| What is accreditation?
Accreditation is a form of peer review of educational programs. Accreditation of an institute guarantees that the learning offered by that institute is of uniform and sound quality.
Why is accreditation important for a university?
Accreditation is important as it gives assurance to the public, in particular to prospective students, that this particular university has been found to meet certain educational standards and criteria.
How is accreditation beneficial for students?
Students receive the following benefits with an accredited university:
• Assurance that the institution is meeting certain educational quality standards.
• Reasonable grounds for believing that the institute will continue to meet those standards
• Assurance that their Degrees will be widely accepted by employers, professional associations, and other colleges and universities.
• Belief that their Degree will produce the benefits associated with higher education.
On what grounds is accreditation offered?
The various boards of accreditation establish criteria that educational institutions are required to meet in order to get accredited. The accrediting boards evaluate each institution in terms of its mission, educational practices, administration, financial stability, policies, and student services. Only those institutions fulfilling all requirements under these categories are granted accreditation.
Which agencies or boards grant accreditation?
Accreditation is offered only to those institutions which meet or fulfill the stringent standards set by the accrediting agencies or boards. The institutions that receive accreditation benefit in that they are now identified as providing quality education to their students. There are several non-governmental accrediting agencies or boards that have established certain educational standards which are helping institutions build on-line standards and credibility. The organizations performing accreditation services include:
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
• Northwest Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NASCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
• Board of Online Universities Accreditation (BOUA)
• Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA)
• International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities (IAAOU)
• World Online Education Accrediting Commission (WOEAC)
All these boards and agencies are well known and the institutions receiving their accreditation benefit from the same level of credibility and recognition worldwide.
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