Navigating Distance Education: Understanding DEAC Accreditation
Since the establishment of the University of Chicago’s correspondence program in 1892, distance education has grown leaps and bounds, with the internet revolutionizing this educational landscape. As online learning becomes increasingly prevalent, understanding accreditation becomes crucial. Just like traditional schools, online colleges need accreditation. The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) stands as a key player in ensuring quality and credibility in the realm of online education. DEAC accreditation can help you access federal aid and ensure a quality education. But how does DEAC accreditation work exactly?
What is the Distance Education Accrediting Commission?
The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) is a private, non-profit organization that operates as a national accreditor of institutions that primarily offer distance education. The DEAC actually began initially in 1926 as an organization known as the National Home Study Council (NHSC). This body was a trade organization that provided oversight to correspondence schools. The purpose of this agency was to ensure that such programs provided standards of education and that students were protected from fraud. DEAC was originally founded in 1926 as the National Home Study Council (NHSC), an organization focused on promoting quality correspondence programs. It later evolved to address the burgeoning field of distance education. Since 1955, DEAC has provided accreditation to distance education programs.
The DEAC is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education since 1959 and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) since 2001. These recognitions allow the agency to set and uphold standards for academic quality among online schools, from online high schools to online colleges and universities. Accreditation by DEAC covers all distance education activities within an institution and it provides accreditation from the secondary school level through professional doctoral degree-granting institutions. Today, DEAC is the only recognized national accreditor focused exclusively on online and distance education programs. According to the DEAC, it is made up of over 100 distance education institutions located in 21 states and 7 countries.
Benefits of DEAC Accreditation
DEAC accreditation provides quality assurance to online students, employers, and other institutions. Unlike other institutional accrediting agencies, DEAC considers the specific needs of online students. All DEAC-accredited schools meet a high standard for education, student-teacher interactions, and delivery methods.
The advantages of attending a DEAC-accredited institution are multifold:
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- Quality Assurance: DEAC accreditation signifies that an institution meets rigorous standards of academic quality, faculty expertise, and student support services.
- Access to Federal Financial Aid: Attending a DEAC-accredited school means you can apply for federal financial aid, as only schools accredited by a Department of Education-approved agency are eligible for federal funding.
- Employer Recognition: Employers often view degrees from accredited institutions more favorably, recognizing the assurance of a quality education.
- Credit Transferability: Accreditation facilitates the transfer of credits to other institutions, should a student decide to further their education elsewhere.
Eligibility Requirements for DEAC Accreditation
For DEAC accreditation, postsecondary institutions must run all programs predominantly online or using other distance education methods. The school must also have state authorization, maintain a permanent physical facility, and be financially sound, with ownership in place for at least two consecutive years.
To be eligible for DEAC accreditation, institutions must meet specific requirements:
- Distance Education Focus: The institution must primarily offer programs through distance education methods.
- State Authorization: The school must have authorization to operate from the relevant state agency.
- Physical Facility: The institution needs to maintain a physical location.
- Financial Stability: The school must demonstrate financial stability and have been under consistent ownership for at least two years.
Other DEAC accreditation requirements include:
- Formally enrolling students for at least 12 consecutive months
- Hiring qualified staff and faculty
- Providing regular feedback to and interaction with students
- Offering quality curricula and educational materials
- Having a system of measurement in place for student success and satisfaction
- Being free of any illegal or damaging activities or reputation
To qualify for federal financial aid, distance education programs must distinguish themselves from correspondence programs. According to the Department of Education, correspondence programs typically run self-paced courses and feature limited and student-initiated interaction with instructors.
DEAC Standards for Schools and Programs
Online learners have specific and unique needs that the best schools address head-on. As a result, squeezing online programs into a system and infrastructure meant for on-campus programs often doesn’t suffice.
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DEAC uses 12 standards to guide and inform its accreditation process. Not only do these markers help with evaluation, but they also help schools target the most important areas for improvement.
For DEAC accreditation, online schools must have each of the following standards in place:
- Mission and Commitment: Clearly defined mission and commitment to educational quality
- Effectiveness and Planning: Process for monitoring offering and operations effectiveness and planning for the future
- Curriculum: An up-to-date curriculum that is appropriate for the program level
- Student Support: Active student support, guidance, and interaction
- Student Outcomes: System for monitoring and analyzing student outcomes
- Leadership and Faculty: Experienced, qualified, and regularly monitored leaders and faculty
- Marketing: Accurate and ethical marketing communication and strategies
- Admissions: Admissions criteria that accurately evaluates applicants
- Financial Information: Accessible and equitable financial information, including tuition and refund policies
- Management: Sufficient and fair management structures and processes
- Financial Resources: Financial resources and sustainability to continue the school’s mission
- Facilities and Equipment: Appropriate facilities, equipment, and supplies to follow through on that mission
How the DEAC Accreditation Process Works
The DEAC accreditation process takes about 12-18 months to complete.
The DEAC accreditation process is rigorous and involves several steps:
Preparation: To start, a representative of the school must complete the “Preparing for DEAC Accreditation” course through DEAC’s Online Training Center. The course must be completed within one year of submitting an accreditation application.
