Gentlemen, Here are the answers to the issues raised about ACCS and the accreditation issue. All this info was taken from the tracs web site. So it is accurate and trustworthy. I believe ACCS can over come this. My opinion, ACCS has not been able to keep up with their growth. Student enrollments have overwhelmed them. With regard to the failures of the last administration, let's just say they have a new president for some very good reasons. The Board started fixing things months before TRACS even knew the half of it. The new Admin has fired a lot of people lately. They are in good shape but have to clean up the mess. As you read below you will notice a pattern. The following institution was *denied reaffirmation of accreditation by the Accreditation Commission: „XƒnAmerican Christian College and Seminary (Oklahoma City, OK) a Category IV institution (associate, bachelors, masters, doctoral degree granting) was *denied reaffirmation of accreditation for the following: For failure to comply with Standards 5.2, 5.5, 5.7, 5.9, 5.16 (The Governing Board); 6.1b, 6.1e (The Administration); 10.2, 11.10 (Education Program); 15.1, 15.3, 15.7 (Faculty); 18.2, 18.3, 18.8, 19.1, 19.2, 19.3,19.5, 19.6 (Financial Operations); 22.1 (Institutional Advancement); 23.3, 23.4, 24.3, 24.5 (Institutional Effectiveness); 25.2, 25.4, (Instructional Support); Eligibility Requirement #10 (Faculty). The institution filed an unsatisfactory Response to the Visiting Team Report. TRACS Standards 5.2.The board must formulate and maintain a written long-range plan for the institution. 5.5.The board must approve all substantive changes in the institution ¡¦s purposes, policies, and programs prior to the implementation of any such changes.(This includes changes in institutional name, degree programs, purpose, organizational structure, and any other initiatives that would by national norms in higher education be considered as substantive.) 5.7.The board must approve the institution ¡¦s annual operating budget with documentation recorded in the board minutes. 5.9.The board must be responsible for the quality and integrity of operations as indicated in the board minutes. 5.16.The board must arrange for the recording, preservation, and appropriate dissemination of accurate and complete minutes of all board meetings and proceedings. 6.1.The chief executive officer must be responsible for carrying out published board policies and procedures. b.Written records, including the CEO ¡¦s reports to the board, reflect what the CEO has achieved. e.An organizational chart clearly depicts lines of administrative responsibility. 10.2.There must be in place an established faculty curriculum process for the development and assessment of the educational program. 11.10.Graduate programs must be adequately supported by the institution in the key areas of finances, physical facilities, materials, students enrolled, and faculty. 15.1.Faculty involved in teaching and curricular-advising assignments at the master ¡¦s and doctoral levels must be academically and professionally qualified. a.The institution employs only faculty for graduate assignments who possess the earned terminal degree in their teaching assignment from institutions accredited by an agency recognized by the USDE. b.An appropriate number of full-time faculty are contracted to teach and oversee each program,degree and concentration. c.The institution employs only graduate faculty who have expertise in teaching. d.The institution employs only graduate faculty who demonstrate research ability. e.The institution employs only graduate faculty who demonstrate skills in advising,writing,and supervision of thesis and dissertation projects. 15.3.The institution must have established policies and procedures for graduate faculty recruitment and selection. 15.7.The institution must have written policies regarding graduate faculty appointment,retention,advancement,and dismissal. 18.2.Accurate and timely financial reports must be provided to the president,governing board,and other designated persons. 18.3.Income must be reported as less than,equal to,or greater than expenditures as shown in the record keeping process. 18.8.Investment policies must be in place to protect the institution against conflicts of interest or the mishandling of funds, and must be approved by the governing board and the experienced personnel supervising the investments. 19.1.A budget process must exist and must be in use. 19.2.The budget process must involve grassroots personnel. 19.3.The process must involve the governing board as the final authority. 19.5.The budget must follow a generally accepted format which conforms to the guidelines expressed. 19.6.The budget must be reflected in the long-range plan. 22.1.The policies and practices employed in fund-raising must be ethical and consistent with biblical principles. 23.3.The planning process must take into account both income and expenditure categories beyond the current year. 23.4.The planning process must take into account both internal and external factors. 24.3.The assessment plan must provide a systematic evaluation of the curriculum. 24.5.The assessment plan must provide a systematic evaluation of the management and financial operation. 25.2.Library holdings and acquisition must be adequate to support the curriculum, faculty, and number of students served. 25.4.Library staff must be professionally qualified and led by a full-time head librarian with at least an MLS degree or equivalent. 10. Faculty sufficient in number to support the educational programs offered including: A minimum of one contracted full-time faculty, with appropriate earned credentials from a USDE-recognized accredited institution, to head each educational program offered, including general education. Sufficient additional full and part-time faculty, with appropriate earned credentials to teach the courses offered for the number of students served. Hope this helps!
