Talk:School accreditation

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I think there should be a similar page or entry for HOSPITAL accreditation. This could similarly have a "U.S. national" and "international" flavor. External link to JCAHO would be appropriate.

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[edit] UotC accreditation conversation

I realize this is off-topic, but we have a discussion going on in Talk:University of the Cumberlands regarding school accreditation and accreditation agencies that may be of interest to visitors to this talk page.
Posted to: Talk:Diploma mill and Talk:School accreditation
~Kylu (u|t) 04:01, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What the hell?

User:Ngb was crazy enough to put a Globalize tag on this article. As far as I know, the U.S. is the only country with this problem because of our unique system of federalism where the states are the plenary sovereigns and the federal government has to go through all kinds of crazy contortions and legal fictions if it wants to preempt state power over an issue. Most other countries don't have this problem because the national government has plenary power so it can regulate anything it wants. Unless Ngb can show that there is any other country where school accreditation actually occurs (that is, self-regulation of schools through private associations), I'm going to delete the tag. --Coolcaesar 05:16, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

If that's true, there should be a mention on the front page that schools are only accredited in the United States. --Tim4christ17 07:40, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
Okay, firstly, calling other contributors 'crazy' is not a great way to foster a spirit of cooperation on the encyclopaedia.
School accreditation goes on all over the world. Some accreditation is performed by governments, some is performed by private organisations (for instance, the Business School at my institution was recently accredited by EQUIS). Anyway, the key point is that school accreditation is a worldwide thing: it doesn't just happen in the US.
If the article is going to deal exclusively with a 'unique legal problem' in the United States then it should be moved to School accreditation in the United States or similar. If it's going to deal with school accreditation worldwide then it needs some information about school accreditation worldwide: hence the {{globalize}} tag. --ⁿɡ͡b Nick Boalch\talk 09:14, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
Are you sure the correct term is accreditation when it's performed by governments? My understanding is that accreditation refers to a process carried out by private parties pursuant to a contract. If the government directly inspects the schools and gives them an official document saying they meet all legal standards, that's called regulation or licensing in American English. For example, we have many unaccredited institutions in California that are not accredited by WASC, but are directly regulated by the rather ineffective California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. If European institutions are using "accreditation" to refer to both government and private inspection processes, then we may be looking at yet another strange dialect difference between American and British English. --Coolcaesar 22:03, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] National Accreditation v. Religious Accreditation

The religious accreditation section needs to be either removed or changed - The United States Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education recognizes only regional and national accreditation, listing religious accrediting agencies (such as the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools) as national accrediting agencies. --Tim4christ17 07:40, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

I see no need to change it. Religious accreditation is national and there are only a few regional accreditators. Regional is recognized as more solid in terms of transferring credits and having degrees recognized. Many private Christian schools have both regional and national. It would be someone's bias, which would want to change the wording. CaliEd 20:28, 9 July 2006 (UTC)
No, what Tim4christ17 is trying to get across is that religious accreditors are a subset of national accreditors as opposed to a third category. It's the difference between having a list of three different ranks, 1, 2, 3, versus having a list of two ranks of which the latter has two subranks: 1, 2a, 2b. --Coolcaesar 21:10, 9 July 2006 (UTC)
I agree with Coolcaesar here. It seems uneven to single out a subset of national accreditation bodies simply because they are religious. You could conceivably make the same or an even greater subset for medical science accrediting bodies. The implied bias here may be that religious accreditors and/or religious education are somewhow not equivalently recognized...and this is not the case according to the US Gov't. I say get rid of the subset.--danzieg 19:48, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
OK. I edited the article with the idea that there are two accrediting categories, plus unaccredited institutions, including "Diploma Mills". THis seems like a more fair breakdown to me..--danzieg 16:32, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
Sorry. I though I was signed in while editing (still learning). The above-mentioned edit was done under an IP address 216.141.143.222 and not my name. I appologize for the obfuscation.--Danzieg 03:37, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] We have a possible vandal, heads up everyone

