DETC Schools with pending RA status

Good Morning, Are there any schools that look like a go for the next two years. Thanks. Hille

 

I'm absolutely not going to, and I don't think it would be responsible for anyone to, answer as to whether anyone has "pending" RA status or "looks like a go."

From a distance we really can't know enough.

In particular, we can't see financial statements unless a school is a 501(c)(3) or similar, or a publicly-traded for-profit. Almost all DETC schools are private proprietary institutions with no disclosure requirements. Even then, unless something was obviously flush with massive cash reserves and no debt, we might not really know just where the line is for a regional accreditor to accept it on financial criteria.

Also, a school that was well on its way today could easily spend, say, eighteen months getting to application and site visit and getting every issue raised addressed to the satisfaction of their regional, get approved for candidacy! - then two years in candidacy. Jumping directly past candidacy to full regional accreditation, even clearing candidacy say in one year, is probably mostly something for a schools with firmer resources financially, especially, than most DETC schools, like a new state colleges or a new freestanding schools like say a new osteopathic school who also has specialized accreditation.

Grantham University has a site visit for Initial Candidacy with HLC NCA scheduled on January 23, 2012. If they got a grant of initial candidacy within a few months, and full accreditation two years after that, that would be reasonably impressive, that would be doing well. It would still be outside your window by about six months.

It could also rock it and get full accreditation sooner than this, but I don't think any of us can put anything like "pending" or "look like a go" odds on that.

None of these following even have public word out that they're seeking or have a site visit scheduled or anything, making a two year timeframe to full regional accreditation seem highly unlikely, but there's some sort of movement or potential that might be worth mentioning about each:

New Charter University, formerly Andrew Jackson University, has new ownership and new executive offices in San Francisco in WASC territory rather than in SACS territory where it's from. SACS is said to be one of the more difficult regionals for nontraditional institutions.

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences has some good specialized professional accreditations, and from SACS territory recently set up shop in WASC.

Catholic Distance University and City Vision College are nonprofits with distinctive and compelling cases for fundraising. From the outside, they'd seem well positioned to build modest little endowments that could help them if they ever went for regional.

The ownership of Columbia Southern University acquired an RA school, Waldorf College. They did nothing to merge them to bring Columbia Southern under Waldorf's RA, and in fact stated explicitly that they'd be separate institutions with separate accreditation. And Columbia Southern is still in SACS territory; Waldorf is in HLC NCA.

 

I never thought I would say this but I believe DETC accreditation has reached the same level of acceptance in this country as Regional Accreditation!

There seems to be no bias from employers between graduates in the labor field. Then of course everyone is unemployed!

I see numerous DETC schools accepting military tuition benefits although I am not sure if a DETC degree would work for a commission as an officer in the US military?

In addition, I have seen professors in RA schools holding doctorate degrees from DETC schools.

Although I personally have never received a degree from a DETC accredited school, I would certainly consider one today!

 

You are correct, there are several professors in RA schools who have Doctrates from DETC or NA schools; however, I believe a search would reveal that most, if not all, of them were in tenured positions as a result of their master's degree before receiving the Doctrate. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

 

I'll agree that DETC accreditation is more widely accepted than it was a decade ago, but I wouldn't make the leap to say that it's on the same level as RA. Every one of the schools in my sig file will only accept credits/degrees from other RA schools, and I know that's the rule rather than the exception.

 

I'm not talking about transfer of college credits. I'm talking about the level of acceptability/utility of a DETC degree in relationship to employment and career advancement. As DETC has matured over the years, there is more transparency compared to RA degrees in its level of acceptance by the business community.

Do I dare say, there is an emergence of acceptance/utility in the academic community as well! This is my observation and it is worth 2 cents! In fact, a year or two ago, I would never have considered tainting my CV or Resume with anything less than a RA degree. Now I don't see the big difference!

 

How does this situation actually look from a historic perspective? Have any schools in the past successfully upgraded from DETC to RA?

 

American Military University did, and I believe there is at least one other.

 

Western Governors University was RA candidate in 2000, accredited by the DETC in 2001, and regionally accredited in 2003. Their regional accreditation status was initially from a consortium representing the states whose governors had founded the private institution; it later moved to the NWCCU exclusively.

The College for Financial Planning was accredited by both the DETC and the NCA ca. 1994-1995, then let its DETC accreditation lapse or resigned it ca. 2002.

Ellis University was dually accredited, probably from its spin-off from NYIT as a for-profit in 2008? Ellis just lost its regional accreditation from the NCA but remains accredited by the DETC, with a term ending June 2012.

 

Global University (formerly known as Global University of the Assemblies of God) Online Christian College | Christian University | Global University is both NA through the Distance Education and Training Council and RA through the North Central Association.

 

Not a RA /NA example, but California Miramar University (formerly Pacific Western) has dual national accreditations with both the DETC and ACICS.
Accredited Online MBA Programs | California Miramar University | San Diego, CA

 

Similarly, Westwood College has dual national accreditations through ACCSC (fka ACCSCT) and ACICS.

 

(Splitting hairs I know, but) well, some campuses have the two. Some campuses have only ACICS, including the Online Campus, which is treated as "a branch of Westwood College - Los Angeles." The list of locations and how one is counted as a branch of another will make a head spin.

 

Columbia Southern University is definitely pursuing regional accreditation, and has been doing so for a while. I hear they hope to get this done by 2014. I only have a few classes to complete my bachelors degree, so I am trying to see how I can hang around to get under the new accreditation.

 

Partner Programs Columbia Southern University and RA
Bachelor and Graduate Degrees
Waldorf College
University of North Alabama

 

Columbia Southern is located in Alabama, so their regional accreditor would be SACS. However, the latest list of SACS schools, dated July 2013, does not include any mention of Columbia Southern as an applicant or candidate. So if they are pursuing regional accreditation, they don't appear to have reached the first milestone (applicant status) as of July.

 

DO I understand it correctly, CSU offers RA degrees - Waldorf College or University of North Alabama degrees?
One can study for RA degree at Col Southern Uni?

 

No.

Waldorf (RA) and Columbia Southern (DETC) are both under the same ownership, in the same way that Patten University (RA) and New Charter University (DETC) are both under the same ownership.

What if a CSU student decides that he actually needs an RA degree? In that case, CSU naturally recommends Waldorf, which is part of the same company. And Waldorf is willing to accept CSU transfer students. But they are separate institutions with separate degree programs (incidentally, you have to wonder if it really makes sense for CSU to pursue RA, as suggested above, given that their owners already have an RA school).

But what if a CSU student wants an RA MBA? In that case, Waldorf won't work, because they only offer undergraduate degrees. Instead, CSU recommends the University of North Alabama, possibly as part of a marketing deal. But again, UNA (RA / ACBSP) and CSU (DETC) are separate institutions, with separate MBA programs:

 

Keep in mind that:

(1) Many DETC students would be interested in possibly "upgrading" to an RA program.

(2) Columbia Southern is one of the biggest DETC schools, with approximately 20,000 students.

Put these two points together, and you can see why RA schools might want to be "educational partners" with CSU.

 

DETC Schools with pending RA status

California Southern University (not to be confused with Columbia Southern University), which is currently DETC, has applied for regional accreditation with WASC.

This doesn't mean that California Southern has "pending RA status". It does mean that are pursuing RA, and have reached the first milestone in the process.