Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is a non-profit education corporation recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an independent and autonomous national accrediting body. ACICS was established in 1912. It accredits over 900 institutions of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate diplomas and degrees, including master's degrees, in both traditional formats, and through distance education. ACICS is incorporated in Virginia and operates from offices in Washington, D.C.[1]

Accreditation

The scope of ACICS recognition by the Department of Education and CHEA is defined as accreditation of private post secondary institutions offering nondegree programs or associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in programs that are "designed to train and educate persons for professional, technical, or occupational careers."[2][3]

As an accreditor for many for-profit colleges, ACICS provided information during U.S. Congressional investigations of for-profit education in 2010. ACICS reported that the institutions it accredits are required to demonstrate a student retention rate of at least 75 percent. [4] Retention rates are calculated within a single academic year. [5]

History

ACICS was established upon the request of Benjamin Franklin Williams, President of Capital City Commercial College of Des Moines, Iowa. Upon the meeting of twenty-two school administrators, who met in Chicago, Illinois, on December 12, 1912, the original alliance formed the basis of National Association of Accredited Commercial Schools (NAACS), which later grew into the ACICS of today. Five of these schools still operate under the ACICS accreditation today:[6]

In 2015, ACICS fell under significant scrutiny after the collapse of Corinthian Colleges, a for-profit institution that was accredited by ACICS until its sudden demise. A subcommittee of the United States Senate requested information from ACICS in November of 2015.[7] Five months later, twelve state attorneys general requested that the U.S. Department of Education withdraw recognition from ACICS as a federally-recognized accreditor.[8] During the same time period, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau petitioned a federal court to order ACICS to make available information about "its decision to approve several controversial for-profit college chains"[9] and the president of ACICS resigned.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ACICS - About Us".
  2. ↑ "Accreditation in the United States". U.S. Department of Education.
  3. ↑ "Directories: National Career-Related Accrediting Organizations 2012-2013". Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
  4. ↑ Gerald Helguero (October 3, 2010). "Clampdown on for-profit schools faces opposition". International Business Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010.
  5. ↑ "How Jewish College Uses Federal Funds To Grow". Forward. October 4, 2012.
  6. ↑ "ACICS - Events".
  7. ↑ Michael Stratford (November 6, 2015). "Senate Inquiry Into Accreditation". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ And Thomason (April 8, 2016). "13 State Attorneys General Say Accreditor’s Recognition Should Be Revoked". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  9. ↑ Paul Fain (October 15, 2015). "Federal Watchdog Eyes Accreditor". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  10. ↑ Michael Stratford (April 18, 2016). "Sudden Departure at For-Profit Accreditor". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved April 18, 2016.

External links

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