CHEA updates its website on degree/ diploma mill information

This was just forwarded on to me:

http://www.chea.org/degreemills/

Five major sections of the Website provide links to information about:

* Institutions and programs accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations.
* How accreditation operates and how to look for organizations that may be accreditation mills.
* How degree mills operate and other pertinent information.
* State-by-state information on institutions and programs authorized to operate in the respective states.
* International directories of higher education institutions

Some good updates, including a master page of all US states with related legislation. I hope it remains a work in progress and is continually refined

Cheers,

George

 

Absolutely wonderful, George! Thanks for sharing.


Summary for Newbies:
This is a pure gold!

The above CHEA website link has five major sections with critical information and references, as follows:

Credit: chea.org

1. "The first section provides links to information about institutions and programs that are accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting organizations - here and here.

2. "The second section includes links to material on how accreditation operates here and here and how to look for organizations that may be accreditation mills - as follows:

"How can I determine if an accrediting organization may be a mill?"

"If the answers to many of the following questions are “yes,” the accrediting organization under consideration may be a “mill”:

- Does the operation allow accredited status to be purchased?
- Does the operation publish lists of institutions or programs they claim to have accredited without those institutions and programs knowing that they are listed or have been accredited?
- Does the operation claim that it is recognized (by, e.g., USDE or CHEA) when it is not?
- Are few if any standards for quality published by the operation?
- Is a very short period of time required to achieve accredited status?
- Are accreditation reviews routinely confined to submitting documents and do not include site visits or interviews of key personnel by the accrediting organization?
- Is “permanent” accreditation granted without any requirement for subsequent periodic review, either by an external body or by the organization itself?
- Does the operation use organizational names similar to recognized accrediting organizations?
- Does the operation make claims in its publications for which there is no evidence? "


3. "The third section focuses on degree mills: links to potentially pertinent information here and here and here and here and information on how degree mills may be identified here.

4. "The fourth section provides links to state-by-state information on institutions and programs authorized to operate in the respective states here. Some of these states also provide information about entities they believe to be degree mills.

5. "The fifth section contains links to international directories of higher education institutions here and here.

USDE has more!

Whew!

And you thought "accreditation" was an easy subject to digest in one sitting, huh?

'Tis worth every second of your time, though.

Peace.