Q&A on accreditation with Mary Adams, President, American Sentinel University

Q.: What is the accreditation status of American Sentinel University?

A. Mary Adams (MA): American Sentinel University and its predecessor schools were first accredited in 2000 and later in 2005 by the Distance Education and Training Council or DETC. Following a merger of three schools (American Graduate School of Management, American College of Computer and Information Sciences, and Sentinel University) the new combined university was re-accredited in 2006.

Q.: Why DETC?

A. MA.: For online schools, DETC is the highest standard you can achieve. I have been associated with the DETC for many years and can tell you their accreditation is highly sought after. Every accrediting agency must itself be accredited by the US Department of Education (USDE). DETC was recently reaccrediting by USDE with flying colors.

The DETC has been given increasing authority over the years in recognition of the quality of their work. They accredit not only U.S. schools, but international schools as well. They have recently been allowed to have their schools undergo application for government loan programs, known commonly as Title IV, and to undertake professional doctorates.

Q.: Is DETC the only accreditation the American Sentinel will seek?

A. MA.: No. We have been unequivocal in our strategy for accreditation. We will seek all appropriate and available accreditations for our institution and individuals programs.

Q.: Why not get those accreditations from the start?

A. MA.: You can't just show up and say "Accredit us!" Accreditation is a long, expensive and time consuming process that requires a great deal of research and self-reflection. To get accredited, a school must have a long and detailed track record. For example, a school must have an alumni base that have gone into the work force and demonstrated the value of the degree. We are rapidly approaching a time where we can legitimately seek addition program and institutional accreditations. We are committed to seek them as soon as we are eligible.

Q.: Can you tell us which ones?

A. MA.: As much as I'd like too, I can't, based on the rules of most accrediting agencies. We are committed to announcing our plans are soon as we are able. Stay tuned!

For more information on DETC, see the DETC fact sheet.

FAQ About DETC and its Institutions

Q.: What is accreditation?

Accreditation is a voluntary 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 and provide consumer protection. 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.

Some Functions of Accreditation

1. Verifying that an institution or program meets established standards;
2. Assisting prospective students in identifying acceptable institutions;
3. Assisting institutions in determining the acceptability of transfer credits;
4. Helping to identify institutions and programs for the investment of public and private funds;
5. Protecting an institution against harmful internal and external pressure;
6. Creating goals for self-improvement of weaker programs and stimulating a general raising of standards among educational institutions;
7. Involving the faculty and staff comprehensively in institutional evaluation and planning;
8. Establishing criteria for professional certification and licensure and for upgrading courses offering such preparation; and
9. Providing one of several considerations used as a basis for determining eligibility for Federal assistance.

For more information on accreditation in the U.S. visit http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Q.: Are there different types of accreditation?

Types of accreditation are usually categorized as either institutional or programmatic (specialized). Institutional accreditation extends to an entire organization and its full range of operations. Programmatic or specialized accreditation extends to a specific academic program, such as an institution's nursing, law, business, or other specific degree program. With respect to accrediting bodies, they are generally described as regional or national, with regional bodies accrediting institutions physically located within their geographical region, while national accrediting bodies are not bound by geography.

Q.: Why is accreditation important?

Accreditation is a uniquely American invention. It is one of the principal reasons that the United States has many of the most prestigious universities in the world, and one of the most robust public and private educational systems in the world.

Much like an inspector's seal of approval, accreditation lets people know if they should have confidence in a college or school before enrolling or before authorizing tuition assistance.

Accreditation helps employers, prospective students and the general public in identifying quality educational institutions. Few students or companies have the resources or time to investigate the more than 6,000 educational institutions operating in the USA. Accreditation does the work of consumer protection and quality identification without government funding. It is a free public service to the nation.

Accreditation is important for many reasons, and the most important are: protecting the public from fraudulent diploma mills, helping students select institutions and programs that meet standards of academic quality and ensuring that American colleges, universities and schools remain among the finest in the world.

Q.: What is the difference between National and Regional accreditation?

Like the regional accrediting agencies, the DETC Accrediting Commission is reviewed periodically by the U.S. Department of Education to make certain that it meets the criteria for federal recognition as published in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This recognition criterion is the same for national accrediting agencies and regional agencies. One difference between regional and national accreditation is that national accreditors have a single specialization, such as continuing education and training, distance education, independent colleges, etc. whereas regional accreditors do not. DETC, for example, specializes in accrediting distance learning institutions-those are the only institutions DETC accredits. Regional accrediting bodies evaluate both distance education and "traditional" resident colleges and universities.

