ACCS gutted like a fish

When i went on ACCS web site i got a real suprise. They say that they can only offer diplomas not degrees.

What is going on? are they not allowed to offer degrees by the state or is it their own choice?

Robert

 

Dunno. But I'm very sorry about it all.

 

Perhaps they felt it wasn't honest to keep on offering degrees after losing their accreditation. Perhaps there's an OK law on this (anybody know?). Perhaps it's a kind of public penance designed to impress TRACS--but no less real for all that. Or maybe the chaos theory approach that lost them their accreditation has caused the school itself to implode.

Shlemiels, yes; scoundrels, no.

If they do scale way way back and regroup, there might still be hope for them, if they carefully implement orderly procedures on every durn thing and get a couple of real PhD's with strong qualifications to offer courses. Build up their OKC base carefully, don't inflate enrollments beyond the competence of the staff to handle them, and maybe eventually resume offering one--only one--degree, clearly labeling it as UA and clearly delineating on their website just what their quality control procedures and safeguards are in the absence of accreditation.

Long, slow, and no guarantee of success, but this utterly speculative scenario is the only way even remotely possible for them to move forward and not simply vanish.

If I hadn't met several of the ACCS guys (sorry Jeff Hampton) I probably wouldn't care much. But this outcome, however much many of us saw it coming, is still very sad.

 

What happened to current students who were in degree programs?

 

Prior to their incarnation as ACCS they were the University of Biblical Studies and offered up to the Ph.D. degree...all in the state of Oklahoma. Of course, the laws might have become more stringent since then. As a graduate, I'm really bummed at this turn of events, but there's not a thing I can do about it.

 

I saw the site a couple of days ago. It was depressing
http://www.accs.edu

I think that the current statement about the fact that they cannot offer degrees or credits is OK law. Before University of Biblical Studies and Seminary made the name change someone at ACCS told me that OK law (kind of like Tennessee) did not allow schools that were not seriously pursuing accreditation to offer degrees. That is why at one time UBSS (prior to candidacy) was getting other schools to award degrees (as I recall). Assuming this still hold true, ACCS probably had to stop offering degrees.

Unfortunately, even for those of us that managed an accredited degree it will leave some explaining when asked. Sad for alumni, students, and the folks that worked there.

I wonder whether ACCS will surivive. The have been contemplating RA (seemingly seriously to the point of attending accreditor sessions and having experts engaged). But how favorably will an RA accreditor look on a school that lost accreditation. Also, quite importantly, will ACCS manage to survive financially. They had a small multi-million dollar budget but that is driven by students enrolling. I cannot imagine that many students enrolling and paying bucks for an unaccredited diploma. Cash flow must be down and that is got to require some drastic cut backs to infra structure. Someone gifted is going to have to manage them through this crisis.

I wonder if it is almost not better to go down to DETC accreditation. Get rid of the doctoral programs, keep the Masters and apply for DETC. It has got to be easier and cheaper than RA and probably than going back in a year (as allowed by TRACS) and applying for TRACS again. If they can hold on, I would imagine they may retry TRACS.

North

 

They aren't in any position to go "down" to DETC. Any accreditation is "up" for them at this point. I think they also ought to scrap the grandiose (Universal, American) names and rename themselves something more location-based. This would be a powerful signal within the organization of their need to rebuild slowly, small-ly (sic), and above all locally.

You are quite right about the sad website.

My one nagging doubt about their good intentions persists:
there is still no public candor about anything that has happened. The time for bluffing is over.

My earlier question still really bothers me: what about the students currently enrolled in degree programs? What has happened to them? What have they been told? What arrangements with other schools were made by ACCS for transfer or advanced standing? Or did making provision for their students fall off the back end of somebody's desk, too?

 

No promises but I am betting on DETC allowing the D.Min, DBA, DPsy by 2006 and they are working toward this goal.

Is ACCS primarily a distance school or are they beyond DETC's mandate?

DETC definitely understands distance education better than some of the regionals.

 

Hey Unk,

You are correct that without accreditation DETC would be up (down from TRACS but up from nothing). I am still somewhat skeptical as I wonder what effect being tarnished (losing accreditation) has on a school.

As for the candour I think you got some of that if you talk to the right people (ie Dr. Beville). My impression is that key folks wer asleep at the wheel. You do not get accreditation then breathe a big sigh and do what you please. You put someone in charge of quality control and make sure they are effective. Bill's issue of the DMin in Biblical studies was only a small part (symptom) of a larger systemic problem. Administrative bungling seemed to be the order of the day and they never got a handle on it. Frankly, they even had ineffective (nice but...) administrative staff and assistants who were not clued in about anything (could take messages). When all parts of an organization are not on the same sheet of music you are asking for trouble (you mess yourself up internally). I have seen this played out time and time again.

As to your other issue. I unfortunately would not be surprised if **no** provision was made for current students (except probably to transer to LBU or Golden State). I have a feeling that they are out of luck. ACCS was probably too busy hoping things would turn out okay. You have to feel sorry for them (students) who were near completion. By the grace of God I made it out but still have a degree that I may have to explain "I got it before they lost accreditation", "yes they were at one time accredited".

If they do not manage something soon (RA app or DETC) I wonder if they will make it. As I said they had a small multi million dollar budget and surely with diploma programs that has dried up. If so, how do you manage to keep (pay) faculty, buildings they have leased, etc.

North

 

I cannot find it but I posted what I was told by TRACS (via email) about current students.

ACCS has to make arrangements or work something out so they can graduate, or something like that.

I no longer have the TRACS email but it's in one of the many ACCS threads.

 

Interesting Jimmy. I hope they do. I wonder what they worked out. Even allowing them to graduate through ACCS means an unaccredited diploma. DId they work something out with an accredited school or go with LBU or Golden Gate both of whom are unaccredited but authroized to issue degrees.

North

 

For the life of me I cannot find my post. I think ACCS had to graduate them within a certain time period and they would graduate with an accredited degree. I'll keep looking for my post.

 

That is a pesky problem. Try doing a word search.