The Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools
ACICS is one of the few private career accrediting agency that is recognized by both the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is the watchdogs' watchdog, the CHEA recognition carries weight for example with the Chinese government who will only accept accreditation from a school or institution if it has been approved by an agency that has received CHEA approval.
The stated mission of ACICS is to advance
educational excellence at independent, nonpublic career schools, colleges, and
organizations in the United States and abroad. This is achieved through a
deliberate and thorough accreditation process of quality assessment and
enhancement as well as ethical business and educational practices whereby ACICS
attempts to maintain minimum standards, policies, and procedures leading to
institutional effectiveness.
The scope of
accreditation as recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education is that the
Council's evaluation and accreditation activities are directed to post secondary
institutions offering non-degree programs and degree programs through the
master's degree level that are designed to train and educate persons for SERVIS
or professions where business applications, business concepts, supervisory or
management techniques, or professional or business-related applications or
disciplines support or constitute the career or professional activity.
The Eligibility
Requirements for ACICS
To be eligible for
consideration for accreditation, an institution or entity must satisfy the
following minimum requirements.
It shall be either
an institution of post secondary education primarily offering educational
programs designed to train and educate persons for SERVIS or professions where
business applications, business doctrines, supervisory or management techniques,
professional or paraprofessional applications, and other business-related
applications or disciplines support or constitute the career; or a non
institutional entity offering professional enhancement education.
An institution is
presumed to be an institution of post secondary education if it (1) enrolls a
majority of its students in one or more programs, the content of which is on a
post secondary academic level and which leads to a post secondary academic
credential (such as a certificate, diploma, or degree) or an occupational
objective; (2) enrolls students who possess a high school diploma or its
equivalent, or who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance and
demonstrate through valid assessment an ability to benefit from the educational
experience; and (3) offers at least one program which is a minimum of 300 clock
hours in length.
It shall be
legally organized; be licensed by (1) the appropriate state education agency for
post secondary institutions or (2) the appropriate state agency for authorizing
the conduct of business in that state for non institutional entities; and have
offered its educational services to general public for at least two years
immediately prior to consideration of the application by ACICS.
Its mission shall
be to offer educational programs which help students develop skills and
competencies to enhance their SERVIS.
Its residential
enrollment and enrollment in each program shall be sufficient both to support
course work and learning experiences that, separately or in combination,
constitute measurable and defined educational programs, and to enable ACICS to
assess the educational effectiveness of those programs.
It shall have a
sufficient number of graduates from a majority of its programs to enable ACICS
to assess the educational effectiveness of those programs. Programs offered at
any credential level from which there are no graduates will be reviewed in
accordance with standards outlined in the Accreditation Criteria.
It shall be in
compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
It shall be
organized as a corporation, as a limited partnership with corporate general
partner, or as a limited liability company.
Its evaluation for
accreditation shall be authorized by the chief executive officer.
Its owner or
managers shall not have been debarred by ACICS.
Applying for ACICS
Accreditation
Once it has been determined that an institution appears to meet the
Council's minimum eligibility requirements, the institution is invited to submit
an application for accreditation. The application materials are provided at this
time. An audited financial statement for the most recently completed fiscal year
and a non-refundable application fee of $2500 are among the required components.
Following receipt
of complete and acceptable application materials, the institution undergoes a
resource visit to assess the institution's eligibility and readiness to proceed
with the self-study phase of the application. This visit is usually one day in
length and is conducted by a staff representative. This is determined based on
the institution, its enrollment, and the scope of program offerings. The
institution is responsible for the expenses incurred by the evaluation visit
team.
If the results of
the resource visit indicate the institution is eligible, the institution is
invited to complete the self-study phase of the application process. The chief
on-site administrator of the institution is required to attend an Accreditation
Workshop within 18 months prior to the submission of the self-study. The
self-study materials and accreditation workshop registration forms are available
on this website.
Once the
institution has completed these steps, the procedures for preparing the
self-study and completing the application for an initial grant do not differ
from those currently accredited institutions seeking a new grant.
An on-site
evaluation visit is conducted at the institution. The number and background of
team members and length of the visit depends on a number of factors including:
level of accreditation of
institution
size of institution
type of visit to be
conducted
type of academic programs
offered by institution
other special
circumstances
For most initial
visits, a team will have a minimum of a chair, a team member, and a staff
member. The team reviews the institution's self-study, compares it with the
actual activities at the institution, and reports its observations in
relationship to the standards contained in the Accreditation Criteria. The
institution is responsible for the expenses incurred by the evaluation visit
team.
The institution is
provided with a copy of the evaluation visit team report and is invited to
submit a response. The report, response, self-study, audited financial
statements, and any other information about the institution are considered by
the Council three times each year: April, August, and December. At these
meetings, an applications for accreditation are considered and accreditation
decisions made.
Please call me at 818-666-1333 and I can explain the all the rules and
regulations involved or contact me and we can discuss getting your school
accredited.