Some people still believe regional accreditation is the "only" or "best" type of accreditation. This is simply no longer true. National accreditation-from a recognized agency like the DETC-has the same high standards and USDE and CHEA recognition. Distance learning schools enjoy DETC accreditation because the DETC is the oldest and most experienced distance learning institution accreditor. DETC offers many services to its member schools and is active in educating its institutions and the public about quality distance education. We believe this bias toward regional accreditation will continue to diminish with time.

Some DETC schools are also accredited by regional accrediting agencies. Accreditation is a voluntary process, and schools decide whether to apply to the DETC, a regional agency, or both.

Q.: Are there other distance learning accreditors?

Yes. Most accrediting bodies evaluate distance learning programs at their member institutions. However, DETC specializes in accrediting only institutions that have a majority of their programs offered through distance learning. DETC has been specializing in distance learning accreditation for more than 80 years and is the only such specialized accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education.

Q.: How do I know I can trust an accrediting agency?

Along with diploma mills, accreditation mills are currently used to fool consumers into paying for seemingly legitimate certificates and degrees. Diploma mills now cite fraudulent accreditors because consumers are aware that accreditation is especially important when choosing an online school. Consumers should only trust schools with accrediting agencies (either national or regional) recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The USDE is required by law to publish a list of recognized accrediting agencies that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities on the quality of education or training provided by the institutions of higher education they accredit. An agency seeking national recognition by the Secretary must meet the Secretary's procedures and criteria. Once recognized by the Secretary, these accrediting agencies are reviewed every 5 years. For a full list of all national and regional accrediting agencies recognized by the Secretary of Education visit http://www.ed.gov

DETC

Q.: What is DETC?

The Distance Education and Training Council is a nationally recognized accrediting agency established in 1926. Its independent Accrediting Commission specializes in evaluating and accrediting distance learning institutions. DETC is a global leader in advancing distance education and is a highly respected leader in national and state affairs.

Q.: Is DETC a recognized accrediting body?

The DETC's Accrediting Commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Recognition by ED since 1959 and CHEA and its predecessors since 1973 means that these organizations have determined that DETC meets their respective standards and is regarded as a credible evaluator of institutional and program quality.

Q.: What type of accreditation is provided through DETC?

DETC accredits entire institutions and the programs they offer. Since DETC only accredits institutions that offer more than half of their programs through distance learning, the Accrediting Commission's examining teams are experienced specialists and practitioners who ensure that an institution's programs and services are designed and delivered appropriately for distance learning.

Q.: What are DETC's accreditation standards?

DETC's independent Accrediting Commission has adopted 12 broad standards that cover the full range of an institution's academic, financial/business, student services, learning assessment, and other essential operations. Institutions conduct a comprehensive self-evaluation, submit a self-evaluation report to the Commission, and host a site visit by an examining team of peer reviewers. The team issues a report to the institution and commission and makes recommendations for initial or continuing accreditation, opportunities for advancement, and may issue stipulations based on their findings.

Q.: Are DETC's standards as high or stringent as those of regional accrediting bodies?

Accrediting bodies are not compared or evaluated against each other. All accrediting bodies are essentially autonomous and are differentiated by their standards, criteria, policies, and operations to the point that comparing one to another is highly subjective. "Similar, but different" is likely the best way to describe the various institutional accreditors. Institutions that hold both regional and national accreditation generally state that, in combination, the respective accreditation standards provide both broader and more in-depth evaluations of an institution's operations.

There are some distinctive differences to DETC's version of accreditation that truly sets it apart from regional bodies, that are not specialists in distance learning evaluation as DETC is:

• DETC accreditation is twice as frequent: DETC does a complete, fresh review every five years, not every 7 or 10 years as most regionals do.
• DETC does an in-depth program by program individual evaluation of curricula, before any students may be enrolled, using qualified professors and teachers primarily from regionally accredited universities. Regionals are not equipped to do individual content reviews of each program a college offers.
• DETC accreditation standards are specific to the distance education environment, and they go into far more depth on the unique aspects of learning at a distance by various modes than any general set of accrediting criteria. Subject matter experts, for example, measure a distance program against more than 100 different points of measurement, ranging from outcomes to reading level to depth of examinations to examination turn around time.
• DETC has far more extensive, specific and comprehensive and prescriptive standards for marketing practice, financial assessment, refund policies, and consumer protection rules than any regional agency. DETCs' national minimum tuition refund policy is a model for others. And DETC has standards that address Internet marketing tactics and affirmative consumer disclosures.
• DETC has one of the most practical, time-tested outcomes assessment procedures for institutions to follow that is felt to be far more prescriptive and specific than the generalized outcomes processes of most regional bodies.
• DETC has specialized in perfecting standards and rules for distance study institutions for over a half century. DETC has conducted over 3,000 onsite accrediting visits to distance education institutions since 1955, making it the clear leader in distance learning accreditation from an experience perspective.