Just caught this. On 20 July 2006 someone with IP address 67.176.24.203 deleted an entire passage of mine for no reason. See diff: [1] I was too busy to catch the vandalism but fortunately I did catch it this week and I put back my text. Everyone please be on the lookout for this vandal and be prepared to revert as needed. --Coolcaesar 07:47, 5 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] School accreditation is voluntary

Actually, it is voluntary in the sense that it is private. An accreditor is a private organization formed between peers. If a government agency licenses an institution and thereby directly supervises its operations, then there is no need for accreditors. --Coolcaesar 05:00, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

Obviously this differs depending on the country in which the institution is located. It's certainly voluntary for private colleges and universities in the US. --ElKevbo 10:43, 8 August 2006 (UTC)
Please cite a source for it being "voluntary," diploma mills make that claim. Yet, most countries do not consider it voluntary, such as Sweden, Germany, UK, etc.
While Wyoming requires all schools to either be seeking accreditation or have it, read the actual law here: [2]. Meanwhile in Texas you need accreditation to issue degrees and call it a seminary.[[3] Thus, your opinion is without a source. CaliEd 03:38, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
California considers it voluntary, indeed, I just checked and you edited the article on the BPPVE on June 30, so you should know about it. We also have law schools that are not approved or accredited by anyone, including the BPPVE. (see the official full list of California law schools and scroll down to the bottom [4]) Finally, I don't have the time right now to pull the actual precedents and statutes that state that accreditation is purely voluntary, but I did find a quick source on Google. The GAO in a 2004 report on diploma mills stated that accreditation is voluntary [5] (warning: PDF). I'll look for a more authoritative source when I have the time.--Coolcaesar 03:48, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
If you wish to put in the article that it is voluntary for California you need a source, and to explain that the BPPVE exists and has educational requirements higher education must meet. Also help me out, what page of that GAO report? I think the 2006 Wyoming law trumps the 2004 report in the sense that you can't claim something for the entire US with the 2004 now. Yes, I would like a more authoritative source when you have the time. CaliEd 03:58, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
The ACE publication An Overview of Higher Education in the United States: Diversity, Access, and the Role of the Marketplace states that "two sets of voluntary organizations act as bulwarks against excessive government control of higher education: accrediting organizations that monitor quality assurance, and membership associations that represent institutions to the federal and state governments." Peterson's states that "earning an accreditation in the United States is a voluntary, nongovernmental process." Further, the very existence of non-accredited institutions (that are not diploma mills) attests to the fact that in some states (perhaps not all - we should probably clarify that if necessary) accreditation is indeed voluntary. It's rare that an institution would purposely not seek accreditation and my sense is that it is getting even more rare as even holdouts like Pensacola Christian College seek accreditation from one of the recognized Christian accreditation agencies. There are also many academic departments that do not seek accreditation in their specific field; Harvard's school of education is the most famous example (and a noteable one because they're not at all hurt by their lack of NCATE accreditation - they're Harvard and for good or bad their name speaks for itself as to the quality of their program). --ElKevbo 04:19, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
Voluntary for some places, not in others (see above for what i cited on Wyoming). We need to specify those places with sources. Also according to the Texas Board of Education:
Accreditation is “voluntary,” so doesn't that mean it is optional and not necessary?

Accreditation is voluntary in that the process of accreditation requires the full cooperation with and complete participation in the process of accreditation by the college or university seeking accreditation. At the heart of the accreditation process is a self-study prepared by the college or university demonstrating its commitment to the standards of accreditation.

