Is there redemption for ACI ???

We are all aware of ACI's questionable past as International Accrediting Commission (IAC). The Peelsbury Doughboy and Little Book of Fishes saga highlights the fraudulent intent of this notoriously dubious accreditor.

Is it possible that in the past few years ACI (Beebe, Arkansas) could have some redemptive value? Is ACI's criteria for accreditation on par with IAC, or is it more stringent? Could ACI possibly be making progress in offering substantive accreditation, or is the current scenario equivalent to the Peelsbury saga?

Just curious!!!!!

 

Is there hope..........I suppose......... but when some consider schools associated with the agency to be sham schools then it is hard to see it. I am concerned with the fact they promise not to tell the public who is accredited by ACI. They leave that to individual schools and sell themselves as a way for schools to say that they are accredited.

There seems a world of difference between that and the unfortunate ill fated NAPSC in terms of credibility.

My own feeling is that the GTF did themselves harm by becoming *ACI* accredited. If not being accredited is truly a principle then stick to it as BJU has done (or seek recognized accreditation).

North

 

I don't understand the GTF thing either.

 

When I was reading their Newsletter and came upon the gem announcing their accreditation I almost fell of my chair laughing and then felt ill. The reason for my mixed emotion was that I did not consider them to be a mill. I was not impressed by the mention of Oxford every 5th sentence in their catalogue but they looked legit. Steve Levicoff viewed them as a *mill* in the way he uses one of his definitons (substandard degree requirements). I was not in agreeement but the ACI issue left me shaking my head in disbelief.

North

 

I suppose if they had a true change of heart, fell on their knees and pled for forgiveness of their many sins, sincerely proclaimed their faith in the saving power of legitimate educational standards, were transformed by the spirit of academic integrity, commenced a new life of righteousness and were born again into the body of DoEd/CHEA, they might conceivably be saved. There's hope for all sinners.

But I'm not holding my breath.

ACI is going to be spending eternity in the Lake of Fire.

 

Amen brother!

 

Evangelist

Bill Dayson has all the characteristics of a distance learning evangelist. I am very proud of you Bill, as I knew you had it in you.

 

As long as ACI continues to accredit dreadful places like Western States University (whose founder had three totally fake British degrees) and Wisconsin International University (run from the founder's home in Milwaukee), I will find it hard to take them seriously.

 

John,

It would be interesting to see a list of the schools ACI accredits. Do you know where this information could be found?

 

Not from ACI, that's for sure. ACI does not provide a list of their member/accredited schools. Googling "Accrediting Commission International" turns up quite a few schools claiming ACI accreditation.

 

Searching Google as Kristin suggests produces pages and pages of them.

On one site (Western States U.), I saw a remark that Western States credits are transferrable to "more than a hundred" other ACI schools. So that's probably a rough figure for the total number of schools that they "accredit".

I started to copy them down, but tired of it. Here's the first 40, in the order Google produced them. It's a large enough sample to give a good sense of what their schools are like.

My comment on the list is that ACI seems to specialize in giving fig leaves to schools that exist under state religious exemptions. Probably 90% of ACI's schools are seminaries and Bible colleges.

1. Wisconsin International U.
2. Freedom Bible Coll. and Sem.
3. International Theol. Sem.
4. St. Luke Evangelical Sch. of Bible Studies
5. Friends International Christian U.
6. World Harvest Bible Training Center
7. Minnesota Graduate Sch. of Theology
8. Siloam Bible Coll.
9. Carolina Bible Coll.
10. Long Beach Bible Inst.
11. Cornerstone U.
12. Heart of Am. Chr. Coll. and Theol. Sem.
13. Quartz Hill Sch. of Theology
14. St. Elias Sch. of Orthodox Theology
15. Jubilee Christian Coll.
16. Faith Heritage Christian School
17. Trinity Valley Baptist Sem. and Coll.
18. Intl. Apostolic U. of Grace and Truth
19. Life Christian U.
20. Atlantic International U.
21. Andersonville Theological Sem.
22. International Seminary
23. Sancta Sophia Seminary
24. South London Bible College
25. Triumph Bible Coll.
26. Western States U.
27. The International U.
28. Emerson Theological Institute
29. Kings Way Missionary Inst.
30. Colorado Theol. Sem.
31. Koinonia Bible Coll.
32. Milwaukee Inst. of Biblical Studies
33. Southwest Bible Coll. and Sem.
34. Anchor Theol. Sem. and Bible Inst.
35. Internet Bible Coll.
36. Christian Practice Ctr. Sch. of Ministry
37. World Revival Sch. of Ministry
38. Agape Christian Counseling Center
39. Christian Bible Coll. and Sem.
40. More Than Conquerors Sch. of Theol.