Thanks Obviously I share your hope that ACCS can overcome. As I am not enough aware of the the situation, I don't know what level of confidence I should have, but my strong hope for ACCS certainly is there. To me one problem related to faculty is that ACCS offers doc level work/degree in Bible/Theology , but has not, as far as I know, any prof with a doc in that area. Yes, there are DMins, but I think, not sure, those degrees are not in Bib/Theol , but in ministry. I am not saying these profs are not personally adept, I am saying their degrees alone are not the evidence. I am suggesting a Phd or Thd in Bib/Theol should be held by the head of instruction in that dept. Of course that offering of a Dmin in Bib/Theol was spefically why I signed up with ACCS, nor am I at all disappointed thus far! But I am a very independent worker and entered the DMin with a ThM background. Were one to enter the ACCS DMin in Bib/Theol with an MA, I'm not sure that one would be exposed by the ACCS curricular goals and instructional strategies to genuine doc level work Bib/Theol. But perhaps, such a level is not so intended in a pursuit of a DMin as contrasted to a PhD . I don't know. That question is pivotal. Again I say, I, myself, am happy with ACCS and I pray for its recovery!
While at first glance, the problems seem substantial, things may not be as bad as it seems on first reading. I am very familiar with 50 page checklists. A single problem can create a dozen checklist deficiencies. The governing board and administration problems could probably be met with having the board consider matters and keeping accurate minutes of board meetings and having the administration report to the board. Whomever is in charge, the board must consider and at least rubber stamp all decisions. The financial operations problems have mostly to do with budgeting and reporting. Simply doing budgeting and reporting would solve most of the problems. 18.3, income must be greater than expenditures, is a policy that reflects ignorance of financial matters. Any school, in rapid expansion, would find itself in such a situation and it is not by any means, on its face, a bad thing. It's called investment. Get an accountant with an imagination and capitalize some costs, such as course development and amortize them over the 10 year or the life of the course. The items on qualified faculty can only be met by hiring more staff with accredited degrees. I don't think there is any shortage and the cost should be minimal. I think the crux of the matter could relate to "The institution filed an unsatisfactory response to the Visiting Team Report." People who do the accrediting like to be taken seriously and are looking for correction and not excuses. As for the librarian needing an MLS and being full time, this is a ridiculous requirement that would add substantial cost to small schools. Perhaps a retired librarian or mother with smaller children could be hired on the understanding that there would be liberal time off and not substantially demanding duties. Most of the problems could be solved by writing and using a policy manual. Many could be solved with ingenuity but the problem with accredited staff would have to be met head on. If there is an attitude problem, suck it up, you aren't going to win.
The question is whether the 'right to appeal' means the right to show that they are now in compliance or merely the right to appeal the decision to 'deny re-affirmation'. I have worked in a regulatory agency very similiar to an accrediting agency. We as a matter of course gave people the right to appeal decisions but it was not an opportunity to show they were now in compliance but that the regulator had erred in their decision (not correctly interpreted a situation/regulation/law). This is the question with ACCS. Is demonstrating compliance too little too late (i.e. is that an avenue even open to them). North
