Accreditation
Assuring quality. Accreditation is the primary means by which
colleges, universities and programs assure quality to students and the
public. Accredited status is a signal to students and the public that an
institution or program meets at least threshold standards for its faculty,
curriculum, student services and libraries. Accredited status is conveyed
only if institutions and programs provide evidence of fiscal stability.
ACCREDITATION AND
RECOGNITION
IN THE UNITED STATES
Judith S. Eaton, President
Council for Higher Education Accreditation, USA
A national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality
through accreditation, CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and
universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting
organizations.
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© Copyright 2008 Council for Higher Education Accreditation. All rights reserved. 1
Accreditation and Recognition Involve…
Higher Education Institutions and Programs
Accrediting Organizations
Recognition Bodies
State Government
Federal Government
Students, Families and the Public
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Complex Relationships
Higher Education U.S.
Institutions Congress
CHEA USDE
Accrediting
States States
Organizations
Institutions Programs
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Relationship among Institutions Accredited by Recognized
Accrediting Organizations, Recognized Accrediting
Organizations and Recognition Bodies*
Institutions and Accrediting Recognition
Programs Organizations** Bodies
Create, fund,
19,400 61 Programmatic Government
participate in
Accredited Accrediting Regulation
Review and U.S. Department of
Programs Organizations Education
accredit
Review and recognize
19 Institutional
Create, fund,
Accrediting Self Regulation
7,000 Accredited participate in Organizations Council for
Institutions Review and Regional (8) Higher Education
Faith-Related(4) Accreditation
accredit
Career-Related (7)
Create, fund, all members***
*2007 CHEA Almanac of External Quality Review ®
**Some accrediting organizations are recognized only by CHEA, some only by USDE, some by both.
***Not all accredited institutions are members of CHEA.
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U.S. Accreditation and Recognition are
Grounded in Certain Values . . .
That highereducaton ns iutonshave primary responsibility for
i i tt i
academic quality: They are the leaders and the primary sources of
authority in academic matters.
That i tt i
ns iutonalm i s on is central to all judgments of academic
si
quality.
That i tt i
ns iutonalaut
onom y is essential to sustaining and
enhancing academic quality.
That our higher education enterprise – and our society - thrives on
decentalzaton di s t of institutional purpose and mission.
r i i and ver iy
That academ i f eedom flourishes only in an environment of
c r
academic leadership of institutions.
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How is U.S. Accreditation Defined?
Accreditation is about both
Q ualt as urance:assuring threshold quality in
iy s
higher education; and
Q ualt i provem ent assuring that institutions
iy m :
and programs have processes to try to do what
they do better.
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How is U.S. Accreditation Organized?
80 recognized accrediting organizations in 2006-
2007*
Autonomous, private (nongovernmental), nonprofit;
Emerged from higher education, not government;
Legitimacy derives from higher education, not
government; and
More than 100 years old.
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*2007 CHEA Almanac of External Quality Review
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How is Accreditation Funded?
Accreditation organizations are funded by:
Annual dues from institutions and programs that are
accredited.
Fees that institutions and programs pay for accreditation
visits.
In some instances, financial assistance from sponsoring
organizations.
Accrediting organizations sometimes obtain funds for
special initiatives from government or from private
foundations.
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Types of U.S. Accrediting Organizations
I tt i ccr t s
ns iutonalA edior
R egi : Accredit 3,025 public and private, mainly nonprofit and
onal
degree-granting, two- and four-year institutions.
Number of Institutions Accredited by
Regional Accrediting Organizations
Middle States 526
New England 239
(Higher Education)
New England
10
(Technical/Career)
North Central 1,005
Northwest 155
Southern 797
Western (Junior) 137
Western (Senior) 156
0 200 400 600 800 1,000
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*2007 CHEA Almanac of External Quality Review
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Types of U.S. Accrediting Organizations
I tt i ccr t s
ns iutonalA edior
N atonalFaih el ed:Accredit 449 religiously affiliated and
i t R at
doctrinally based institutions, mainly nonprofit and degree-granting.
Number of Institutions Accredited by
Faith-Related Accrediting Organizations
Assoc. for Biblical Higher Education 97
Assoc. of Advanced Rabbinical and
Talmudic Studies
66
Assoc. of Theological Schools 232
Transnational Assoc. of Christian 54
Colleges and Schools
0 100 200 300
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*2007 CHEA Almanac of External Quality Review
9/08 10
Types of U.S. Accrediting Organizations
I tt i ccr t s
ns iutonalA edior
N atonalC areer el ed: Accredit 3,532 mainly for-profit,
i R at
career-based, single-purpose institutions, including distance
learning colleges and universities.
Number of Institutions Accredited by Career-Related Accrediting Organizations
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education
263
Schools
Accrediting Commission of Career 769
Schools & Schools of Technology
Accrediting Council for Continuing 246
Education and Training
Accrediting Council for Independent 660
Colleges & Schools
Council on Occupational Education 383
Distance Education & Training Council 85
National Accrediting Commission of 1,126
Cosmetology Arts & Sciences
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200
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*2007 CHEA Almanac of External Quality Review
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Types of U.S. Accrediting Organizations
Program m atc ccrediors Accredit 19,453 specific programs,
iA t :
professions or schools, e.g., law, medicine, engineering and health
professions. Some may be freestanding.
