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Accreditation is...
A voluntary, non-governmental activity that occurs approximately
every five to ten years. The value and effectiveness of accreditation
lies in the institutions' commitment to continuous self-study and
evaluation.
A process in which educational institutions
evaluate themselves objectively, and then subject their evaluations
to an accrediting body for review and critique of educational quality.
A peer evaluation. The evaluation
teams consist of professional educators and/or school administrators,
specialists selected according to the nature of the institution
or program, and sometimes others representing specific public interests.
Accreditation is not...
A replacement for government regulation, or a license from the government
to do business. Public institutions receive their approval to operate
through the state Constitution and legislative action. Although
many states exempt accredited institutions from state regulation,
accreditation is a voluntary, private sector evaluation. Accrediting
bodies cannot force institutions to comply with state and federal
laws, and do not view their role as regulatory.
A guarantee of consumer protection.
The evaluation criteria of accrediting bodies tend to be general
and non-uniform because of the great diversity of Post secondary
educational institutions and accrediting bodies in the United States.
A tool to be used in certifying professional
practitioners. Because accreditation is granted by a private, nongovernmental
body, requiring candidates for professional licensure to obtain
education from an accredited institution as prerequisite for licensure
may be a denial of the candidates' constitutional rights.
Private post secondary schools
must be approved the EAB before they can conduct business in Wisconsin.
Approval is both a license to operate and certification that an
institute meets statutory requirements for operation. Non-profit
institutions like Saint Martin's College and Seminary often focus
on specialized forms of national and professional accreditation
for specific programs in religious related professions. As these
individual programs receive approval, regional and or accreditation
groups recognized by the U.S. Department of Education are the next
progressive step to recognition.
If there is
no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom,
and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing
the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening. This
struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it
may be both moral and physical; but there must be some struggle-
Frederick Douglas |
