Does DL Preclude Accreditation by Professional Associations?

There was a discussion in another thread about business schools accreditation. After reading several of the posts, I began to look at the regionally accredited, exclusively DL schools often mentioned in this forum. Specifically, I looked at Walden, Touro and Capella. None of them appear to have program accreditation by the professional associations. NASPAA, the organization that accredits schools of public administration and policy, does not accredit Walden's Ph.D. in Policy and Administration. The same is true for all their programs.

Does anyone know why this is the case? Is it that DL institutions aren't very likely to secure program accreditation? Or is it that the institutions don't care to incur the additional expense of program accreditation?

Any thoughts?

 

Great question - why aren't DL programs accredited by professional groups?

In the case of law - the ABA won't permit it. I suspect APA in the psychology arena requires on-ground time, too.

Otherwise, there seem to be two factors at work. First, some of the accreditors have been slow to accept DL. This is being ovecome in time. Both Indiana and Duke, for example, have DL graduate programs and both are AACSB accredited and nationally recognized/rated.

But the other big factor is one that I've harped on, perhaps too much. Tuition driven schools (for-profits and non-profits) are after enrollment growth - largely to the expense of quality.

AACSB will accredit DL MBA programs (witness Indiana and Duke), but how many on-line MBA programs will meet AACSB requirements? Will DL programs require GMAT scores and acquire an active, full-time, PhD qualified research faculty, library support, etc? In the interest of tuition dollars, no way! Further, most of the tuition driven schools have no plans to turn down any but the worst of applicants - why drive away money?

ACBSP is a much more reasonable goal for a DL program - but many DL programs stay away from ACBSP because they demand things - like curriculum content, 70% PhD faculty and the like.

So where does this leave DL? It works great for many mid career people - but it lacks the respect of the academic world.

If you believe AACSB and ACBSP know something about business education (and I do), think twice of pursuing an MBA from a non-AACSB or ACBSP school. There probably is a reason the school isn't accredited by one of these two accreditors.

Regards - Andy

 

Re: Re: Does DL Preclude Accreditation by Professional Associations?

I understand about the American Bar Association and the American Psychological Association. I would imagine that there are other professional associations that take the same approach. I was wondering though if Indiana and Duke secured AACSB accreditation for their on campus programs, then had that extend to their DL program. That's significantly different from a DL only school trying to get accreditation.

If I understand you correctly, Andy, it seems like the problem is twofold. Some professional associations are slow to accept DL programs and some DL schools are tuition driven and are not likely to meet the rigorous requirements for accreditation. On the latter point, though, what about the nonprofit DL institutions like Touro?

 

Andy,
I notice you didn't mention International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). What about schools that are rated by them?

 

Depends what we mean by DL!

I guess it depends on how we define distance learning. Here in the Uk the first business school to be accredited by the American AACSB was Warwick University Business School (WBS) in 1999. WBS offers four modes of study leading to the MBA and one is by distance learning. Much of the programme is completed via the internet and students receiving preinted materials. There are various locations throughout the world with optionsl short residency sessions. Mature candidates can be considered for admission without a bachelor's degree but they then may be required to take the GMAT (not compulsory if you hold a degree) and/or a TEFL test if your main languafe is not English. They admit 400 student each year with two intakes. Then, in the small print, it makes it clear there are no exemptions from any study modules, the programme takes three and a half years to complete and each year there is a compulsory period of 8 days in residence in September! So, the programme is not entorely DL and perhaps this was put in (I don't know) to satisfy the various accrediting bodies in the US and the Quality Assurance Agency in the UK. Interestingly, enough the AACSB accreditation ran in conjunction with the Associate of Business Schools (UK) accreditation inspection - first time this has ever happened.

So what is DL? Answer: various things, depending on what you want by way of external recognition I guess.

'telfax'

 

Re: Depends what we mean by DL!

My original question was about schools that are not bricks and mortar institutions. They may or may not require brief residencies. However, their exclusive mode of delivery (except for the brief residencies) is via correspondence, online etc.

In this context then, I am not referring to residential institutions that offer distance learning programs. That is why I listed Walden and Capella as two examples.

 

So, what is a university?

So, does a totally non-residential institution that does not engage in research and questioning but is simply vessle for the delivery of 'received dogma' as it is understood and perceived at the present (in any given subject/discipline) deserving of the title 'university'? I think not.

'telfax'

 

At this point I have some real reservations about these folks. To get into the business they granted some schools accredited status (esp. ACBSP schools) with no visit. When I finally sat through an IACBE visit I wasn't impressed.

At this point I'd put IACBE ahead of no business school accreditation, but definitely below AACSB and ACBSP.

Regards - Andy

 

Re: So, what is a university?

Amen!

 

Re: Re: Re: Does DL Preclude Accreditation by Professional Associations?

Your point on Indiana and Duke is well taken. I haven't seen a strictly DL institution try to go for AACSB. It would be interesting to see what would happen if one did.

As for nonprofits like Touro (or NSU, my alma mater), I wonder if they are so tuition (and growth) driven that they won't focus their energy on quality improvement (to meet AACSB). I know the dean at NSU and, reportedly, some of the Touro folks have talked about AACSB - but then there is no telling what sort of brick walls they've run into trying.

Regards - Andy

 

Re: Depends what we mean by DL!

Both the Manchester Business School of the Manchester University and Henley Management College have recently been accredited by the AACSB ( http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/newaccred.asp ). I don't know whether their DL MBA programmes are also AACSB accredited or not.

 

I don't know much about accreditation of business education but it seems that ACBSP accredits community colleges, small technical colleges, and small Christian colleges. Colleges that do not have MBA program dominate ACBSP list of accredited institutions. In contrast, IACBE has many well-known and respected colleges as accredited members.