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Application: Prospective schools must also submit a $4,500 application fee. The application must demonstrate that the school meets all eligibility requirements. Approved institutions will then be notified by letter within 30 days.
Self-Evaluation Report: Once approved, institutions can submit a self-evaluation report and a $3,000 readiness assessment fee to DEAC via electronic submission. A successful report verifies that the school meets all of DEAC’s accreditation standards.
Assessment Report: Within 10-12 weeks, DEAC returns an assessment report deeming the school ready or not ready for a formal evaluation. Schools deemed not ready have the opportunity to revise and resubmit their reports and assessment fees. Schools deemed ready receive guidance to polish up their self-assessment reports. They also get instruction on the next steps, which includes submitting curricula for review within three months.
Curriculum Review: Completed with the help of subject-matter specialists, curricula reviews last 3-6 months. DEAC and subject-matter specialists review and evaluate 50% of courses for every degree offered. The school also submits a revised and updated self-evaluation report a minimum of five weeks before the on-site visit.
On-Site Visit and Evaluation: A team of on-site evaluators visits the school to meet staff members, observe operations, and review processes and procedures. Within about six weeks, the school receives the chair’s report, which details the findings of the evaluation.
Accreditation Decision: Twice a year, DEAC meets to review completed accreditation applications. The agency then issues one of the following decisions:
- Accredit
- Defer
- Show cause (meaning more evidence is needed for accreditation)
- Deny
Depending on the decision, schools can show good cause or appeal the decision. Initial DEAC accreditation lasts three years, whereas renewals last five years.
Accreditation Specifics for Online Colleges
The accreditation process for online colleges features most of the same steps and requirements as it does for traditional schools. That said, there are some differences to note.
While the core principles remain consistent, the accreditation process for online colleges includes specific considerations:
- Online Conferences: For example, DEAC ensures that online students have access to online conferences throughout their programs.
- Access to Resources: The agency also requires adequate access to library services, online chat rooms, peers, instructors, and support staff.
- Technology and Materials: An accredited online school must provide acceptable online materials and use accessible and reliable technologies. DEAC reviews each school’s online platform to ensure it can handle the traffic load and student body requirements.
- Faculty Training: Part of the accreditation process for online schools includes a review of faculty members’ abilities to teach online.
- Student Support: Accreditation also ensures that students can access federal financial aid and easily transfer credits to other schools if needed.
As a whole, the accreditation process promotes institutional transparency and continuous improvement.
Additional Considerations Regarding Accreditation
- Multiple Accreditations: Yes, schools can receive accreditation from multiple organizations. In fact, many schools hold accreditation from both DEAC and another institutional accrediting agency. Due to the time, money, and effort involved in the accreditation process, most schools pursue accreditation from a single organization - if possible, often a regional accreditor.
- State Recognition: Yes, all states recognize DEAC accreditation. DEAC’s geographic area of accreditation activities includes all states within the United States and international locations.
- AQC: AQC is an external review system carried out by a network of higher education curriculum experts. Although it is not accreditation, AQC engages a peer review process designed to provide meaningful, relevant feedback to distance education providers consistent with the principles of accreditation.
- AIICOE: DEAC is pleased to announce its first workshop series in collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence (AIIcOE). This three-session, quick-start series-grounded in the five principles of the AIICOE framework as envisioned by founders Juan Antonio Henriquez and Dr.
- Types of Instructional Processes: With the DEAC, there are two types of instructional processes provided through accredited institutions. One of them is known as Distance Education. It occurs when a student and professor collaborate, work, and make use of communication through the internet to administer coursework and complete studies that are set forth throughout a semester. However, the internet isn’t the only means of communication through Distance Education. The other process is correspondence education. Correspondence takes place through one or more courses with the institution itself providing the materials needed for courses to the student.
- Accreditation vs. Diploma Mills: Simply put, a diploma mill is an institution that provides monetary funds to accrediting organizations. It’s misleading by the fact that accreditation is given by money alone, and not by the quality of the education provided by the institution. Diploma mills can also exist as learning institutions themselves, claiming to provide degrees through payment of funds instead of completion of coursework and exams. To tell the difference between an accredited institution and a diploma mill, understand that many of them exist online. Diploma mills typically have accreditation but not through any agency or organization that’s recognized by the CHEA. Additionally, many diploma mills have numerous complaints from people that have been deceived by their marketing, thinking they were accredited through a legitimate body.
- National vs. Regional Accreditation: Although most US learning institutions are regionally accredited, having national accreditation compares institutions country-wide. Credits are accepted by other schools, universities, and programs that are accredited through national agencies. As the DEAC is a national accrediting organization, its advantage lies in institutions that offer both degrees and certifications to its student body. Without either regional or national accreditation, it would be impossible for prospective students to find a legitimate college or university that offers the kind of education they need to complete the courses they wish to take. Likewise, getting a degree would be much trickier. Since the DEAC is recognized by both the CHEA and Dept.
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