 

Wow. There has to be a Degree Mill Name Generator script in this somewhere.

distant d., M.Div.,
Not By Works College and Theological Seminary

 

A clergyman whose Bible school had once been accredited by ACI, but who resigned as he learned more and more, once showed me their confidential list of accredited schools. This was probably 7 or 8 years ago, and there were about 160 schools, all but a dozen religious.

The full name of ACI was (perhaps still is) Accrediting Commission International for Schools, Colleges and Theological Seminaries -- and at one time (perhaps still) they required their accreditees to use the full name when reporting on their accreditation. Clearly they did not enforce this, since Century University has never used the full name, as far as I know.

It was the same clergyman who provided me with an original of the letter that ACI sent out to schools accredited by their disgraced predecessor, IAC, offering immediate no-further evaluation if they switched over.

I also have the "cease and desist" letter from Bishop Scheele of ACI denying that schools were ever offered that opportunity, and demanding that I stop saying so. When I told Doctor Scheele that I had this letter, he ceased and desisted his cease and desist demand.

 

Perhaps ACI should cease and desist operations!

 

ACI is a hoax! The thing that really bothers me about them is the fact that some people actually spend money on a ACI accredited degree! My wife has a relative who went for an ACI institution hook, line, and sinker. This person would argue up and down that they were an accredited institution, a branch of Freedom Bible College, and became upset when I told him it was a waste of money. I do not know if they could ever live down their reputation.

 

Show me the funny....Please.

First of all, I agree completely that schools should be held accountable for what they issue as 'degrees' and that there should be at best minimum standards for degrees at every level. My BA is from and accredited school and I have spent the past 20 years teaching/coaching in public schools.
However, about 4 years ago, I announced my call to ministry. I did not feel God calling me out of my current profession, so, I knew it was my lot to be a bivocational minister. Knowing that I was fast approaching my 40s with what I considered a very basic at best Bible education, I searched long and hard for a seminary that would meet my needs in that I would not have to leave my home, family, or ministry responsibilities and could actually afford the programs offered. I attended some very challenging classes at a local home-spun school and it encouraged me to seek even more.
My pastor recommended Andersonville Baptist Seminary, which is now Andersonville Theological Seminary. I read all of their information, including the part about ACI accreditation, (the school is up front that it is not regionally recognized) After many hours of reading, listening to lectures, internet research, paper writing, and other things academic, I completed both their ThM and ThD programs.
Through the program work however, I kept running across not so nice things being said about the school's accreditor. Much has been said about a relationship between ACI and the goofs at IAC who accredited a school with the staff of the Howard brothers and used the Little Book of Fishes.
My question is, after all my rambling, what specific ties, other than the letters in the name, and the letter which offered ACI accreditation to IAC schools is available showing a solid tie between the two organizations? Is there a solid link as in the same operators, etc.? Is there any archived file of an investigation into ACI? Are there any current investigations into ACI that I am not aware of?
Please note, I am not attacking any of you for your work here, I am only trying to reconcile my situation in my own mind as to where I stand with my degrees (quite possibly out in the rain). I can assure you that all of the men I personally know who earned degrees from Andersonville did so with the hopes of building a better base of knowledge to serve the Lord and many of them are featured on an alumni web page that you can view at http://members.truepath.com/absalumni
As far as ACI not having government approval, I could bring myself to live with that since I have taught in public schools for almost half of my life, and have seen too many programs that were supposed to be great come and go only to leave our classrooms in ruin and waste tons of our tax dollars.
Sorry for rambling on so, I would just like to see some of the hard evidence for myself.
By the way, I do know that ACI accredits some 'schools' that are real lulus and I don't know why a seminary would use such an agency, but, I don't want to assign guilt by association.