Since accreditation is the primary means of determining the legitimacy and quality of colleges and universities in the United States, to describe the process as "voluntary" is not to describe it as "optional" or "unnecessary."[6]

CaliEd 19:45, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Again, as demonstrated by the handful of institutions that are not accredited but whose education is still held in high regard, accreditation is by definition "voluntary" at least in some states. I don't understand how one could dispute that fact (and I don't think anyone is - I think we're just splitting hairs at this point).
Moving on: does anyone know of or have any good resources that detail the different laws and regulations surrounding accreditation in the various states and territories? At the very least, it seems perfectly clear to me that we can use the sources we've already pulled together to discuss the exactly how "voluntary" accreditation really is for most institutions. Obviously in some states it's mandatory. But, let's face it, even in the other states there are very few institutions that can both survive financially without being accredited (and thus eligible for federal financial aid) and survice academically without an objective, accepted measure of their programs' quality. --ElKevbo 19:55, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] North Dakota does not accept unaccredited degrees

Source: [7] (section 15-20.4-15.)

15-20.4-15. Unlawful to issue, manufacture, or use false academic degrees - Penalty. 1. It is unlawful for a person to knowingly issue or manufacture a false academic degree. A person that violates this subsection is guilty of a class C felony. 2. a. It is unlawful for an individual to knowingly use or claim to have a false academic degree: (1) To obtain employment; (2) To obtain a promotion or higher compensation in employment; (3) To obtain admission to an institution of higher learning; or (4) In connection with any business, trade, profession, or occupation. b. An individual who violates this subsection is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. 3. As used in this section, "false academic degree" means a document such as a degree or certification of completion of a degree, coursework, or degree credit, including a transcript, that provides evidence or demonstrates completion of a course of instruction or coursework that results in the attainment of a rank or level of associate or higher which is issued by a person that is not a duly authorized institution of higher learning. 4. As used in this section, "duly authorized institution of higher learning" means an institution that: a. Has accreditation recognized by the United States secretary of education or has the foreign equivalent of such accreditation; b. Has an authorization to operate under this chapter; c. Operates in this state and is exempt from this chapter under section 15-20.4-02; d. Does not operate in this state and is: (1) Licensed by the appropriate state agency; and (2) An active applicant for accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the United States secretary of education; or e. Has been found by the state board for career and technical education to meet standards of academic quality comparable to those of an institution located in Page No. 6 the United States that has accreditation recognized by the United States secretary of education to offer degrees of the type and level claimed. CaliEd 00:28, 10 August 2006 (UTC)


[edit] New Jersey does not accept unaccredited degrees

New Jersey basically has the same law as North Dakota. New Jersey Statutes & Regulations Regarding Academic Degrees [8]

A person shall not append to his name any letters in the same form designated by the Commission on Higher Education as entitled to the protection accorded to an academic degree unless the person has received from a duly authorized institution of higher education the degree or certificate for which the letters are registered. For the purposes of this section, a duly authorized institution of higher education means an in-State institution licensed by the Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-State institution licensed by the appropriate state agency and regionally accredited or seeking accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Education or the United States Department of Education.

It is sections: L.1986,c.87,s.3; amended 1994,c.48,s.36. CaliEd 00:28, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Washington does not accept unaccredited degrees

Washington State: "State senators unanimously amended and approved a bill that would make giving or using a fake or otherwise unaccredited degree a class C felony, a crime of fraud that could warrant five years in prison and a $10,000 fine."[9]

Here is the law: HB 2507 - 2005-06 :Prohibiting false or misleading college degrees.[10] (top of page three)

False academic credential" means a document that provides evidence or demonstrates completion of an academic or professional course of instruction beyond the secondary level that results in the attainment of an academic certificate, degree, or rank, and that is not issued by a person or entity that: (i) Is an entity accredited by an agency recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board or has the international equivalents of such accreditation; or (ii) is an entity authorized as a degree-granting institution by the higher education coordinating board; or (iii) is an entity exempt from the requirements of authorization as a degree-granting institution by the higher education coordinating board; or (iv) is an entity that has been granted a waiver by the higher education coordinating board from the requirements of authorization by the board. Such documents include, but are not limited to, academic certificates, degrees, coursework, degree credits, transcripts, or certification of completion of a degree.

"Board" of course refers to the Washington Board of education. CaliEd 00:28, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Oregon does not accept unaccredited degrees

Oregon does not accept unaccredited degrees, unless it is approved by Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization. [11]

583-050-0014

Unaccredited Degrees

(1) Users of unaccredited degrees may use the degrees in the following ways.

