Institution Secures DEAC Accreditation Renewal Until 2025
In the rapidly evolving landscape of online education, the importance of maintaining high standards of quality and credibility has never been greater. Our institution, a pioneer in delivering accredited online education for almost two decades, has recently secured the renewal of its accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) through 2025.
The renewal process, which occurs every five years, involved a comprehensive self-study and evaluation by external subject matter experts and a team of education and business leaders. This rigorous assessment ensures that our institution continues to meet nationally recognized standards of quality for distance education.
Dr. Meryl Epstein, Tyler Drake, and Kimberly O'Hanlon played key roles in coordinating the report and the visit, while student ambassadors such as Kerstin Briar, Rachel Herring, Paolo Fulgenzi, Ashley Rich, and Katie Nelson represented the student experience. Faculty members like Andrew Shalat, Kristen Becker, and Felicia Kieselhorst also lent their perspectives in interviews during the evaluation.
The DEAC, recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education, is the only accrediting organization in the United States that focuses on distance education. As a private, non-profit organization founded in 1926, the DEAC operates as an institutional accreditor of distance education institutions.
The significance of DEAC accreditation includes quality assurance, recognition and credibility, access to federal and state benefits, employer and industry validation, and global and institutional partnerships. DEAC specializes in accrediting online and distance education institutions, assuring students and families that the education provided meets rigorous academic and operational standards.
The COVID-19 era has further highlighted the importance of access to a quality online education. As more institutions turn to online learning to adapt to the pandemic, the need for accreditation as a key marker of legitimacy and quality becomes even more critical.
In addition to the accreditation renewal, our institution is currently developing new, innovative program offerings to take the school forward. The institution's President, who has been involved in school accreditation since 2007, serving with the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (2007-2015) and DEAC Accrediting Commission (2017-present), is at the helm of these exciting developments.
From its inception in 1997, our institution has successfully passed the accreditation process five times, a testament to its commitment to providing students with an education that meets the highest standards of excellence. This renewal of accreditation through 2025 is a proud milestone in our institution's history and a promise of continued quality in online education.
Dr. Leah Matthews, the Executive Director of the DEAC, led the accreditation team. Under her guidance, the DEAC emphasizes outcomes assessment, strategic planning, and school improvement in its accreditation process. This focus ensures that accredited institutions, like ours, are continually striving for improvement and innovation in their educational offerings.
In conclusion, DEAC accreditation plays a crucial role in ensuring that online schools adhere to high standards of educational rigor, gain acceptance in the broader academic and employment sectors, and provide students with opportunities equivalent to those at traditional institutions. This is particularly important in the growing field of online education, where accreditation acts as a key marker of legitimacy and quality.
- The accreditation renewal process, involving a comprehensive self-study and evaluation by external experts, emphasizes outcomes assessment and school improvement, as in the case of our institution, which strives for quality in education and self-development through its accredited online programs.
- The renewal of our institution's accreditation through 2025, recognized by education-and-self-development organizations such as the DEAC, enables access to federal and state benefits, while also ensuring global and institutional partnerships, thereby enhancing the acceptance and credibility of our online education offerings in the broader academic and employment sectors.
