American Public University System gives up DETC accreditation as April 30, 2012

[SDO]

http://detc.org/actions/051012_AC_meeting_report.pdf

[Yenisei]

The only real practical significance of this move is that AMU/APU probably won't accept any NA credits from now on.

[cookderosa]

The only real practical significance of this move is that AMU/APU probably won't accept any NA credits from now on.

Ohhhhhh that is very sad if that is the outcome. They are one of only a few schools that openly and readily accept both NA and RA. I hope this isn't where they're heading. That said, they don't really "need" DETC accreditation, and it is expensive, so I appreciate their position.

[sanantone]

There's still a good chance that they'll continue to accept DETC credits. I don't believe University of Phoenix or Liberty University have any type of national accreditation, but they're still open to accepting NA credits. Like what was said above, it doesn't make economic sense to hold on to DETC accreditation.

[Yenisei]

I certainly hope they do continue to accept NA credits- we'll see.

[ShotoJuku]

The only real practical significance of this move is that AMU/APU probably won't accept any NA credits from now on.

Is this confirmed....source?

[cookderosa]

There's still a good chance that they'll continue to accept DETC credits. I don't believe University of Phoenix or Liberty University have any type of national accreditation, but they're still open to accepting NA credits. Like what was said above, it doesn't make economic sense to hold on to DETC accreditation.

Back in 2004, UoP refused to give me a single credit for my NA degree- not even as electives. Have they changed?

[Yenisei]

Is this confirmed....source?

None- clearly it's my speculation, but RA-only schools usually don't.

[sanantone]

Back in 2004, UoP refused to give me a single credit for my NA degree- not even as electives. Have they changed?

I'm guess they have a list of pre-approved, NA schools.

You may be able to use previous college credits in transfer for college credit at University of Phoenix. We accept college level courses taken at regionally- or approved nationally-accredited colleges and universities.

Credit Transfer Information - University of Phoenix

[gmagerr]

I received this email this morning from APU

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:

Since 1995, our institution has been nationally accredited by the Accrediting
Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC); and we have
built a strong and mutually beneficial relationship over that time. Most
recently, DETC reaffirmed our accreditation in February 2012, following a
comprehensive review process. Since 2006, our regional accreditation has been
secure with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
(HLC), the same body that accredits institutions such as University of Chicago
and Northwestern University. In 2011, the HLC reaffirmed our accreditation for
online courses and programs without any other stipulations on our affiliation
status. The Department of Education recognizes both accrediting bodies but
requires us to select only one as our accrediting body for purposes of
participating in the Title IV Federal Student Aid programs, and HLC has served
as our accrediting body for that purpose.

Recently, our Board of Trustees determined that APUS should focus on its
institutional accreditation from HLC and seek to expand further its
programmatic accreditation from specialized accreditors. An institution that
has institutional and programmatic accreditations must ensure that its programs
and operations comply with multiple sets of accrediting standards and policies.
The Board concluded that withdrawing from our affiliation with DETC and
focusing instead on HLC and programmatic accreditation would better serve
APUS's quality assurance objectives and would be in the best interest of the
University and our students.

Increasingly, we have pursued programmatic or specialty accreditations. For
example, the APUS School of Business recently received accreditation for its
programs by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
(ACBSP : Home) and our Emergency and Disaster Management Program has been
accredited by the Foundation for Higher Education Accreditation (FFHEA)
(Foundation for Higher Education Accreditation). Other programmatic accreditations are in process. In addition
to programmatic accreditation, we have been aligning other academic programs
with industry-specific guidelines, including those of the Society for Human
Resource Management (SHRM), http://www.shrm.org; the Sports and Health Sciences with
the American Sport Education Program (ASEP), http://www.asep.com; and the Child and
Family Development with the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR),
NCFR.

I assure you that APUS's withdrawal of its DETC accreditation does not impact
APUS's accreditation from HLC. Moreover, the action does not impact APUS's
eligibility to participate in military tuition assistance programs, government
and corporate tuition reimbursement programs, veteran's education benefits
programs, and the Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs. Our policies,
procedures, and the APUS student experience will remain the same.

With its rich 80-year history focused on defining and promoting excellence in
distance education, DETC has been a strong partner for us over the years,
enabling APUS to become the leading online academic institution we are today. I
personally want to thank Mr. Mike Lambert, Executive Director of DETC, for his
critical eye and unwavering support for APUS, as well as the other staff
members and volunteers affiliated with DETC.

Sincerely,



Dr. Wallace E. Boston