(a) Unaccredited degrees that have achieved ODA approval under ORS 348.609(d) can be used without a disclaimer.

(b) Unaccredited degrees that have not achieved ODA approval under ORS 348.609(d) can only be used with a disclaimer.

(c) Degrees issued by degree mills are invalid for use, with or without a disclaimer.

(2) Process for approval under ORS 348.609(d). A claimant of an unaccredited U.S. degree may submit to the Office information indicating that the school conferring the degree has the legal authority to issue degrees in another state and could reasonably be considered for approval in Oregon under OAR 583-030.

(a) A reasonable possibility of approval can be demonstrated by submitting to ODA the appropriate review fee and sufficient evidence that the unaccredited institution could meet ODA academic standards under OAR 583-030 for authorization to operate in Oregon if it chose to make such an application.

(b) ODA may, upon its own motion, evaluate an unaccredited institution and determine whether it has a reasonable chance to meet Oregon authorization standards without a degree user making such a request.

(c) If a request for evaluation under this section is not made to ODA within 30 days of notification that an unaccredited degree is being used contrary to Oregon law, the degree user's right to such a review is waived and ODA may pursue appropriate enforcement action. Degree users may, within the first 30 days, request up to 30 additional days for the purpose of gathering material necessary to apply for an evaluation.

(3) A claimant of a non-U.S. degree issued by a degree supplier not accredited by a U.S. accreditor may submit to the Office information proving that the supplier issuing the degree has the following characteristics.

(a) The supplier is operating legally as a degree-granting institution in its host country.

(b) The host country has a postsecondary approval system equivalent to U.S. accreditation in that it applies qualitative measures by a neutral external party recognized in that role by the government.

(c) The supplier has been approved through the demonstrable application of appropriate standards by the host country's accreditor equivalent.

(d) All degrees issued by the supplier are legally valid for use and professional licensure within the host country.

Stat. Auth.: ORS 348.609 Stats. Implemented: ORS 348.603, 348.609, 348.992 & SB 1039 (2005 OL, Ch. 546) Hist.: ODA 2-1998, f. & cert. ef. 8-12-98; ODA 1-2001, f. & cert. ef. 6-27-01; ODA 3-2003, f. 10-29-03, cert. ef. 11-1-03; ODA 4-2004, f. & cert. ef. 5-14-04; ODA 3-2005, f. 9-27-05, cert. ef. 9-30-05; Renumbered from 583-050-0031, ODA 4-2005, f. & cert. ef. 10-18-05

Thus, if you have an unaccredited degree it must be approved by the ODA. CaliEd 00:28, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Indiana does not accept unaccredited doctorates

Indiana does not accept unaccredited doctorates unless they have a religious nature and "clearly identify the religious character of the educational program." [12]

SECTION 1. IC 24-5-0.5-12 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE UPON PASSAGE]: Sec. 12. (a) It is an incurable deceptive act for an individual, while soliciting or performing a consumer transaction, to claim, either orally or in writing, to possess a doctorate degree or use a title, a word, letters, an insignia, or an abbreviation associated with a doctorate degree, unless the individual: (1) has been awarded a doctorate degree from an institution that is: (A) accredited by a regional or professional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation; (B) a religious seminary, institute, college, or university whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identify the religious character of the educational program; or (C) operated and supported by a governmental agency

SECTION 1. IC 24-5-0.5-12 IS CaliEd 00:28, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Diploma Mills

I just removed the section about diploma mills from the Religious accreditation section of the page - as it refered to unaccredited schools and that section was about accredited schools. It should be further noted that religious accredition is just as "legit" as national accredition, since religious accrediting agencies are national accrediting agencies. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Tim4christ17 (talk • contribs).

