ACCREDITATION ALLIANCE OF CAREER SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

ACCREDITATION: ACCREDITATION IS A VOLUNTARY, NON-GOVERNMENTAL, PEER-REVIEW PROCESS WHICH PROVIDES A MEANS OF ASSISTING SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES TO BECOME STRONGER AND BETTER INSTITUTIONS BY SETTING STANDARDS OF EDUCATIONAL QUALITY. AS AN ACCREDITING AGENCY, ACCSC SEEKS TO ASSESS AND ENHANCE THE EDUCATIONAL QUALITY OF AN INSTITUTION, ENSURE CONSISTENCY IN INSTITUTIONAL OPERATIONS, PROMOTE SELF-EVALUATION AND INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENT, AND PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN A PEER-REVIEW FRAMEWORK. ACCSC ACCREDITATION PROMOTES INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY BY SYSTEMATICALLY AND COMPREHENSIVELY EVALUATING INSTITUTIONS BASED UPON CRITERIA ESTABLISHED VIA THE STANDARDS OF ACCREDITATION.

MEETINGS: ACCSC PROVIDES FUNCTIONS NECESSARY FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE ACCSC MEMBERSHIP OF APPROXIMATELY 577 SCHOOLS. THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE COSTS TO ACCSC IN CONDUCTING FOUR MEETINGS A YEAR TO REVIEW THE ACTIVE MEMBER SCHOOLS AS A PART OF THE CYCLE FOR RE-ACCREDITATION. NEW APPLICANT SCHOOLS ARE ALSO CONSIDERED FOR INITIAL ACCREDITATION AT THESE MEETINGS. OTHER MEMBER SCHOOLS ARE ALSO REVIEWED IN CONJUNCTION WITH VARIOUS OTHER ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP, CHANGE OF LOCATION, SATELLITE LOCATION, COMMISSION DIRECTED ACTIVITIES, ETC. ACCSC ALSO SPONSORS AN ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE (PDC) DESIGNED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT ITS MEMBER INSTITUTIONS' EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PDC ARE INCLUDED IN THESE EXPENSES.