Trying to shut down ACICS? Repercussions?

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by instant000, Dec 13, 2016.

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  1. instant000

    instant000 Member

  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Mmmm. I've mostly stopped paying attention to this but if I remember correctly, they are not trying to shut it down, it is a done deal. It is shut down. In any case, you can see the status of the conversation to date

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/53616-dept-ed-axes-acics.html

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/53549-itt-tech-closing.html

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/accreditation-discussions-ra-detc-state-approval-unaccredited-schools/53983-another-one-bites-dust.html
     
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    It's a done deal but for the lawsuits, which means it's dangerous to assume it's a done deal at all, particularly given the change of administration. Still, it's hardly good news for the many school solely accredited by ACICS.

    If ACICS really does die, some of the schools they accredit will find a different accreditor (the smart ones are looking already), and the rest will lose accreditation and die very shortly thereafter.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Correct me if I'm wrong but the death is as a result of being disavowed by CHEA, no? If so then I suppose they could exist on their own but then it would seem to quickly become an episode of the stupid TV show "Naked and Afraid." Once separated from CHEA people would (rightly) want to know, "What is the value of this accreditation?" Answer: probably not worth the cost.
     
  5. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

  6. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    So it seems there is a small ray of hope for those interested in ACICS' continued life. I suppose that's a good thing because if they do somehow survive I'm sure it will be in some transformed/improved state.
     
  7. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    If memory serves, ACICS accredited about 900 schools, counting individual campuses of multi-branch chains. I'm thinking that almost all of them would have no other institutional accreditation besides ACICS. It's the exception, rather than the rule, for NA or RA schools to have more than one institutional accreditor. Many may have additional program accreditation for specific occupations - but that kind of accreditation does not cover the school itself.

    I'm betting that a couple of other National accreditors will have to put extra people on the phones. They'll have all the applications they can deal with, plus. It'll be an ongoing "Accreditation Black Friday" event!

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 13, 2016
  8. instant000

    instant000 Member


    When I click on that link, it shows an image of someone who is deep in contemplation on what the loss of accreditation means for his studies.
     
  9. AJ_Atlanta

    AJ_Atlanta New Member

    Their own status has a whole lot of spin, but still sounds desperate.

    From what I read, a student attempting to enroll in a ACICS accredited school can't apply for financial aid. So it sounds like a done deal save for a desperate hail marry lawsuit that frankly would never play out well to an actual jury. Sounds like they are hoping to pressure the government with this to squeak out another 12mo to funnel money into their pockets before then end finally comes

    my .02
     
  10. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    So far, ACICS has lost all of its appeals. A group of a dozen attorneys general called upon the US Dept. of Ed to decertify ACICS as a recognized accrediting agency. NACIQI (the body that advises the DOE on institutional quality) came up with the same recommendation, as did the US DOE staff. John King, the Secretary of Education, announced that ACICS will, in fact, have its recognition revoked. It can remain, but without DOE recognition (and the federal funding eligibility), ACICS has nothing to keep its schools. It does not have a lot of friends fighting for it at this point in time. ACICS accredits about 245 different schools with about 800 different locations. If the DOE's decision stands, all of these institutions will have 18 months to become accredited with a different agency. There are a number of national agencies, but some can only accredit certain types of schools (e.g. ABHES for allied health schools). TRACS will only accredit Christian schools and DEAC can only accredit DE schools. Some of the NA accrediting bodies are only recognized at the diploma, certificate and associate level. For a non-religious, non DE school that offers degrees above the associate's in different disciplines, the only viable NA choice is ACCSC. ACCSC is smaller than ACICS and is probably getting a huge share of applications.
     
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Dr. Piña is always right. And for at least once, I was right, too. I wrote a while back that ACCSC might do well to get extra people to answer their phones, in view of this situation. InsideHigherEd reports as follows:

    "Most of the colleges have begun seeking approval from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, a national accrediting agency. Michale McComis, the commission’s executive director, said last week that 180 ACICS-accredited institutions have formally initiated the process. He expects that number to grow to 210 colleges by the end of January."

    Wow. 200+ schools. That's a lot of new accreditations!

    Whole thing here: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/01/10/acics-accredited-colleges-meet-federal-deadline

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 9, 2017
  12. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    J. Thank you for the very generous appraisal of me. My family can certainly attest to my ability to make mistakes :) You were right on target about ACCSC. I am not sure that it has the capacity to double its size in the next year and a half. I am aware of some allied health schools that are applying for accreditation from ABHES.

    I just returned from service on a SACSCOC onsite accreditation team. The Southern Association has not received many applications from ACICS schools.
     
  13. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    The dramatic events in the evening of November 8, 2016 might conceivably have huge repurcussions regarding ACICS' future.

    My impression was always that the Obama administration was on the warpath regarding "for-profit" higher education, hoping to eliminate it entirely. But the incoming administration and its new Secretary of Education seem likely to be far more receptive to educational entrepeneurship and far less likely to be influenced by the teacher's unions. (That certainly seems to be the case at the K-12 level.)

    So I'm guessing that ACICS' appeals might now be heard by more sympathetic ears.

    I hope so. As has already been pointed out, ACICS seems to me to have its own unique niche. Driving hundreds of valuable post-secondary schools out of business doesn't seem to me to do anybody any good.

    ACICS should be re-certified on condition that it strengthen its standards and oversight. Which after its near-death experience, I'm sure it would agree to do.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 9, 2017
  14. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    It does, although I've yet to see any sign that knows the first thing about higher education.

    There shouldn't be federal certifications of accreditors in the first place, but I know, there I go again....
     
  15. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    ACICS's legal appeal has been denied, so its future looks bleak. I have served as an outside reviewer for a couple of schools that are applying for accreditation by other agencies. Although it appears that President Trump and Secretary DeVos will not be as anti-private sector as President Obama and Secretaries Duncan and King, I think that too much damage has been done to ACICS's reputation.
     
  16. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I agree. Every other NA agency has specificity of focus, even when they accredit schools that offer degrees in other fields. The ABHE and TRACS both accredit schools that offer non-religious degrees, for example, while the DEAC is obviously DL-centered.

    I think ACICS does have something to offer, provided they clean up whatever deficiencies that caused the Feds to go nuclear

    Provided they've cleaned up their act (see my above comments), I would agree.
     
  17. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    ACICS recently, and very quietly, decided not to accept applications from schools that offer doctorates of any kind. The decision is retroactive.

    This was a major blow to the excellent (my opinion) Western Institute for Social Research (WISR), which has been doing good stuff, on a tiny scale (fewer than 50 students) for more than forty years. The reason it's a major blow (in addition to losing many thousands of dollars in fees) is that California has its "up or out" law for state-approved schools: get recognized accreditation (or be on an approved track) in two years, or lose the state license.
     
  18. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

  19. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    They'll fight till the war chest is empty. We know which side has infinite resources -- and which doesn't.
     
  20. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I think that differential matters a lot more when one side is indigent than when they are merely outmatched. Otherwise the government would never lose, yet they do.
     

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