Regionally Accredited Schools without a Bricks & Mortar Campus?

I have enjoyed searching the forums and discussions and am simply seeking to really identify a understanding of Regionally accredited schools who are distance learning in comparison to DETC and or State Approved schools. My question is this:

Can anyone give me a Regionally accredited Distance learning University that DOES NOT have a Bricks & Mortar campus. In other words, does not offer actual classroom attendance?

 

www.JoneInternational.edu

 

No on-campus classes:

Northcentral
Touro University International
Excelsior
Thomas Edison State
Charter Oak State
APUS (candidate for RA)

Limited residency, but offer no regularly scheduled classes (and whose residencies are normally off-site):

Fielding
Union
Walden
Capella

Just a few examples.

 

So what I am understanding is Having a actual campus and or offering classes at a location IS NOT a pre-requisite or part of a Regional Accreditation body's requirement to allow accreditation regionally?

 

I think it might depend on what you mean by a campus. I believe that they all have office space and people that work there doing administration duties. They don't have to have class rooms. (or even offer classes as Rich's examples demonstrate)

 

Here you go. As you can see in their news release, they just received accreditation from the NC Association, but they apparently haven't had time to work it into their home page. By all accounts on the web, it is a legitimate, and even recommended institution.

http://www.apus.edu/APUS/home/APUS/

 

Western Governors' University is accredited by:

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (considered WGU's "home" commission)

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges

The Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Tony

 

No. The news release was in February, and announced their Candidacy status, not accreditation. Their accreditation is from DETC.

 

I think we need to get our terms straight before this thread goes much further.

We're really discussing two questions, here:

1) May a college, university, seminary or divinity school offer regionally-accredited distance-learning degrees which require absolutely no residential classroom attendance on the degree grantor's physical brick-and-mortar campus, if any?

2) May a college, university, seminary or divinity school offer regionally-accredited distance-learning degrees if the degree grantor has no physical brick-and-mortar campus?

For our purposes, here, let's define "campus" as a place with physical classrooms where classes are actually being taught, a library, and other such things typically found on a regular brick-and-mortar postsecondary institution of higher learning.

Question 2 (and probably its answer, too) could have a slightly different spin put on it by simply appending to its end something of a condition of sorts, to wit:

2) May a college, university, seminary or divinity school offer regionally-accredited distance-learning degrees if the degree grantor has no physical brick-and-mortar campus at which non-distance-learning students may obtain essentially that same degree by means of traditional classroom attendance?

It's just my opinion, but it would seem to me that all of these subtleties would need to be adequately addressed here in order for the thread-starter to really get his money's worth.

 

Thank you to all for anwering my question and for the examples. I was simply curious. Jones INT. University is definitely a prime example of a Regionally Accredited Virtual University. Again, thank you for the input to my question.

 

If so, what's the distinctive scope of DETC, if any?

 

DETC's roots are not in accrediting degree-granting institutions; they're in accrediting vocational schools offering correspondence.

More than half a century ago, there was an outcry over the quality and legitimacy of instruction offered by correspondence. There were few rules and regulations, governments didn't get involved, and many fly-by-night outfits were ripping off consumers. The National Home Study Council (DETC's old name) was formed to protect these consumers. From that origin sprang standards schools had to meet to receive the NHSC accreditation.

Over the years, some vocational schools began offering career-related associate's degrees. Again, the NHSC stepped in to accredit them (or approved NHSC-accredited schools to offer the degrees). But sometime in the 1970's, a couple of schools were Okayed to offer the bachelor's degree. (Grantham College of Engineering and LaSalle Extension--no connection with the real or the fake LaSalles.) LaSalle Extension also offered a law course (not a degree) that qualified its graduates to sit for the California State Bar Exam. It went out of business soon afterwards (its owner, Macmillan, was inundated with complaints and folded LaSalle). But Grantham survives to this day. And from that humble beginning, the newly-named DETC began accrediting schools offering academic degrees by distance learning.

