DETC and ACICS

Hello all

I represent a UK based institution offering bachelors and masters degrees.

We are currently considering offering programmes in the US and I have been conducting research into the national accreditation agencies.

I am conscious that these national agencies are considered slightly second rate in relation to the regional agencies, but this is fine. I feel they would provide the appropriate form of accreditation for our work based management development programmes so this is not the issue I am considering.

I have searched the archives here but havn't seen any direct comparisions between the DETC and ACICS.

I would welcome any comments and/or opinons relating to these agencies. i.e., their professionalism, how easy they are to work with, how they are perceived generally and if one is considered any "better" than the other.

Regards

Pater James

 

which school?

What is the name of the school you represent?

G

 

In my survey of employers, respondents rated ACICS higher than DETC when no descriptions of either were given. After descriptions were provided, After descriptions were provided (indicating in both cases that the agencies were recognized accreditors), the respondents' rating of DETC went up and ACICS went down. The difference between DETC and ACICS at that point was statistically insignificant.

I suspect the original difference came from the word "distance" in DETC's title, playing on old prejudices against distance learning. When it was revealed that DETC was a recognized accreditor, however, respondents warmed up to it a bit more.

ACICS was just the opposite. My description of it was:

"ACICS is an approved national accrediting agency, specializing in accrediting technical and trade schools. However, ACICS also accredits degree-granting schools. As with the DETC, however, admissions officials have indicated less willingness to accept credits and degrees from schools with national accreditation, even though they are recognized accrediting agencies."

John Bear's survey of admissions officials did not distinguish between these national accreditors.

To my knowledge, these two studies (John's and mine) are the only ones dealing with the acceptability of various forms of institutional recognition. Mine, as part of my doctoral dissertation, contained some research into why the numbers came out the way they did. Additionally, John and I both have speculated on these, as well as the numbers from his survey. There seems to be plenty of room for more research into why this phenomenon exists, both in academic and employment circles.

 

Slightly sensitive commercially at the moment.

Many thanks for the information.

 

on the DfES list?

Does your school appear in the DfES list of recognized bodies? If not, it's not "...recognised by the UK authorities as having the power to award... degrees."

My guess is that your "UK based institution" is not on the list and, consequenly, cannot legally award UK university degrees.

G

 

Re: on the DfES list?

Correct...we currently offer degree programms validated by a UK University and a number of vocational training providers.

 

on the other DfES list?

In that case your school should appear in the DfES table of "Listed bodies": the set of "Colleges and other institutions offering courses leading to a degree of a recognised body."

Does it?

Your school is not legally entitled to award degrees in the UK, but it appears that it does anyway.

What is the name of the school, and how can we find its web site?

G

 

Rich Douglas, thank you for your help.

Galanga, I have reported you to the moderator.

Is this forum always so aggressive?

 

You're welcome. It doesn't appear that Galanga is in violation of the TOS. Why not either answer his questions or decline?

Yes, you can expect serious questions from serious people. I answered your question, you might want to consider reciprocating and contributing something to the thread.

 

Galanga was pointing out important information. The questions appeared rather harmless, if the school is legitimate? What can be concluded about your apparent concern with some simple questions?

Hugs and kisses,

 

Right you are.

We are on the list of “Colleges and other institutions offering courses leading to a degree of a recognised body."

As I stated our programmes are validated by a UK university, but we do not have degree awarding powers in our own right.

As I also stated previously, I would like to politely point out that for commercial reasons I do not wish to discuss the institution I represent.

And we are now off topic…

Does anyone have any comments in relation to the question I posed?

Further to this, can I ask for general opinions in relation to the value of UK based qualifications in the US. Beyond the well known Oxbridge and red brick institutions, what value do effectively unknown UK Universities have.

Regards

Peter

 

overly literal

Hi b3auf,

Ah, my apologies for being too abrupt in my phrasing. You had said I represent a UK based institution offering bachelors and masters degrees. I read that to mean that your institution awards degrees.

As I understand it, that second DfES list covers institutions that do not actually award degrees, but do offer courses that "recognized bodies" can include in their determination of when a student has satisfied the requirements for a degree. So much turns on the single word "offering!"

Back to the topic of the thread: Rich Douglas and John Bear are probably the US experts on the relative levels of acceptance of degrees accredited by the US national accreditors. My impression is that there is a lot of confusion about the details of accreditation in the minds of people making hiring decisions. (John and Ruch can elaborate-- they have numerical data.) Besides making it difficult to get a crisp answer to your question, this also makes any such answer (about relative acceptance of ACICS vs. DETC, for example) subject to drift over time.

Are you able to muster the resources to go through the US regional accreditation process?

Again, sorry to have used such a blunt tone in my questions to you.

G