RA college credit for DETC courses

In following up on a different thread (by John Bear), I wandered once again to the DETC website. One piece of information that they provide is a list of courses which have been submitted to the American Council on Education for consideration as to whether the courses warrant college credit. "Some" RA colleges will accept units from wherever if they have the ACE recommendation. Note that this is courses and not degrees.

The schools listed were interesting:

• American Academy of Nutrition
• American Health Science University
• American Military University
• Art Instruction Schools
• California College for Health Sciences
• The Catholic Distance University
• College for Financial Planning
• College for Professional Studies
• Global University
• Harcourt Learning Direct
• ICI University
• Institute of Logistical Management
• John Tracy Clinic
• Mortgage Bankers Association of America
• National Association Medical Staff Services
• Rhodec International
• Seminary Extension Independent Study Institute


In addition to some schools that tend to get nice things said about them (American Military University, Catholic Distance University), there are also schools that receive more than their share of abuse in these parts (Harcourt Learning Direct, CCHS). Also, a number of schools of which I know little.

I wonder why more DETC schools don't submit courses to be evaluated by ACE.


Tom Nixon

 

Hello, Has anyone successfully used DETC courses with ACE credit at Thomas Edison? According to the catalog it is not a possibility. Hille

 

Inspired by Rich Douglas' guest column, I recently ask several colleges your question along with a few others. Here are my questions along with the responses from Thomas Edison State College (note questions 4 and 5):

1. Would your college or university consider accepting an American Military University Master of Arts degree as a qualification for admission to a doctorate program?
No, Thomas Edison State College requires students to be graduates of regionally accredited colleges. Since American Military University is not regionally accredited we would not recognize the student of having a required bachelors degree, which is required to enter our master degree programs.

2. Would your college or university consider accepting an American Military University Bachelor of Arts degree as a qualification for admission to a masters degree program?
No, see the answer to question #1.

3. Would your college or university consider accepting graduate level transfer credit from American Military University?
No, they are not a regionally accredited university.

4. Would your college or university consider accepting graduate and undergraduate level transfer credit, which has been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE), from American Military University?
Thomas Edison State College would accept the credit recommendations from the American Council on Education. However, we would not consider these transfer credits directly from American Military University.

5. Would your college or university consider accepting transfer
credit and degrees from other degree granting institutions which are accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)?
Thomas Edison State College only accepts credits in direct transfer from regionally accredited colleges. If DETC institutions have their course evaluated by ACE we would accept the ACE credit recommendation.

FYI. Although I gave my questions an AMU focus, my findings (thus fare) are consistent with Mr. Douglas'. Many RA schools do not recognize DETC accreditation.

I believe that AMU compares very well with many RA schools. However, achieving regional accreditation should be AMU's primary strategic goal.

 

I'm a "reader" and not a "poster" on this forum, but I feel that I must comment on TESC's (and other regionally accredited schools) blanket rejection of credits from DETC or other nationally accredited schools. The CHEA (of which the regionals and nationals are members) released a policy statement that encourages member organizations to consider the quality of the individual accredited institution and not the source of the accreditation as the deciding factor in accepting transfer credits. Transfer and the Public Interest (A Statement to the Community) (pdf) can be found at:

http://www.chea.org/pdf/2000_transfer.pdf

Colleges like Capella that consider accepting DETC credits appear to follow this policy. If I was caught in a situation where a regionally accredited school rejected my credits based solely on national and not regional accreditation, I would make them aware of the CHEA statement and ask them to evaluate the school and program. If they refused, I'd notify the appropriate regional accreditation association, and possibly the CHEA itself.

Just a thought....back to the shadows!

Kevin

 

Kevin,

I disagree. I support any college/university's decision to accept or reject transfer credit for any reason. Like it or not, DETC is not all that well accepted in academia.

When I enrolled in my DETC accredited school, AMU, I was well aware of the limitations of DETC accreditation. I took a leap of faith, and I'm glad that I did! Each of my AMU professors and classes have equaled or exceeded the quality of the five RA colleges I've attended and I have been accepted for a regionally accredited distance MBA program.

It is my firm belief that AMU compares well with many RA schools, however I have neither the time nor the interest in battling administrators who choose not to recognize my AMU degree and credits.

Achieving regional accreditation will, without a doubt, enhance academic acceptance of AMU or any of the other degree granting, DETC colleges.

 

Charles,

I agree with you that regional accreditation is the “gold standard” for institutions to obtain. I was just pointing out the hypocrisy associated with CHEA encouraging member institutions to evaluate the quality of the program and not the source of (legitimate) accreditation and the reality of the practices of many regionally accredited schools. I also wanted to make forum readers aware of the CHEA statement.

Congratulations on your graduation from AMU and good luck with the MBA.

Kevin

 

And both CHEA and the appropriate regional accreditation association probably wouldn't be particularly interested. Why? Because CHEA has not made it a mandate, but rather a suggestion. In addition, making the schools aware of the statement would do little good. Why? Because it is meaningless within their context (from their perspective). Probably many schools are aware of the statement. Remember, though, that they are in no way required to follow it.



Tom Nixon

 

I'd like to reopen this thread. As the above question applied to TESC, I'd like to know the same for Excelsior.

Has anyone had a DETC/AEC approved course accepted for credit?

I was wondering if a College Algebra course that meets the above requirements, would be accepted towards an Excelsior BS/Ba degree?

 

I'm going to address two points in this post..

1. I suspect (but haven't verified) that Excelsior has much the same policy as TESC with regard to ACE and DETC.

2. I think it's worth reiterating Tom Nixon's point regarding CHEA's suggestions to the schools accredited by the 6 regionals. When I was a student at Oberlin, they were extremely picky about what transfer credits they would accept. They examined specific course content at other RA schools, and simply rejected transfer of credit from some regionally accredited programs outright. There is unfortunately nothing that requires any RA school to accept credits from another school, RA or otherwise.

3. My suspicion is that the TESC policy is a matter of simplicity. By making a blanket statement that they don't accept DETC credits, they don't have to worry about whether or not a given DETC program is of decent quality or not. Of course, this does nothing to prevent the transfer of credit from crappy and non-rigorous RA schools (and such do exist from time to time) but it's a baseline that probably makes it easy for them.

At the same time, I would bet that someone adept at "working the system" could probably make a case to get exceptions to the policy at TESC, and, of course, one could always do a portfolio challenge on each course taken at a DETC institution, comparing it to the same course offered at an RA school, and if the material is covered in the same depth with the same rigor as even the *least* rigorous RA program one can find, then they should award the credits.