Chapter 8 -- The Accreditation Debate

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What is Accreditation?

Accreditation historically has been the way for students to determine whether the institution they attend maintains certain quality standards. With the exception of the United States, accreditation is primarily a national or provincial government function.

In the United States, accreditation agencies are private, non-governmental agencies -- mainly because the U.S. Constitution does not mention education as a responsibility of the central government.

There are six regional agencies that accredit higher education in the United States.

Accreditation Across Borders

Because U.S. higher education accrediting bodies are non-governmental, some of their agency officials believe the United States could become the center for accrediting higher education programs worldwide. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools already accredits universities in Latin America.

Principles of Distance Education

Higher education accreditation agencies and governments throughout the world now are taking cyberschools seriously. Many are compiling principles for electronically-delivered distance education.

In the United States, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and the American Council on Education are involved in the process. Their principles stress outcomes, completeness of programs, student and technology support systems, and teacher training, among other things.

In London in September 1996, the Global Alliance for Transnational Education (GATE) convened. Representatives from nations including Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom met under GATE's umbrella to discuss quality standards and certification issues in electronically-delivered distance education.

Quality is Key

Most accreditors believe the principles they use to judge the quality of traditional higher education institutions also apply to electronic higher education institutions.

Examples of those principles are:

Integrity of an institution's conduct in all its activities;

Honesty and accuracy; and

Adequate financial resources to run programs.

Accreditors believe, as I do, that the trend toward the technological delivery of higher education will continue.

Also in this chapter

A brief history of accreditation in the United States

Special accreditation issues for cyberschools

Where libraries fit

GATE's ongoing projects

"Edutainment" vs. education

Why transnational accreditation is important

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