Distance Education and Training Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is a non-profit accreditation agency recognized by Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. The Distance Education and Training Council has been the standard-setting agency for distance education institutions since it was established in 1926. Its purpose was, and still is today, "to foster and preserve high quality, educationally sound and widely accepted distance education and independent learning institutions."

It works to ensure that DETC accredited distance learning remains a viable and effective method of education and training for learners of all ages in all places. DETC promotes institutional self-improvement, ensures academic quality and aids its members in the quest for acceptance and excellence.

The Accrediting Commission of the Distance Eduction and Training Council oversees the institutional accrediting functions of the organization. DETC member institutions offer more than 500 different academic, vocational, and avocational courses by mail or by telecommunications. These courses often make use of specially written learning texts and quite often include audio-visual training devices, job enhancing materials, tools, computers, and other equipment. Course length ranges from a few weeks to over four years of study. Although most distance study institutions teach students entirely "at a distance," some institutions offer courses which feature a combination of distance study and resident training. DETC institutions vary in size. Various Armed Forces distance study institutions have enrollments of more than 200,000 students, while other schools may have fewer than 200 students.

The DETC conducts a continuing professional development program for distance study educators. Seminars and conferences devoted to distance education are held each year and are open to any individual with an interest in distance education.

Mission Statement

The mission of the DETC is to foster and preserve high quality, educationally sound and widely accepted distance education and independent learning institutions. It works to ensure that DETC accredited distance learning remains a viable and effective method of education and training for learners of all ages in all places. DETC promotes institutional self-improvement, ensures academic quality and aids its members in the quest for acceptance and excellence.

Goals

The goals of the DETC are to:

(1) serve the members of the Council and to promote the interest and general welfare of the distance education and independent learning fields;

(2) establish standards for the operation and conduct of distance education institutions and to provide for suitable accreditation for organizations meeting these standards;

(3) promote the adoption of sound educational standards and ethical business practices in the distance education and independent learning fields;

(4) cooperate with public and private agencies at all levels in the development and exchange of information helpful to the advancement of the field of distance education and independent learning fields;

(5) cooperate with local, state and federal authorities in the maintenance of high standards and sound policies in the fields of distance education and independent learning;

(6) conduct and promote research for the advancement of distance education and independent learning; and

(7) undertake any activities necessary and proper for the accomplishment of these goals, consistent with the public interest and the interests of the distance education and independent learning fields.

Qualifications

Membership in the Council shall be limited to institutions that offer instruction, assessment, and student services in the distance education field and are accredited by the DETC Accrediting Commission. The DETC Accrediting Commission may also accredit independent learning institutions and establish associate membership category groups.

Transfer Credit

Many regionally accredited schools accept and recognize the accreditations of the DETC. For a listing, review the Council on Higher Education Accredidations (CHEA) Higher Education Transfer Alliance website.

Designed by CHEA, the HETA directory can be used by students and the public to find institutions with transfer practices consistent with the four criteria in the CHEA Statement to the Community: Transfer and Public Interest. The directory also provides links to these institutions so that students and others can review a specific institution's transfer policies and practice.

[edit] Accreditation Types

There are three general types of accreditations organizations can possess:

(1) Regional Accreditation (RA)
(2) National Accreditation (NA)
(3) State Accreditation (SA)

"Regional Accreditation" is the oldest, most-accepted form of accreditation offered. "National Accreditation" (the type offered by DETC) is a newer form of accreditation but, compared to RA, is viewed somewhat dimly by many RA educational institutions and some employers. "State Accreditation" varies by state and may mean very little -- at the lowest level, SA only indicates that an institution has registered with the state it resides in. (It should be noted that some states have very rigorous accreditation standards.)

Students may find difficulty transferring NA or SA credits to a RA institution. Similarly, graduates may encounter employers who will not accept non-RA degrees. Students wishing to transfer credits to a RA institution can check a list of schools who have pledged to consider (but not promissed to accept) NA credits at the CHEA website.

Some critics have claimed the dim view of NA programs by RA institutions is the result of the "established" accreditation system protecting itself from a competing system. In the case of DETC, its foundation and early history of accrediting mostly vocational studies combined with the "distance learning" aspect of its programs has likely been a notable hurdle to the general acceptance of its broadening effort to provide accreditation of more professional degree programs.