ACI Quality Guidelines

I recently received two booklets from ACI titled Quality Guidelines & Your Questions Are Answered by ACI. The booklets had no copyright information, therefore, I have listed some excerpts:

--When an institution has the ACI seal of approval, we want the world to know that they have met certain educational qualifications and recommendations.

--ACI is not interested in "Diploma Mills" that offer degrees based on pay only and with no education to substantiate the degree.

--We have 239 schools in 7 countries, with 30,000 students.

--The Doctorate degree requires a recorded document of high quality scholarship...a minimum of 150 pages.

--No institution may offer in any one year more than two honorary doctorate degrees.

--Credit for life experience: Bachelor's degree-25%; Master's degree-25%; Doctoral level of study-No life experience credits should be given at all.

--ACI endorses and supports the practices and principles of the Better Business Bureau in Arkansas.

--We specialize in the seminary, Bible College, and small specialized school that does not fit into the programs of other accrediting commissions.

--Question: Is an on-site visit essential for every school? Answer: Yes. We cannot fully know what a school is doing if we do not actually "see" first hand what they are doing. Accreditation without a personal visit is all but worthless.

Also included in the information packet was a flyer (no copyright) which included a cartoon of two men, one sitting at a desk, the other standing in front of the desk with papers in hand. The man behind the desk says: Why should be start doing business with some "Johnny-Come-Lately?" Accrediting Commission International has been successful for 14 years!

 

Well.....I guess you have to give Dr. John F. Scheel credit for still being in business. Most other unknown accreditation agencies usually disappear after a year or two.

 

How much credit should be given, Roy?

18 semester hours credit?

36 semester hours credit?

Honorary Ph.D.?

 

ACI literature: "--We have 239 schools in 7 countries, with 30,000 students. "

That works out to an average of 125 students per school. And if we subtract the total of the probably very large Century university, that probably drops the average of the other 238 to under 100.

And that brings to mind, whatever happened to Neil Hynd, the once-regular articulate (if misguided) defender of Century?

 

Hello John and others,

Still looking in from time to time ......

Misguided ? I don't think so - any more than you were in your days of close involvement with Fairfax U (joint founder) and Greenwich U (president).

Which reminds me for ACI .... John Scheel once told me that he couldn't understand the attitude of many concerning ACI - at ACI they really did try to help schools to get better.

Columbia Southern were ACI registrants of old, and then moved from there towards DETC by dropping the PhD's (some of which were highly regarded - especially Environmental Management before others were doing it) and then achieved DETC accreditation.

I see that the Century U. web site no longer lists its PhD programs ..... which make me wonder if they are not also about to embark on the ColSouth route ......

Best regards from the Arabian Gulf,

Neil

 

Hope all is well with you, Neil.

 

Thanks for checking in Neil. I hope our nation doesn't start too many more wars this year in your neck of the woods.

You write: "John Scheel once told me that he couldn't understand the attitude of many concerning ACI...."

Hmmm. Apart from accrediting some really horrendous schools that make Century look like the Harvard of the Southwest, my main problem is what Dr. Scheel said after the closure of the predecessor organization, IAC, by the Missouri Attorney General following their accreditation of a non-existent school, in a clever sting operation.

When I (and others) wrote that ACI had subsequently offered instant and automatic accreditation to all IAC members, Scheel, in no uncertain terms, accused me of lying, and said he had done no such thing.

From a letter on ACI stationery, dated December 22, 1988, and sent to IAC members:

We will accept all members who have member status with the old organization (IAC) on a 'grandfather' basis, until January 20, 1989 only. After that date, all of the schools in the U.S. will have to start over and have an on-site evaluation before being accepted with full accreditation..."

The letter is signed by Dr. John Scheel, US President, ACI.

I'll be glad to send a copy of this letter, as a JPEG attachment, to anyone who would like one.

 

But isn't it possible that someone forged Dr. Scheel's name, hoping to cast negative overtones upon the newly formed accrediting agency?

 

Russell: "But isn't it possible that someone forged Dr. Scheel's name, hoping to cast negative overtones upon the newly formed accrediting agency?

John: The letter was sent to me by three separate IAC-accredited schools. Certainly Dr. Scheel must have known about it and if he didn't write it, he would have issued a disclaimer. Indeed I asked him about it on 4 or 5 occasions. Again, he could have easily denied writing it, but he did not reply at all.

 

I agree, John.

 

Imi--accredited by aci

Is it advisable for some one to obtain a degree from IMI (International Miracle Institute) ?

from their page it reads this

"
Accreditation

The International Miracle Institute is fully accredited through the Accrediting Commission International. This is a non-governmental accreditation agency designed to meet the needs of faith-based schools and seminaries. The Accrediting Commission International has a membership of over 307 schools, colleges, universities, and theological seminaries in 39 United States and 8 countries of the world. It is the world’s largest non-governmental accrediting body."


Please advice . Thanks.

 

A degree from an ACI accredited school is a joke, and ACI is even more than a joke.

 

Holy thread necromancy, Batman!