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Singapore, 27 May 2003
In the United States, authority over post-secondary educational institutions is decentralised. The states, not the federal government, have the authority to regulate educational institutions within their borders, and as a consequence, standards and quality vary considerably for "state-approved" schools. You will find many state-approved schools that are not accredited and many that are. In order to ensure a basic level of quality, the practice of accrediting institutions arose. Private, non-governmental educational agencies with a regional or national scope have adopted standards to evaluate whether or not colleges and universities provide educational programs at basic levels of quality. Institutions that seek accreditation conduct an in-depth self-study to
measure their performance against the standards. The accrediting agency
then conducts an on-site evaluation and either awards accreditation or
pre-accreditation status or denies accreditation. Periodically the agency
re-evaluates each institution to make sure its continued accreditation
is warranted. So accreditation is not a one-shot deal-an institution must
maintain high standards or it runs the risk of jeopardising its accreditation
status as a result of one of the periodic evaluations. Institutional Accreditation Institutional accreditation is awarded to an institution by one of six regional accrediting agencies and many national accrediting agencies. The regional accrediting agencies play the largest role in institutional accreditation. If a college or university is regionally accredited, that means that the institution as a whole has met the accrediting agency's standards. Within the institution, particular programs and departments contribute to the institution's objectives at varying levels of quality. What does accreditation mean? There are several benefits of enrolling in a program at a regionally
accredited college or university. You are assured of a basic level of
quality education and services. Any credits you earn are more likely to
be transferable to other regionally accredited institutions, although
we've seen that each institution makes its own decisions on transfer credits
on a case-by-case basis. Checking on a School and Its Accreditation Agency It's important to find out what role accreditation plays in your field, since it may affect your professional future as well as the quality of your education. Since accreditation is awarded by private organisations, any group can hang out a shingle and proclaim itself an accrediting agency. Some diploma mills, for example, have been known to create their own accrediting agency and then proclaim themselves "accredited." So how can you tell
Of course, you can simply ask the university, but since accreditation
is so important, it's probably a lot wiser to check elsewhere. First,
check with the regional accrediting agency that covers the state in which
the school is located. You should also check with the U.S.
Department of Education (USDE). This link on its website has
a complete list of regional institutional accrediting agencies recognised
by the federal government - http://ed.gov/offices/OPE/accreditation/regionalagencies.html
For the list of USDE approved accrediting bodies, which includes The Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, visit the USDE Office of Post Secondary Education - http://ed.gov/offices/OPE/accreditation/regionalagencies.html The website of The Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools itself is - www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
For the list of USDE approved accrediting bodies, which includes The Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, visit the USDE Office of Post Secondary Education - http://ed.gov/offices/OPE/accreditation/regionalagencies.html Visit the website of The Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools itself at - www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org ABOUT PURPLETRAIN.COM By combining innovative technology with world-class training content, PurpleTrain.com offers companies and individuals a high value, quality and effective on-line training solution. Over 700 on-line courses are available, offering masters, degrees, diplomas and certificates in business and IT programs. Our online learning community now stands at over 67,000 users. PurpleTrain.com is a 100%-owned venture of Informatics Holdings Limited, a leading training and education provider listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Informatics Holdings Limited is a world class institute for quality lifelong learning services and made the ranking among Forbes Global's 200 Best Small Companies in the world. ABOUT INFORMATICS GROUP The Informatics Group, established in 1983, is a multinational corporation providing lifelong learning services in information technology and business management. Through its international franchising program and strategic acquisitions, Informatics presently has a global network of more than 583 centres spanning more than 47 countries. The company presently offers the following products: Informatics Institute, Thames Business School, Informatics Professional Development Centre, CAL Learning Centre, Cambridge Child Development Centre, RACC, NCC licensing and PurpleTrain.com licensing. For more information, please visit http://www.informaticsgroup.com For more information, please contact : Boey Taik Boon All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of
their respective owners. Certain of the statements in this press release
are forward-looking in nature and, accordingly, are subject to risks and
uncertainties. The actual results may differ from those described or contemplated. |
The
accreditation status of a college or university gives you an indication
of its general quality and reputation. But just what does accreditation
mean, and how does it affect e-learners pursuing degrees with American
universities?
Recognised
Accrediting Bodies
Salem
International University
Salem
International University, a private, independent, liberal arts college
based in West Virginia, offers Master and Bachelor degree programmes in
Business and IT through PurpleTrain.com. Salem International University
is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association
of Colleges and Schools, which is recognised by the US Department
of Education as a legitimate accreditation body.