institution which will allow for the development of fruitful partnerships with ethical, professional education agents worldwide. For the principal of an institution, we would normally expect to see a higher degree such as a Masters or Doctorate, although if a person has substantial industrial, business or commercial experience then this would be acceptable.
The principal is not required to hold a specific teaching qualification. Teaching staff should hold a qualification equivalent to or above the level of the subject in which they are teaching.
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