090727 How to Get a College Accredited: Overview

Accreditation 101's Podcast

In this podcast we will discuss 1. Why schools want to be accredited 2. Possible time lines and steps 3. Common roadblocks Why: Benefits of Accreditation 1. Certification of quality 2. Process for developing quality 3. More students will want to attend your school a. Value of the degree to students – resume, transferability b. FAFSA 4. Achieve your mission – bear fruit How to Start the Accreditation Process 1. Choose an accrediting agency 2. Application process Timeline and Steps 1. Phase 1 – ABHE has three steps: a. applicant vs others that tell you to do the same things before applying 2. Visits, reports, responses 3. Start the clock – start the self study 4. Team Visit 5. Commission 6. 4 years + 4 years to repeat 7. The good news Next Time Self Study: The heart of the Process And in 2 weeks we will have an interview with the ABHE Chairman of the Commission on Accreditation to talk about distance education.