DETC's staff has, collectively, over a century of tenure with DETC, giving it one of the richest repositories of corporate memory about distance learning accreditation in the world today.

Q.: How often does DETC evaluate its institutions?

DETC accredits institutions for no more than five years. This means that its institutions are more frequently evaluated that those accredited by most regional bodies, which evaluate established institutions on a 7-10 year cycle. Additionally, DETC evaluates institutional requests for new programs, changes in locations and ownership, and other substantive changes that occur between accreditation cycles.

Q.: Is DETC's accreditation accepted by the federal, state, and local governments?

Yes. Recognition by the U.S. Department of Education qualifies DETC institutions and students for federal aid, such as military tuition assistance, government tuition reimbursement, Veterans Administration entitlement programs, and, for qualified institutions, Title IV Federal Student Aid programs. Many government agencies support their students attending DETC institutions, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and FEMA.

Q.: Do other companies recognize and support students studying at DETC institutions?

Yes. DETC institutions report that leading companies such as Delta Airlines, Boeing, and SAID.

The largest employer in the USA is the Federal Government, and primarily through the U.S. Department of Defense and the voluntary education tuition program, the federal government pays the tuition for tens of thousands of military members at DETC institutions. DETC institutions rank in the very top tier of all colleges and universities in the support given to military students. In addition, the Marine Corps Institute, the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning and the Army Institute for Professional Development are each accredited by DETC and have been since 1975. Collectively, these three institutes enroll almost 1 million military members in DETC accredited distance programs.

Q.: Are degrees and credits earned from DETC institutions accepted by other academic institutions?

Our 2006 survey of DETC graduates showed that of those who attempted to transfer credits and degrees, 70% were successful.

Acceptance of degrees or credits from DETC-accredited institutions is largely determined by the policy of the "receiving organization," e.g., an employer, a college registrar, etc. DETC accreditation is not a guarantee that credit will transfer to any college or university. You should always check with the college or university that you wish to transfer your credits to before you enroll in a course. The American Council on Education reviews courses of DETC-accredited institutions and makes credit recommendations that are published annually in "The National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs" or call Oryx Press at 1-800-279-ORYX.

DETC Institutions

Q.: Who are the students that enroll in DETC-accredited institutions and programs?

DETC institutions serve more than 3 million students around the globe, primarily adult learners pursuing their education while employed, with about 40% receiving tuition assistance from their employer. Postsecondary and college students are in their 30s, approximately half are female, and complete their programs at a rate (approximately 70%) above traditional college students.

Q.: What's the difference between for-profit institutions and the traditional public/private colleges and universities?

Theoretically, whether an institution is operated as a for-profit entity or not should be transparent to students and employers. For-profit institutions are not subsidized by public funds, private donations, endowments, or gifts. All institutions must be financially viable to maintain their accreditation, regardless of the source(s) of revenue or income. For-profit institutions must focus on the quality of their product (academic programs and services) to recruit and retain their students, who are regarded as consumers, or student customers. Much of the net income or profit generated from operations in for-profit institutions is invested in strengthening and expanding its programs and services.

DETC Corporate and Student Advantages

Q.: Why are DETC schools a good choice for my company?

Successful companies are those that develop their human capital, developing a strong knowledge base through retention of valuable employees and building their competitive advantage. The affordability and flexibility of distance education programs at DETC institutions meet the educational needs of both the company and the employee. Their tuition is generally well below most institutions in their category. Since their programs are mostly offered through distance learning, they enable your employees to study outside of normal business hours and at home. Their programs range from short training courses to full academic degrees and in many cases, course materials and texts are included in the course and tuition costs.

DETC students report high rates of satisfaction with their studies, with more than 97% being overall satisfied with their experience and the same percentage willing to recommend their institution to a friend. Employers surveyed by DETC report high levels of satisfaction with DETC graduates and 93% would encourage their employees to enroll in accredited distance education programs.

Q.: Is DETC recognized by corporate funding programs?

Yes, Many Fortune 100 companies support their employees study at DETC institutions. Additionally, the federal government provides military tuition assistance and civilian tuition reimbursement support to members wishing to study at DETC institutions.

Q.: Do other institutions accept credits from other DETC institutions?

Yes. Surveys of transferring students document that nearly 70% of DETC students are successful in having their credits accepted in transfer to other accredited institutions.