According to DETC published information, among the list of schools currently seeking DETC accreditation we find: University of South Africa (UNISA) Western Governors University Another South African school that was just awarded DETC accreditation is Azaliah College. Founded in 1994, it offers degree programs in business, policing, and teacher education.
I meant to post the URL for Azaliah College: http://www.azaliah.co.za/ On the page dedicated to accreditation they say: "The courses of Azaliah College for Primary Education Certificate I and Certificate II (First Diploma), five B.Com Degrees, a Diploma in Business Administration the BBA degree and the MBA degree have been granted accreditation by the South African Qualifications Authority. SAQA has been established by the South African Qualifications Authority Act 58 of 1995."
It will be interesting to see if this has an effect on the South African Universities' Vice Chancellors' Association (SAUVCA, http://www.sauvca.org.sa ), the body which advises upon "minimum general admission requirements for first degree studies at [South African] universities." To enroll in a South African university, a foreigner must obtain a Certificate of Matriculation Exemption by presenting evidence that one would otherwise be accepted into one's own country's universities. Under the page detailing acceptable credentials for students from United States, SAUVCA specifies the accreditors for the American universities it finds acceptable: ACICS, MSA, NASC, NCA, NEASC - CIHE, SACS - CC, and WASC - Sr. Notably absent is DETC. Professor Melck, Principal of Unisa, spoke of the move for international accreditation in his 2001 opening speech: http://www.unisa.ac.za/about/principal_open2001.html . If DETC accreditation is successful (and there is no reason to believe it won't), scores of universities in the US that have summarily rejected transfer of DETC credit will suddenly find themselves employing faculty holding a Ph.D. from a DETC-accredited institution (although obviously not grandfathered to those individuals). Perhaps we'll see a mediation between the regionals and the national; even Thomas Edison is going to the dark side: "Important agreements have already been reached with prestigious distance education institutions such as the Open University of the United Kingdom, the Open University of the Netherlands and Thomas Edison State College in the USA to mention but a few." --Professor Melck, ibid. Mark A. Sykes
This is probably very good for DETC. An accreditor is only as credible as the schools that it accredits. DETC, by accepting some pretty questionable applicants, had been slipping down towards being seen as the accreditor of last resort. What DETC badly needed to do was to attract more credible and prestigious applicants. This latest news suggests that they are doing that. I think the fact that UNISA is one of those applicants is good news for the rest of us as well. UNISA has been chugging away since the 19th century. But up until the 1990's, a combination of South Africa's political incorrectness and unfamiliarity with distance education kept UNISA hidden from the world. More recently, their bureaucratic muddle and poor marketing led me to believe that the world's sudden attention had caught UNISA by surprise and might not have been entirely welcome. UNISA had a choice: Were they going to remain a South African local institution serving a domestic customer base, or were they going to exploit their advantages as the world's most experienced full-scale distance education university and become a world power in distance education? So I'm reading UNISA's seeking DETC accreditation as a gesture to the world. Even though DETC probably doesn't add anything to UNISA's existing academic credibility, it is wideley recognized around the world. This DETC move seems to me to be a signal that UNISA is seeking world recognition and an international student body. That's good for all of us.
I'm actually familiar with Azaliah College; it's a small but credible school dedicated to serving the needs of adult South Africans. I didn't know it was expanding into the U.S. market, but the more, the merrier. UNISA seeking DETC accreditation is definite news to me. Like Bill, I've got to say I'm heartened and take this as a sign that they're very serious about moving into the U.S. market. As for WGU: Assuming its RA candidacy pulls through as well, wouldn't this make it the first school to be accredited by both the DETC <i>and</i> a regional agency? Peace, ------------------ Tom Head co-author, Get Your IT Degree and Get Ahead (Osborne/McGraw-Hill)
The College for Financial Planning, in Colorado, was awarded accreditation by both the DETC and NCA in 1995. Paul C.
Good news for the DETC. Actually, the DETC annual meeting last April (near Asheville NC at the Grove Park Inn) attracted representatives from several of the RA Organizations. "Keep good company and you shall be of the number. . ."(Herbert) RK
