Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

Many of you may already be aware of this, but it's the first time I've noticed it. Western Governor's University secured DETC accreditation but decided to pursue regional accreditation. So far, there's nothing out of the ordinary. However, the University apparently is attempting accreditation from four of the regional accreditors. To this end, an "interregional accrediting committee" (IRAC) made up of sixteen representatives of four regional accreditors granted candicacy status to the university two years ago.

For those of you acquainted with this issue, could you please address this question? Since the regional accreditors have reciprocity in their acceptance of credits etc, why would it be necessary to seek accreditation from more than one? Take Touro International University as an example. Under Touro College's Middlestates accreditation, they are able to offer regionally accredited degrees out of California.

Thanks for your comments.

 

While a good organization, there is no way Western Governors University could meet the published standards of any of the regional accrediting bodies. However, with a dozen or so state governors supporting the project, the political pressure was great for WGU to be granted regional accreditation.

Hence the inter-regional accreditation was formed, a cooperative venture between WASC, NCA, and I believe Northwest. WGU can soon claim regional accreditation but WASC, NCA, and NW can truthfully say "We didn't accredit them."

 

The article I read indicates the following:

It goes on to say that NCA will have oversight since the university is based in Utah, a state which falls under NCA's jurisdiction. It's all very interesting to me.

Here's a link to the full article:Western Governors' Regional Accreditation Candidacy

 

While it may seem like a practical reality, there is not actual reciprocity of credit acceptance as a result of regional accreditation. The acceptance of credits is strictly a college-by-college decision. While being RA accredited may very well factor into a given college?s decision to accept another school?s credits, it is not a part of an accreditors recommendation or decision.

Paul C.

 

Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

Hi Paul

I believe Defii was talking about reciprocity among the Regional Accreditors themselves, not the actual Universities. There are several Colleges and Universities that serve as dl regional Universities such as Jones International, COSC, etc that have not needed a IRAC type accreditation. So why does WGU? Also interesting is that WGU announced they were seeking RA sometime ago. Why no progress yet?

 

I think that WGU/IRAC are kind of fascinating. They seem to be an attempt to grapple with a whole set of new opportunities and challenges presented to higher education both by DL and by the other revolutionary changes hitting higher education as we speak. WGU/IRAC's overambitiousness, along with serious underfunding, probably explains WGU's slow development.

On the accreditation front, I think that the regional accreditors used WGU as a test case, an experiment.

While only mentioning WGU/IRAC in passing, the remarks made by Steven Crow of the North Central Association to the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools entitled 'Issues in Accrediting Non-Traditional Educational Institutions' puts it in perspective.

http://www.smsu.edu/mags/2000mags/issues_in_accrediting_non.htm

A problem has been brewing for some time. Apparently the problem came to a head with Jones International. Despite the North Central Association's ultimate accreditation of Jones International, it was not without controversy, orchestrated it seems by (predictably enough) the AAUP.

So while the regional accreditors are struggling mightily to accomodate to the revolutionary changes in higher education, they have been doing so on an ad-hoc basis. They clearly feel the need to create a coherent structure and clear and explicit policies to deal with the new realities, and WGU seems to be a test-case.

The North Central Association is revamping its own internal organization as well.

 

Re: Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

I guess I'm confused by the terms. As far as I understand, there is no reciprocity between the Regional Accreditors. What would they reciprocate over? Not credit or degree transfer, as this is a school decision.

 

Re: Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

Yes, I am speaking more about one regional accreditation being considered equal to the other. So that in principle, the credits from one institution in one region are at least considered for acceptance by another institution in another region. The point is that regional accreditation is supposed to be equal. So, as Dave Hayden points out, why would there be a need for IRAC?

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

A good example is Touro College of NY. When they opened up TUI in California they were covered by their accreditation from the east coast RA. They didn't have to go through the process again in CA.

Jones International serves a national market like WGU but yet it was able to gain accreditation from a single RA group.

So to answer your question they are accepting the fact that schools accredited by the other RA groups meet minimal standards. As you point out that doesn't gurantee that the credits will be accepted by any specific school.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

IRAC was necessary because no individual regional body was comfortable in accrediting WGU. This has nothing to do with the distance learning modality. Jones International has faculty and courses. WGU has neither. Last time I looked they had no faculty and offer no courses. They act as a clearinghouse.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

Isn't this in fact similar to a couple schools that are regionally accredited and essentially serve as credit banks? I believe you can either transfer credits or advance the results of exams for credit. I think TESC and Excelsior are examples.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

I believe it is similar but it has been my understanding TESC and Excelsior have some faculty and actually offer some courses themselves.

 

Re: Re: Re: Interregional Accreditation - A New Concept?

In the case of Jones, the accreditation was granted ad-hoc, over the objections of critics like the AAUP who argued that the NCA was violating its own standards by approving it. As a result, the NCA felt the need to establish some standards to apply to similar situations in the future.

COSC, TESC and Excelsior are back in the Middle States and New England regions, precisely those accreditors who are not involved in the WGU project. (I'd also guess that these were approved ad-hoc as well.) So the regional accreditors responsible for WGU were being asked to create their own procedures for assessment-degree programs.

Finally, WGU is a geographically distributed organization. It probably could have proclaimed some token address somewhere as its "physical address", and asked the accreditor in that particular region to accept it.

But given the opportunity for the accreditors to write some new standards in order to deal cooperatively with geographically distributed "virtual" institutions, as well as with regulating institutions that validate forms of education provided outside the institution, why not take it?

It had to be done anyway, and obviously some school was going to be first.

They are a recognized candidate. I'd call that progress.