Religious accreditation is legitimate, this version states the case neutrally enough, if people think there is a particular issue with unaccredited religious schools then we should discuss how it can e included. Just zis Guy you know? 21:54, 8 August 2006 (UTC)
It is important to note that some states require accreditation and have exemption for religious schools, and that exemption is sometimes used by diploma mills. Tim4christ17 removed that cited fact. CaliEd 03:45, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
Didn't realize that - why don't you move that fact somewhere else in the article - that section is for national accrediting agencies, and what you're talking about would be with schools that are not accredited. --Tim4christ17 21:38, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
Why move it? It is under a section for US accreditation, and a subsection discussing religious accreditation. Where do you want to move it? CaliEd 21:47, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
No, it's under a section for U.S. Accredition, a subsection dealing with national accredation of religious bodies (NOT national religious accreditation - as the accrediting process/level of legitimacy is identical). Since your concerns are about state religious accreditation, it should be moved. Further, since it is a legal issue, it might be appropriate to put it under Legal Issues, where there is already a mention of diploma mills. --Tim4christ17 21:51, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
I agree, we need a section on Diploma Mills, but why is a discussion of "Diploma Mills" happening under the "National Accreditation" (and the "Religious accreditation") category? The implication here is that there is a connection. Diploma Mills are almost exclusively the domain of unaccredited or unrecognized (by the US Dept. of ED or CHEA) colleges and accrediting agencies. None of the citations say otherwise. By US Gov't standards and oversight, recognized national accrediting agencies are legit, and the schools that submit to their accreditation processes are working hard at complying with accreditation standards. It is blatantly unfair to put them into bed with diploma mills. Let's create a "diploma mill" category as before Danzieg 20:06, 10 August 2006 (UTC).
Not all unaccredited schools using religious exemption are diploma mills. CaliEd 20:26, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
This is correct. But there are religious diploma mills. I believe there are legitimate unaccredited universities in all fields (you have to start somewhere), on the other hand all diploma mills I have come across are unaccredited. Just zis Guy you know? 20:49, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
I don't quite agree with your implication that the only legitimate unaccreditated institutions are those that are just starting out. There are a handful of legitimate institutions that choose, typically for philosophical reasons, to simply not pursue accreditation. Whether or not that is a good choice or they have good reasons for making that choice is certainly a matter of serious debate. But they do exist and I don't think it's fair to cast aspersions on the quality of their education simply because they choose not to seek accreditation. I agree that it's a huge signal that the institution may warrant serious investigation - but it's still just a signal to conduct investigation and it may not be the ultimate conclusion (although for many students it will be and understandable so). --ElKevbo 17:27, 15 August 2006 (UTC)
As noted by the U.S. Department of Education, failure to obtain accreditation does not mean that a school is necessarily a bad school. DOE notes that it is possible for a school to otherwise provide a good education even though they don't have (or seek) accreditation by third parties. DOE is right to point out that people should do investigation of schools and particularly those that have chosen not to pursue accreditation, but even they admit that it is possible for a good school to choose to remain unaccredited. Vivaldi (talk) 19:55, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Globalize

"In many other countries, higher education institutions must receive the permission of the government to operate, and thus accreditation is performed by the government."

This has been changed before to remove the word 'many'. Can any of you say for certain that every place outside of the USA requires state accreditation? Until you can don't remove it. Citing the laws of a few countries is not the whole world. Is it required in Somalia? What about the 200 or so other countries? --Kalmia 20:06, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] School accreditation is voluntary in the United States