Starting small, the DETC filled a niche by accrediting schools that could not be accredited by the regional associations. Distance learning schools had a difficult time with the regionals throughout the '70's, '80's, '90's, and even today. Whether it was the quality of the schools and their degrees or the fact they awarded their degrees via distance learning (probably a little of both), DETC seemed to be the only route for many of them. But, despite the fact that both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation both recognize DETC and approve it to accredit schools offering degrees, there has been reluctance by regionally accredited schools to accept and recognized degrees and credits earned at DETC-accredited schools. Plus, no school has yet to make the leap from DETC accreditation to regional accreditation (although one is now a candidate for regional accreditation and a couple of others pursued DETC and RA simultaneously).

The few schools that pursued both at the same time got DETC accreditation much sooner. This might imply that DETC accreditation is easier to get. It could also imply that the regionals are still not "with it" regarding distance learning. But several schools that fit DETC's paradigm bypassed DETC completely, opting to pursue regional accreditation. (Jones International, for example.) And no regionally accredited schools have applied for DETC accreditation (although a couple of foreign schools have done so). Couple that with a lower level of acceptance of DETC accreditation in the workplace and you have the makings of a two-tier system.

So, who's to blame? The RA's for keeping DETC down? DETC for not having schools and standards of sufficient quality? Both?

Personally, I feel it is both, but mostly that DETC doesn't accredit to the same standard. The fact that DETC-accredited schools don't migrate to RA--despite the obvious advantages of that form of recognition--that DETC accreditation takes less time to get, and that schools pursuing both simultaneously get DETC accreditation much more quickly are indicators (but not proof, IMHO) of this.

Will it change? Maybe. Hope so. Indicators (like APUS and DETC's possible foray into accrediting schools offering doctorates) are positive. But it is difficult to tell how promising they are.

There was a time when DETC was the accreditor of last resort for DL schools. To be equally recognized along with the regionals, they need to move from that role to another: the acknowledged DL experts. Traditional schools often have a terrible time implementing DL programs. If DETC could be the consultants, coaches, and accreditors of such programs, they might find themselves accrediting DL programs within RA schools. THAT would be something to behold!

Rich Douglas, Ph.D.

 

Rich, thank you for your post. But theoretically speaking, doesn't DETC slowly become irrelevant as RAs gain experience in DL? I know, I know, it may still exist and even grow beyond the point of actually having logical reason to exist (much like the existance of ostheopatic medical association and colleges, wich have no meaningful difference from "regular" counterparts). People and organizations just do not give up power to regulate anything.

 

It could go that way. I think it has, to some extent, because of the rise of RA DL schools. But for DETC to turn that around, they'll have to devleop and deliver their expertise--and exploit the "DL gap" (the difference between what an RA school can do and needs to do)--to have a future. Otherwise, the RA's might just co-op the whole thing--if they can ever get their acts together regarding DL.

 

I hope that Mary A pops in and voices her opinion on this.

 

DETC accredits more quickly because it does not have a state called candidacy. In theory, it accepts or rejects the applicant. The regional accreditors throw them into years of limbo.

It is one person's opinion that DETC is less stringent but my reading says it is more stringent. Degree requirements including number courses required for degrees, transfer credits and experience credits are tougher. DETC requires some level of exam proctoring.

Personal experience says there is little difference.

People in CHEA and the USDOE, who have no particular axe to grind, say they are equal.

 

Yes, Walden University is regionally accredited and does not have a brick and mortar campus. But it does have a certain amount of residency requiremnets which are offered around the US.

I am a student there and so far have really been pleases

 

Walden University has no brick and mortar campus and is regionally accredited. It does have a residency requirement offered around the US.

I am a student there and have been pleased so far.

 

I'm a big fan of DETC, and always have been. I'd love to see it operate and be accepted on the same level as RA. But over-inflated comments like these invite criticism. They cannot possibly do the DETC any good.

I look forward to your answers.