Abolish Accreditation

[prev10]

Is it possible the accreditation system is an instrument for monopoly that is used to keep college prices ridiculously high? If capitalism is built on quality self selection, what do we need accreditation for?

[ShotoJuku]

Why?

To assure high, credible, and legitimate standards.

To keep the system honest and prevent degree mills from prospering.

To ensure that fraud doesn't flourish.

If this isn't good enough, I would be more than happy to issue you a diploma for a small fee. Please send $1000 CA$H to www.AccreditationSucks.CON - roflmao!!!!!

[kelkat]

I can understand where this comes from, though. Especially when it comes down to highschools. I mean, why do we accredit those?

As for the colleges, what kind of expense is involved in the process and just who thought up the idea to charge for the privilage in the first place?

[Starlily]

...and although it would be wonderful if everyone had time to check into the ethics and accountability of every company that we buy from or do business with, it just isn't realistic. Ideally companies would only hire qualified grads from reputable schools, but some companies only look at the bottom line, even when hiring. Some prospective students as well, when they are looking at schools... And how hard would it be for new schools to compete?

[LyricB]

I think it's a necessary process. Personally I like that fact that I know my university has been put through a series of inspections in order to pass the process.

[hoosierhunter]

I know that my business degree obtained in the 90's allowed for zero credit transfer due to no accredidation of the college. I now hold an Associates degree from an acredited school and can transfer credits easily.

[MsMcClain]

Some good schools do not get accredited for whatever reason and they just rely on word of mouth. I think that this has it's good/bad. Like becoming a scopist. I couldn't find a single accredited scoping school but I did find that several had unmatched reputations for their training and their dedication to helping students find work after graduation. Unfortunately because they are not accredited, they were not eligible for financial assistance.

[kelkat]

Does anyone know what the process is for colleges and universities to become accredited?

I was wondering if it's just the accepted norm, or something that is actually of value to the "consumer."

[LilOne1989]

Why?

To assure high, credible, and legitimate standards.

To keep the system honest and prevent degree mills from prospering.

To ensure that fraud doesn't flourish.

If this isn't good enough, I would be more than happy to issue you a diploma for a small fee. Please send $1000 CA$H to www.AccreditationSucks.CON - roflmao!!!!!

Totally agree 100% and I'll give you one for $500 (JJ). Got to undercut the competition you know.

Acceditation proves that the people who are claiming to be "qualified" really are (or at least should be). The school is really a school and not the PO box listed for someone's basement. In order to be accredited the school has to go through certain steps and procedures none of which is easy to lie about or fake for a few moments.

[lizakollman]

yes, i agree with this. it is very hard to get a degree done when you don't have very much money!

[prev10]

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced of it. I think if you removed accreditation, the market would evolve to demand a certain kind/level of reporting from schools to prove the worth of their product. In fact I would argue that such "proofs" driven by the consurmer would be more transparent and provide opportunities to expose the pretenders hiding behind accreditation today.

[Fenner]

Truer words have yet to be spoken here.
Fenner

[jacobmetro]

We all know that there are four issues to consider that make sense in the real world:
1. The college/program has to be accepted by employers.
2. The college/program has to be accepted by students.
3. The college/program has to add value to the student's usefulness to society.
4. The college/program has to be respected by other colleges to allow for reciprocation.

To have a standardized method (run by the department of education in the US or some other private independant body) against which to validate the learning experiences of a student is essential. That way employers, students, other collleges, and the society as a whole can identify producing schools against non-producing schools.

I think accreditation is vital to all the stakeholders. I think it is too inflexible, too costly, and way too "country club-ish" as currently instituted. I believe a good way to perform accreditation would be to do the following:
1. Look to see if students hired are getting paid average or above average wages at their companies. This will help us understand the employer-side demand.
2. Look to see if the school as a business is succeeding. If the school as a non-profit is meeting operating costs, then it is safe to say that students accept the degree.
3. Look to see if the school's programs are comparable to the programs of other schools in the country or area. Should be simple enough (read...cheap enough) to compare course listings and watch a few professors.
4. Force all schools to accept at face value the results of the first three methods for transferring credit if a comparable course exists in the transferree school's course catalog. Force all schools to add elective credit in respect to work performed by students in which the first three methods play to positive. If a school elects to drop out of association rather than accept credit, then we know we're talking about snobs who should be shot anyway.

I don't know about you guys but I'm persuing correspondence and distance learning because of the cost gap between B&M and online learning. I also can't afford to give my time away while spending money at the same time. As practiced, accreditation is just a country club for rich college presidents who can charge more because of the cartel that has been established by the current model. While many non-traditional schools are beginning to charge the same rate or even higher rates for the luxury of async classes, Ithink the core competancy of distance programs is the ability to reach a large untapped market, fill an educational need, and do it with substantial cost savings, to the college and to the student.

If free markets were allowed to reign, yes education prices could continue to fall as more companies enter the frey trying to make money. If accreditation were abolished, I would have no way of judging the work of another student, much less someone I wanted to hire. I think accreditation theerefore is essential. I just think it could be simpler and cheaper.

Jacob M Metro

[LilOne1989]

Occassionally there are people who will come on and post things that are not supposed to be here and hopefully the moderators will catch it in time and delete it before it caused any problems. Unfortunately the moderators are not awake 24/7 so it might take a little while to get to the deleting part.

[prev10]

It is easy I think in reptospect to defend the practive but it is at the very core exclusionary and protective of some mythical ivory tower standard. Either there is a standard and we should conclude that a Harvard is no different than the school down the street - both accredited, or that the market is the true arbiter and regardless off accreditation, they are vastly different institutions.

[PeteDude]

I think accreditation is vital to all the stakeholders.

I like to call these sorts of things "external validation."

It's why you go to college or get certification to begin with. There's an established program/methodology from an impartial (or less partial) third party that validates you have the knowledge and background you claim to possess. This way, an employer (or school) won't have to reinvent the wheel or bend over backwards to verify your skillset.

Same thing goes for colleges. We'd like to make sure they're actually offering us an education of value, right? If it weren't for accreditation, there'd probably be an order of magnitude more research needed to choose an educational institution-- I think there's enough research involved already!

Sure, the accreditation system isn't perfect. But I'd be worried about tinkering with it too much right now from the standpoint that tinkering could adversely affect current programs that benefit students (e.g. various forms of credit by examination). And I think the current accreditation structure provides enough variety within accredited institutions/policies that you can find a situation somewhere that will fit your time and budget.