I just found the correct sources. In the United States Code, Congress has defined the term accrediting agency. The citation is 20 U.S.C. § 1099b. Please read the article on the United States Code if you do not understand how to read the citation. Specifically, at paragraph (a)(2)(A)(i), an accrediting agency "has a voluntary membership of institutions of higher education and has as a principal purpose the accrediting of institutions of higher education." In the Code of Federal Regulations, the Department of Education has adhered to the statutory mandate by promulgating the following definition at 34 CFR 602.3: "Accrediting agency or agency means a legal entity, or that part of a legal entity, that conducts accrediting activities through voluntary, non-Federal peer review and makes decisions concerning the accreditation or preaccreditation status of institutions, programs, or both." Under the Chevron doctrine (see Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.), this regulation also carries the force of law. I hope this makes the voluntary status of accreditation clearer. --Coolcaesar 18:44, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't think anyone disagrees that accreditation is voluntary in that context. However there are specific contexts where accreditation is mandatory, namely, if you are a school that is purporting to train medical doctors, engineers, accountants, nurses, and various other professional schools, with an ultimate goal of professional practice in those fields, then it is not voluntary process. It is against the law, and rightly so, that we make our professionals obtain their degrees from reputable institutions that pass the rigours of the accreditation process. Vivaldi (talk) 20:09, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
The main concern boils over why it is necessary to certify a religious school at all. It seems like anyone's religious beliefs are a pretty much unverifiable and unscientific thing. We don't put ministers in jail for malpractice when they interpret the bible, or Koran, in a manner that is inconsistent with traditional thought. I can see why there is a need for accreditation to exist, and I can see why a religious school and a religious student would value the accreditation process as a means to identify a school that has at least some minimum standards in quality of education -- however I can also understand that it is possible for a school to object to accreditation on philisophical grounds, and for a student to accept that knowledge with full understanding of the implications involved. Some people don't care that their preacher went to an unaccredited Bible school. In fact, some very successful ministers have achieved great success in their field after attending unaccrediting bible schools. Vivaldi (talk) 20:09, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
Actually, as I've pointed out above, California has many types of unaccredited schools. We have unaccredited nursing schools, law schools, theology schools, psychology schools, trade schools, etc. Hawaii is even worse; its weak legal system has made it a haven for outright scams. See [this article] from the Pacific Business Journal. This is because in the United States, our strong history of libertarianism supports a caveat emptor view of how business should work.
Furthermore, accreditation is a voluntary process in the sense that it is a peer process and not having accreditation does not lead to an instant shutdown. That is, a medical or accounting school could operate in many states within the United States without accreditation, in that it accepts tuition, holds classes, and awards degrees, even though no one will hire its graduates. After all, California has many unaccredited law schools that do precisely that, even though their graduates rarely pass the bar exam and rarely find jobs.
In contrast, if an ordinary business operates without paying the required business license fee to the local city or county, then the local prosecutor can get an injunction to shut it down immediately, and lock the doors and seize control of the premises. Similarly, if a business doesn't carry workers' compensation insurance as required by law, then the workers' comp agency can get a "stop order" to shut down the business immediately. That's the difference between licensing and accreditation.
Failure to hold a license leads to immediate consequences. For example, a physician who practices without a license is breaking the law and will face immediate legal consequences. The failure of one's school to gain accreditation means that one can still earn a degree but not necessarily a license based on that degree. This is a subtle but important distinction in American law. --Coolcaesar 18:36, 17 September 2006 (UTC)
Vivaldi, I'm interested in seeing some citations, a hypothetical (namely your claim: "I can also understand that it is possible for a school to object to accreditation on philisophical grounds") doesn't cut it. Could you specifically cite some examples? This is an encyclopedia and your claims must meet WP:V. I know Strassford University says "None of the recognized regional accrediting organizations accept as members institutions that are not dedicated to traditional education that requires residency and classroom attendance." Thus, it doesnt "desire" traditional accreditation.[13] I also know Strassford University is listed by the Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization as part of a diploma mill operation. [14]Arbusto 06:47, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
The only case where it might be necessary to certify a religious school would be if that school was offering degrees other than in their religion. For example, if that school wanted to offer desgrees in mathmatics, or computer science, it would need to be accredited. However, it is not necessary for a religious institution to seek to be accredited if all it is offering is training in its particular faith.Bagginator 04:43, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
I don't think that's true and it's not supported by any of the evidence cited so far. Can you please cite some evidence supporting your claim? --ElKevbo 05:04, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Why would say, a Muslim school, that teaches its students how to be clerics need to be accredited? As long as the leaders in the Muslim faith accepted the school that is all that would be needed. The same thing applies to any other religion.Bagginator 06:10, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
I'm sorry - I wasn't very clear. Can you please cite evidence supporting your assertion that schools that offer degrees in mathematics or computer science would need to be accredited? To the best of my knowledge, that isn't true in the United States and I would be very appreciative if you can help me fill in what may be a hole in my knowledge. --ElKevbo 23:08, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Good point, school accreditation is voluntary. Arbusto 00:11, 20 September 2006 (UTC)
Please cite that. You are talking about an institution that issues a bachelor's degree or one that offers Sunday school classes? Arbusto 23:03, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Neither Arbustoo. Funny though! And no ElKevbo, I cannot cite any evidence to support my assertion that schools that offer degrees in mathematics or computer science would need to be accredited. Nor could I cite evidence to support an assertion that schools that offer degrees in mathemeatics or computer science would not need to be accredited. However, schools that offer neither, which is my point, do not need to be accredited. I go back to a Muslim school as my example. As long as those who practice Islam agree that their leaders be trained in a particular way and those requirements are met, secular accreditation is not needed.Bagginator 23:14, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
1) Training for Ordination is different than a Bachelor's degree. If you disagree bring some sources and propose a merge between Ordination and bachelor's degree. 2) Seminaries do have accreditors, which include secular accreditators as well. What's your point? Arbusto 23:58, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
1)I don't disagree. That's my point. Training for ordination is different than a Bachelor's degree.2) Seminaries that only train for ordination (Unlike say David Lipscomb University which trains for BA and BS degrees as well) do not need to be accredited. That's my point.Bagginator 04:55, 20 September 2006 (UTC)
That they're seminaries has nothing to do with their requirement for accreditation or lack thereof. Unless there are state laws to the contrary, accreditation for *all* institution in America is voluntary. Your education may not be worth very much (or anything) if obtained from an unaccredited instution and you may not even be able to say you have a college degree. But the institution is still allowed to operate and you're still allowed to attend. --ElKevbo 05:18, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Religious accreditation

