| When deciding which criminal justice
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| | Schools and Colleges (Alaska, Idaho,
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| program to attend, the accreditation
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| | Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and
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| issue is very important. There are
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| | Washington).
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| certain things that you should know about
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| | The two spin-offs are:
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| accreditation.
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| | • the Western Association's
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| 1. What is accreditation?
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| | Accrediting Commission for Senior
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| Accreditation means that a school and its
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| | Colleges and Universities (see WICHE Best
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| programs have been peer reviewed through
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| | Practices), and,
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| site visits by bodies recognized and
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| | • the North Central's Higher Learning
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| authorized by the US Department of
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| | Commission (see NCA Best Practices).
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| Education to do so. It, therefore,
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| | If your school is accredited by one of
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| ultimately means that degrees obtained
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| | these eight (8) groups, which receive
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| from accredited schools are recognized
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| | U.S. Dept. of Education funding and
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| across the nation and are accepted as
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| | operate primarily by site visit-peer
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| valid by employers.
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| | review, then you need not worry -- your
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| 1. Who are the recognized accreditation
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| | school has the best accreditation there
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| bodies?
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| | is.
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| The US Department of Education funds
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| | 1. Are there other accreditation bodies?
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| eight accreditation bodies. There are six
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| | There are other accreditation bodies and
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| regional accreditation (RA) bodies and
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| | many online schools proudly advertise
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| two spin-offs of two of the six RA
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| | that they are accredited by one or the
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| bodies. These bodies are authorized to
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| | other of these bodies. But these
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| grant accreditations to schools falling
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| | so-called accrediting bodies are
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| within their specified regional
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| | themselves not accredited so that their
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| jurisdictions.
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| | accreditations are not worth the paper
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| These bodies are:
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| | they are written on.
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| • the New England Association of
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| | Out of all these other accrediting bodies
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| Schools and Colleges (Connecticut, Maine,
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| | there are some that are simply
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| Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
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| | blacklisted and not recognized while
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| Island and Vermont);
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| | there are others that may be accepted as
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| • the Southern Association of
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| | valid in 30 per cent of the organizations
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| Colleges and Schools (Alabama, Florida,
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| | that matter. Employers, on the other
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| Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
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| | hand, are likely to reject outright
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| Mississippi, North Carolina, South
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| | degrees given by schools accredited by
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| Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia);
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| | these other agencies.
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| • the Middle States Association of
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| | 1. Is there a list of blacklisted schools
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| Colleges and Schools (Delaware, the
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| | or a list of schools whose degrees are
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| District of Columbia, Maryland, New
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| | not recognized?
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| Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto
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| | Yes, at present there are two such lists.
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| Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
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| | One list has been prepared by the state
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| Panama);
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| | of Michigan and another prepared by the
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| • the North Central Association of
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| | state of Oregon. Employers use these
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| Colleges and Schools (Arkansas, Arizona,
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| | lists to check whether a particular
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| Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
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| | degree from a particular school is
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| Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
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| | worthless or not.
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| North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma,
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| | 1. Is accreditation a really important
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| New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West
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| | issue?
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| Virginia, and Wyoming);
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| | Yes! It is the most important issue when
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| • the Western Association of Schools
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| | you are deciding which criminal justice
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| and Colleges (California, Hawaii, the
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| | school you should enroll in. If the
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| territories of Guam, American Samoa,
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| | school you enroll in is not accredited,
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| Federated States of Micronesia, Republic
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| | then the degree that you earn after
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| of Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern
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| | spending a lot of money and effort will
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| Marianas Islands, the Pacific Basin, and
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| | not be worth the paper it is written on.
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| East Asia); and,
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| | You will be a sucker of the worst kind!
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| • the Northwest Association of
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| |
|