LESSON 14 - KATHERINE L. SQUIRES
Comm. 5350, Dr. Henry Ingle

Why Accreditation?

I must confess that I have mixed thoughts on the accreditation process and the value that is placed on accreditation. This may come from my years as an adjunct professor in J.D. and LL.M (law) programs. I have also worked with various institutions that have developed legal assistance programs and were seeking ABA (American Bar Association Accreditation) accreditation and the cumbersome, burdensome and highly political accreditation process.

The argument for accreditation focuses on the need to develop uniform and consistent standards for the quality of education and protect the public by providing safeguards in having institutions meet those standards. The accreditation process varies depending upon the type of institution and the degree programs that are offered by that institution. Basically, an institution must conduct an exhaustive self-study (which is my opinion is very taxing on the institutions resources) of its strengths and weaknesses. Although, the accreditation process may be considered "voluntary" the reality is that without the accreditation the graduates are very limited in employment opportunities. For example, most law firms will only hire paralegals or legal assistants an ABA accredited law school. Most State Bar Agencies will not allow a graduate of a law school to take the bar examination (and consequently practice law) unless they attended an ABA-approved law school. This practice makes the "voluntary" aspect of accreditation, in reality, mandatory. Those arguing for the accreditation process would argue that it accreditation provides a "seal of approval" that an institution meets a certain level of quality, as determined by the members of the accrediting association. Those who might argue against accreditation might assert that there are many criteria in the accreditation process that are overly-burdensome and not directly-related to the quality of the educational program or the resources necessary to provide that program.

For example (this is a true situation) the ABA requires that certain faculty be full-time and geographically situated at the institution. The institution has a distance-learning program that has been approved by the ABA and provides a graduate degree at the completion of the program. There is no face-to-face student contact since the only students in the program are distance learners and most are located outside of the Unite States. The institution wants to hire a faculty member to oversee and teach in the program. The faculty member is very well credentialed and highly regarded in the academic and legal communities. The institution and the full-time faculty at the institution want to hire this individual. The faculty member cannot relocate. The institution cannot hire because of this ABA requirement. The faculty member is willing to travel for faculty meetings, etc. How does this accreditation requirement contribute to the quality of the program? It accreditation requirement would appear to be a hindrance to the institution rather than an aid.

The Accreditation Agencies

There are many different accreditation agencies, primarily organized on a regional basis. There are then "specialty" accreditation agencies for law schools, business schools, medical schools, etc. Institutions in Texas are accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (the "Commission on Colleges"). The Commission on Colleges is responsible for institutions that grant undergraduate and graduate degrees in eleven Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia). The Commission on Colleges accredits the entire institution, not specific degree programs offered by the institution.

The Accreditation Process

Each accreditation agency has its own policies, standards and process for accreditation. The accreditation handbook (or policy manual) provides the guidelines for the process, the self-study, the interviews, peer reviews, etc. to assure uniformity and consistency in the accreditation process. Although all of the stages in the accreditation process are important, the self-study is critical to the institution's understanding of its strengths and weaknesses and where it needs to focus its efforts and resources to ensure compliance with the accreditation criteria. The self-study involves all members of an institution's community, including administration, faculty, staff, students, and other interested parties so that they can identify from all facets of the institution areas of compliance and areas for improvement. When the self-study has been completed, the Commission on Colleges will send a team to visit the institution and compile a written report. After many all day sessions, interviews and observations with various members of the institutions' community, the Commission on Colleges will prepare a report that will assess where the institution needs to improve to maintain their accreditation. Once the site visit is completed the process and continues, reports are submitted, meetings are held and recommendations are made.

What differences, in any, exist between accreditation of regular instructional programs and distance learning programs?

As stated above, the Commission on Colleges focuses on accreditation for the entire institution. It does not provide accreditation for specific programs offered by the institution. There are however, accrediting agencies that focus on distance education programs and there are principles that have been established as guidelines for distance learning programs. The Commission on Colleges has developed guidelines that are supplemental to the accreditation standards. These guidelines stem from standards established by the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications of the Western Interstate Commission for High Education (WICHE). These guidelines take into account the need for greater flexibility, the role of technology, the changes in the faculty-student environment and the resource needs of the institution while maintaining the quality level of these programs.

What role are the new information technologies and educational communications playing in counteracting and changing the strongest criticism of distance education?

As we continue to see success in the distance education arena and as institutions continue to recognize the need to reach an ever-changing demographic student population, the criticisms of distance education (primarily the lack of face-to-face interaction) will change. Educational communications and instructional technologies are allowing the "face-to-face" and interaction time between faculty and students with tools such as, Webcasts, synchronous chats, live video streamed over the Internet, and a host of other emerging technologies. These, and may others, are alleviating (and will continue to alleviate) traditional concerns associated with distance education. I am very excited about the future of distance education.