N Him
Rev. Rex Hickey
Jacksboro, TN

 

According to Bear: "After the IAC was fined and closed down by authorities in Missouri in 1989, Dr. Reuter retired. A short time later, ACI opened in the adjoining state, and wrote a letter to the IAC schools offering them automatic accreditation by the ACI."

Sounds pretty firm to me, unless you question the source.

Whether there was a direct connection, or if it was a case of someone picking up where the IAC left off, ACI is still in this dirty little business. Claims of unrecognized accreditation--especially when obtained without any semblance of a process--can only serve to deceive those who do not understand the nature of accreditation in the U.S. What other value could this "accreditation" bring? Certainly not an assurance of quality, or the development of continuous improvement processes in member schools. It is a sham, and it shames any school involved.

 

Re: Show me the funny....Please.

You ask some interesting questions but IMHO the bottom line is that ACI is as bogus as ICA as are most of these "accreditation" agencies that don't really accredit anything. The only purpose for claiming accreditation from these places is to misinform and mislead the students into believeing that somehow the school has been accredited when in fact no quality ensuring process has taken place. Note that I'm not saying that the school is necessarily bad or good from the educational perspective when they claim this bogus accreditation. That is the problem, accreditation should ensure a certain level of educational quality. These bogus accreditation agencies do not do that therefore it is dishonest to claim accreditation from them.

 

Re: Show me the funny....Please.

Well, the Florida Times-Union seemed to think there was good enough evidence of a link to mention it in a 1999 article:

Also, I find it highly suspect that ACI will not name its accredited members. Go to any of the regional associations or national/professional associations and you'll find a directory that you can search or browse. But not ACI.

But do you want to associate with a school that accepts accreditation from an association that has accredited "real lulus"? At best, it's naive and didn't thoroughly investigate the worth of the accreditor. At worst it's using the semblance of accreditation to fool prospective students.

 

Re: Show me the funny....Please.

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Dear Rev Rex

I would like to congratulate you on your calling. But I would like to point out to you the difference between the requisites for your degrees and what US Seminaries which are REALLY accredited require:

The ThD according to the Anderson page consists of a 30 sem hr masters plus a 30 sem hr doc. Total, 60! Hold on to your seat now,

The basic, standard MDiv degree at an ATS school , like Western, is 96 sem hours. Now, I know our respective training is not in arithmatic, but can you see that the standard pastoral degree is THREE times as long as the Anderson masters AND is even more than 1 1/2 times longer even than the Anderson ThD ?

Further, the ATS accredited ThM, which degree at Anderson you say you have finished , has as prerequisite the the MDiv and comprises about 30 additional units, work in two languages, thesis, and comprehensive exams. So, the ATS accredited ThM represents FOUR times the semester units of the Anderson Masters! Now, did God call you to this easier route? And, we have not even mentioned the difference in the quality of work expected in accredited schools which I assure you exists in general!

Now finally, I am starting my two year MINIMUM research ThD degree in Systematics for which a (really) accredited ThM is the prerequisite. BEFORE even beginning it, I already have completed more than 21/2the number of units required for your finished unaccredited ThD. Did Jesus call you to such misrepresentation?

I am glad that He, Whom you say you are evangel for, did not Himself take the EASY route in His ministry else there would be no purpose for yours!.Perhaps God called you to His service, but, IMO, He did not call you to Anderson!