| What
Is Accreditation?
Accreditation
is a process that gives public recognition to institutions that
meet certain standards. Accreditation ensures that the institution
offers the quality of education that it claims to offer and
assures
students that the institution operates on a sound financial basis
and has an approved program of study, qualified faculty, adequate
facilities
and equipment, and approved recruitment and admission policies.
For example, Louisiana State University and A&M College
is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), one of the
eight regional accrediting commissions composing the Commission
on Institutions of Higher
Education.
Implications
for Online Learning
In response
to emerging technology-mediated instruction, SACS has developed
Best
Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs.
This document relates the well-established regional accreditation
standards to Web-based and other electronic programs, addressing
the following areas:
- Institutional
context and commitment
- Curriculum
and instruction
- Faculty
support
- Student
support
- Evaluation
and assessment
As you are
preparing to develop an online course, you should review this
document to
ensure that your course is in compliance with these standards.
Related
Links
Additional
links related to accreditation can be found in the Related Links
section at
the end of this topic.
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