Here is a question for the group: The CSS-MSA is the "wing" of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits high schools and non-degree granting post secondary schools (vocational and career programs). CHEA only lists MSA-CHE on their website, which is the wing of the MSA that accredits degree granting post secondary schools. Do you think credits earned at a CSS-MSA post secondary school would be considered RA in terms of credit acceptance at Excelsior and TESC? I would think they would be since they are RA and the school would be post secondary. Your thoughts? Pug
I am not an expert but I have an opinion based on logic. Postsecondary schools that are not degree grating can be either vocational or academic in nature. A school being accredited does not mean that the school’s courses are on a college level. It simply means that it is properly teaching its curriculum. There can be cooking schools which are accredited. This does not mean that cooking is a college level subject. That being said, non-degree granting schools which teach subjects that are academic in nature such as paralegal studies or computer science can enter into articulation agreements with RA accredited colleges, where their courses are reviewed to determine if they are in fact college level. I would think the above is the logic for University of Phoenix accepting transfer credit only if they are earned in the pursuit of a college degree; i.e. from degree granting institutions only. So, my opinion is that credits from an institution accredited by MSA-CSS would only be recognized by TESC and Excelsior under a specific articulation agreement. NOT CARTE BLANCHE.
Re: Re: MSA Accreditation Question You may be correct. I have approached TESC with the question but have not yet received an answer. The reason I am asking is because my wife is enrolled in the Paralegal Certification program at WOLI, which is due to be accredited later this month. WOLI has an articulation agreement in place with UoP, but she has no desire to go to UoP. I am hopeful that TESC and Excelsior will be open to the transfer of credits earned at WOLI since they are both also accredited by the MSA. We'll see. I imagine that TESC would accept them, if necessary, through portfolio assessment, but that's a very expensive option. It seems strange that TESC would accept FEMA credit but not CSS-MSA, but that's certainly their call to make. Schools like WOLI (Professional, non-degree granting post- secondary insitutions) are really in a tough spot if they fall within the geographic area of the MSA, because according to the MSA, the MSA-CHE only accredits degree granting institutions. It's the CSS-MSA's job to accredit non-degree granting schools. The CSS-MSA is recognized by the USDE but is not recognized by CHEA, nor will it ever be recognized by CHEA, because CHEA only recognizes accrediting commissions where more than half of the institutions that are accredited by the commission are degree granting! So in other words, in order for institutions like WOLI to be accredited by a regional commission that is also recognized by CHEA, either: 1) The MSA-CHE would have to expand it's scope, as other regional agencies have done, to accredit non-degree granting postsecondary schools. or 2) WOLI would have to change its scope to offer degrees rather than professional certifications to be eligible for MSA-CHE accreditation. or 3) WOLI would have to spend the additional cash to have its courses also evaluated by ACE. But if they went this route, why bother with the CSS-MSA at all?!!!?? Frustrating! Pug
Pug, In response to your points: 1) The MSA-CHE would have to expand it's scope, as other regional agencies have done, to accredit non-degree granting postsecondary schools. Even if they do, it wouldn’t matter. Non-degree granting schools are not automatically “college level.” Each one needs to be separately evaluated. or 2) WOLI would have to change its scope to offer degrees rather than professional certifications to be eligible for MSA-CHE accreditation. NY state has a moratorium on issuing approval for new for for-profit degree-granting schools. or 3) WOLI would have to spend the additional cash to have its courses also evaluated by ACE. But if they went this route, why bother with the CSS-MSA at all?!!!?? CSS-MSA accredits the institution not just the courses. Accreditation also entitles a school to participate in financial aid programs such as Title IV now that the 50% rule has been repealed. ACE merely recommends that individual courses be accepted for credit.
