Accreditation
The United States is the only known country in the world that has no Federal Ministry of Education and no
centralized authority exercising national control over postsecondary educational institutions. All U.S.
Accreditation agencies are privately owned non-governmental organizations.
The word "accreditation" has acquired many shades of meaning over the years. Distance education
accreditation is a certification by a recognized body that a distance education institution has voluntarily
undergone a comprehensive study and peer examination that has demonstrated that the institution does in fact
meet the established standards. The institution must perform the functions that it claims: that it has set
educational goals for students who enroll, offers formal, organized learning experiences and services that
enable students to meet these stated goals, and can, in fact, show that students and graduates have benefited
from the learning experiences provided.
Basically, accreditation is a process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet certain standards. It
is a promise that an institution will provide the quality of education it claims to offer. Accreditation assures
the student that the institution operates on a sound financial basis, has an approved program of study,
qualified instructors, adequate facilities and equipment, effective recruitment and admission policies, and
advertises its courses truthfully.
Historically and currently, accreditation may be said to:
BHEA accreditation is an institution-wide source of nationally recognized accreditation that covers all
distance study courses offered by an institution. American accreditation is unique because it is based upon a
method of instruction rather than educational level or subject matter discipline. It covers all programs, courses
and distance study endeavors of an institution, including degree, non-degree, vocational and avocational
programs.
Why Become Accredited?
Accreditation provides an opportunity to improve the educational quality of your institution. It provides a
means of evaluating and comparing your courses/programs, facilities, and procedures with those of others. It
involves a process whereby an accrediting body grants public recognition to an institution as having met
certain standards. However, the greatest value of accreditation is to be found in undergoing the process itself,
a process of self-evaluation in which an institution voluntarily monitors and controls its own behavior to
ensure that its "programs and policies embody standards of good practice."
Accreditation is purely voluntary. The applicant institution voluntarily elects to apply for accreditation and
it voluntarily agrees to comply with all standards and policies of the Commission.
Accreditation is a non-governmental peer review process in which the integrity and good faith of an
institution and its officers are essential.
The burden of proof in demonstrating compliance with standards rests with the institution, not with the
Accrediting Commission. The institution must prove to the Accrediting Commission that it meets or exceeds
the standards.
The Accrediting Commission considers information about an applicant institution from any source in reaching
its conclusion.
Accreditation is by its nature a formal, but nonetheless, collegial process. It works best when there is a
common agreement that the chief purpose for seeking accreditation is the identification of soundness, honesty
and quality in the practice of distance education.
The United States is the only known country in the world that has no Federal Ministry of Education and no
centralized authority exercising national control over postsecondary educational institutions. All U.S.
Accreditation agencies are privately owned non-governmental organizations.
The word "accreditation" has acquired many shades of meaning over the years. Distance education
accreditation is a certification by a recognized body that a distance education institution has voluntarily
undergone a comprehensive study and peer examination that has demonstrated that the institution does in fact
meet the established standards. The institution must perform the functions that it claims: that it has set
educational goals for students who enroll, offers formal, organized learning experiences and services that
enable students to meet these stated goals, and can, in fact, show that students and graduates have benefited
from the learning experiences provided.
Basically, accreditation is a process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet certain standards. It
is a promise that an institution will provide the quality of education it claims to offer. Accreditation assures
the student that the institution operates on a sound financial basis, has an approved program of study,
qualified instructors, adequate facilities and equipment, effective recruitment and admission policies, and
advertises its courses truthfully.
Historically and currently, accreditation may be said to:
- foster excellence in education through the development of standards for assessing educational
effectiveness;
- encourage improvement through continuous self-evaluation and planning; and
- assure the educational community, students, state and federal authorities, the general public and
other interested agencies or organizations that an institution has clearly defined and appropriate
objectives; maintains conditions under which their achievement can be reasonably expected; appears
in fact to be accomplishing them; and can be expected to continue to do so.
BHEA accreditation is an institution-wide source of nationally recognized accreditation that covers all
distance study courses offered by an institution. American accreditation is unique because it is based upon a
method of instruction rather than educational level or subject matter discipline. It covers all programs, courses
and distance study endeavors of an institution, including degree, non-degree, vocational and avocational
programs.
Why Become Accredited?
Accreditation provides an opportunity to improve the educational quality of your institution. It provides a
means of evaluating and comparing your courses/programs, facilities, and procedures with those of others. It
involves a process whereby an accrediting body grants public recognition to an institution as having met
certain standards. However, the greatest value of accreditation is to be found in undergoing the process itself,
a process of self-evaluation in which an institution voluntarily monitors and controls its own behavior to
ensure that its "programs and policies embody standards of good practice."
Accreditation is purely voluntary. The applicant institution voluntarily elects to apply for accreditation and
it voluntarily agrees to comply with all standards and policies of the Commission.
Accreditation is a non-governmental peer review process in which the integrity and good faith of an
institution and its officers are essential.
The burden of proof in demonstrating compliance with standards rests with the institution, not with the
Accrediting Commission. The institution must prove to the Accrediting Commission that it meets or exceeds
the standards.
The Accrediting Commission considers information about an applicant institution from any source in reaching
its conclusion.
Accreditation is by its nature a formal, but nonetheless, collegial process. It works best when there is a
common agreement that the chief purpose for seeking accreditation is the identification of soundness, honesty
and quality in the practice of distance education.
Accreditation
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