Programmatic Accreditors by
Degree- or Non-Degree Status*
Inst.
Control
Private Private Not
Public Non-Profit For Profit Indicated Total
Degree 6,278 2,484 426 5,962 15,150
Non-Degree 1,397 798 560 598 3,353
Specialized and
Professional Total 7,675 3,282 986 6,560 18,503**
*2007 CHEA Almanac of External Quality Review
**Numbers do not reach 19,453 because three accrediting organizations not reporting programs and freestanding ®
institutions; four organizations not reporting degree-granting/non-degree-granting status. Six organizations
reported institutional degree-granting status only.
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What is Accredited?*
Institutions and Programs
Not Courses or Individuals
Approximately 7,000 institutions
64 percent are degree-granting (associate degree
or above)
36 percent are nondegree
53 percent are nonprofit
47 percent are for-profit
Approximately 19,400 programs
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*As of 2007
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How does U.S. Accreditation Operate? (Detail)
Accrediting organizations develop s andardsthat must be met
t
in order to be accredited.
Institutions and programs undertake s fs udi based on
el t es
standards.
Institutions and programs are subject to peer ew , including
revi
site visits and team reports;
Accrediting organizations make a j udgm entbased on
standards through their decision-making commissions and
aw ar (or do not award) accredited status.
d
Institutions and programs undergo peri c ew by
odi revi
accrediting organizations to maintain accredited status.
Accr t i i s andar ed,evi
ediaton s a t ds bas dence ed,
bas
judgm entbas ed oces
ed,peer bas pr s ®
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How does U.S. Accreditation Operate? (Detail Cont.)
Sel t
f s udy:Institutions and programs prepare a written summary of
performance based on accrediting organizations' standards.
Peerr ew :Accreditation review is conducted primarily by faculty and
evi
administrative peers in the profession. These colleagues review the self-
study and serve on visiting teams that review institutions and programs
after the self-study is completed. Peers constitute the majority of members
of the accrediting commissions or boards that make judgments about
accrediting status.
Sie s t Accrediting organizations normally send a visiting team to
t vi i:
review an institution or program. The self-study provides the foundation for
the team visit. Teams, in addition to the peers described above, may also
include public members (non-academics who have an interest in higher
education). All team members are volunteers and are generally not
compensated.
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How does U.S. Accreditation Operate? (Detail Cont.)
Judgm entby edii or zaton:Accrediting
accr tng gani i
organizations have decision-making bodies (commissions) made up
of administrators and faculty from institutions and programs as well
as public members. These commissions may affirm accreditation for
new institutions and programs, reaffirm accreditation for ongoing
institutions and programs, and deny accreditation to institutions and
programs.
Perodi ext nalr ew :Institutions and programs continue to
i c er evi
be reviewed over time on cycles that range from every few years to
ten years. They normally prepare a self-study and undergo a site visit
each time.
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What Role does Accreditation Play in U.S. Society?
Assures threshold quality for students and the public.
Required for access to federal and state funds.
One basis for private sector (e.g., corporations, individuals and
foundations) decisions to support higher education: tuition
assistance, charitable giving, research.
Eases transfer of credit.
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What Role does U.S. Accreditation Play?
(Detail)
A s urng iy.Accreditation is the primary means by which
s i qualt
colleges, universities and programs assure quality to students and the
public. Accredited status is a signal to students and the public that an
institution or program meets at least threshold standards for its faculty,
curriculum, student services and libraries. Accredited status is conveyed
only if institutions and programs provide evidence of fiscal stability.
A cces o eder s at f
st f aland t e unds Accreditation is required for
.
access to federal funds such as student aid and other federal programs.
Federal student aid funds are available to students only if the institution or
program they are attending is accredited by a recognized accrediting
organization. The United States awarded $69 billion (US) in student
grants and loans in 2002 alone. State funds to institutions and students
are contingent on accredited status.
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What Role does U.S. Accreditation Play?
(Detail – Cont.)
Engenderng i e ect i
i prvat s orconfdence.Accreditation status of
an institution or program is important to employers when evaluating
credentials of job applicants and when deciding whether to provide
tuition support for current employees seeking additional education.
Individuals and foundations look for evidence of accreditation when
making decisions about private giving.
Eas ng r f .Accreditation is important to students for smooth
i tans er
transfer of courses and programs among colleges, universities and
programs. Receiving institutions take note of whether or not the
credits a student wishes to transfer have been earned at an
accredited institution. Although accreditation is but one among
several factors taken into account by receiving institutions, it is
viewed carefully and is considered an important indicator of quality.
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What is Accreditation’s Relationship to Government?
Federalgovernm ent
Relies on accreditation to assure quality of institutions and programs for
which the government provides federal funds and for which the
government provides federal aid to students.
St e
at governm ents
Will initially license institutions and programs without accreditation (in
most states).
However, will require accreditation to make state funds available to
institutions and students.
Often requires that individuals who sit for state licensure in various
professions have graduated from accredited institutions and programs.
G over entCons der
nm i s Accr t i To
ediaton Be
A i e hor t O n
Relabl Aut iy Academ i Q ualt
c iy
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