Purpose
of Regional Accreditation
Voluntary, non-governmental, institutional accreditation as
practiced by WASC and other regional commissions is a unique
characteristic of American education. In many other countries,
the maintenance of educational standards is a governmental function.
No institution in the United States is required to seek accreditation,
however, because of the recognized benefits, most of the eligible
institutions in this and other regions have sought to become
accredited.
The WASC accreditation process aids institutions in developing
and sustaining effective educational programs and assures the
educational community, the general public, and other organizations
that an accredited institution has met high standards of quality
and effectiveness.
Regional Accreditation
This type of institutional accreditation focuses on public and private, nonprofit and for-profit, two- and four-year institutions. They conduct a comprehensive review of all institutional funtions.
As a regional accrediting body, WASC accredits institutions,
not individual programs, however, programs are actively reviewed
by WASC through the substantive change process. Click
here for more information on the Substantive Change Process.
Other Regional Accrediting Agencies
Middle
States Association Commission on Higher Education
New
England Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on
Institutions of Higher Education
North
Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning
Commission
Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities
Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools
Institutional Accreditation
A second type of institutional accreditation is
one that focuses on public and private, nonprofit and for-profit single mission institutions, including distance learning colleges and universities, private career institutions, and faith based colleges and universities. such as theology
(Association of Theological Schools - ATS ),
art and design (the National Association of Schools of Art and
Design - NASAD ),
and music (the National Association of Schools of Music - NASM ).
Specialized or Professional Accreditation
A third type of accreditation is specialized or professional accreditation,
which focuses on programs in a specific discipline, and not the
institution. Examples are specialized accreditation in education,
law, medicine, chiropractic, computer science, and more than
90 other disciplines.
Other Related Agencies
American
Council on Education (ACE)
Association
of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
California
Department of Education
Council
for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
Hawaii
Department of Education
National
Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges
United
States Department of Education
Western
Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)
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