My recent edit just changed the wording that JzG chose. His wording suggested that religious-related accreditation bodies actually succeed in their goal to always accredit religious institutions without compromising doctrinal statements of those institutions. Since there exist a number of schools that specifically cite doctrinal reasons as primary reasons for refusing to undergo the certification process, it seems like a number of people disagree with the assumption that JzG seems to imply is a universal truth. My compromise edit just changes the wording to say that these religious accreditation bodies "seek" to provide accreditation without interfering with doctrine. Certainly most people would suggest that they are able to do so, but a significant number have argued that any accredition at all is against their religious doctrine. I also fixed a minor typo. Vivaldi (talk) 19:48, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

Vivaldi, your point is made quite clearly in the case of San Diego Christian College which is an accredited school. You'll see at the link these words lack of evidence to support that the College is sufficiently autonomous from the supporting church to be an accreditable entity. It is possible that the San Diego Christian College, which is currently accredited, will no longer be so after March of 2007. Clearly this would be a choice the school has to make. Does it wish to remain affiliated with the supporting church and therefore lose its accreditation, or will it choose autonomy and remain accredited.Bagginator 06:15, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
The full quote is "The Commission found the College to be operating in substantial noncompliance with Standards 1 and 3 with respect to leadership and governance, financial planning, and lack of evidence to support that the College is sufficiently autonomous from the supporting church to be an accreditable entity." Arbusto 23:00, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
I agree with Vivaldi. It should be mentioned that some religious schools claim not to want accreditation for restrictions. It needs to also be mentioned that diploma mills also claim not to want accreditation fearing restrictions as well. All parties of unaccredited schools should get equal say. Arbusto 00:05, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How is this done?

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I'm working on designing an internal accreditation process for a group of related organizations. It would be helpful for reference purposes if the article had a description of how a typical accreditation process works. Is it confidential? What kinds of sources are used? What modalities (self-reporting, independently measured metrics, physical inspection, financial audit, etc.) are used? -- Beland 00:41, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

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