Self-Study

Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Doctor of Chiropractic Program is accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). The CCE seeks to ensure the quality of chiropractic education in the United States by means of accreditation, educational improvement and public information. Palmer College of Chiropractic is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC-NCA). Accreditation is the mark of a quality educational institution, capable of delivering quality programs to its students and outstanding service to the community. Every institution in the United States that receives federal financial aid for its students, such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and Work Study funding, must be accredited. Institutional accreditation allows Palmer College to offer undergraduate (BS) and graduate degrees (MS) beyond the Doctor of Chiropractic degree.

In 2012, CCE adopted new Standards for accreditation of Doctor of Chiropractic Programs. Also in 2012, the HLC-NCA adopted new Criteria for accreditation and new processes for reaffirmation for accreditation called “Pathways”. Under HLC’s new “Pathways” model for reaffirmation of accreditation institutions are required to complete an Assurance Review in years 4 and 10 of the accreditation cycle. The Council on Chiropractic Education requires a self-study for reaffirmation of accreditation every 8 years, and a mid-cycle review in year 4.

In 2015, HLC (Spring 2015) and CCE (Fall2015) will conduct comprehensive site visits to Palmer College of Chiropractic’s campuses as part of the College’s reaffirmation of accreditation for both agencies. Prior to the visit, the College is required to complete a comprehensive self-evaluation report for each agency:
1) a Self-Study Report to evaluate the extent to which College meets the CCE accreditation Standards
2) an Assurance Report to evaluate the extent to which the College meets the HLC accreditation Criteria

Preparing for accreditation reaffirmation requires cooperation and assistance from all academic and non-academic units on the main and branch campuses. In February 2013, Chancellor Dennis Marchiori appointed the Self-Study Coordinator to manage the Self-Study process, and the Steering Committee to coordinate the work of the writing committees. The Writing Committees are assigned to evaluate the College, within the context of Palmer’s Mission, and the CCE Standards and the HLC Criteria, and write the chapters for the CCE Self- Study Report and the HLC Assurance Report. The HLC Assurance Report must be submitted by Fall 2014 and the CCE Self-Study by Spring 2015.

While a central motivation for conducting a self-study is to reaffirm the College’s programmatic and institutional accreditation, the self-study process provides an opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses, and obtain external feedback from our accrediting agencies to make improvements in the College and its educational programs as it plans for its future as The Trusted Leader in Chiropractic Education. The following sections describe the College’s plan for conducting the Self-Study that fulfills the goals laid out by Chancellor Marchiori.

1. To conduct a thorough and candid Self-Study of the College within the context of Palmer's Mission, and the CCE Standards and HLC Criteria. 
2. To conduct the Self-Study in a manner that is inclusive of multiple perspectives and provides opportunity for broad input from internal and external constituents. 
3. To use what we learn in the Self-Study process; fold identified opportunities for improvement into the College Strategic Plan, and follow Self-Study data in department score cards for trend analysis and benchmarking.

Self-Study Coordinator Selection

The Self-Study Coordinator manages the logistics of the Self-Study process, such as developing the Self-Study budget, timeline, Portal, webpage and electronic resource room. As a function of the Office for Accreditation for the College the Self-Study Coordinator also ensures that the Self-Study process follows the expectations and guidelines of the accreditor, and is the liaison between the College and the accrediting agencies. In addition, the Self-Study Coordinator organizes the orientation and training for the Steering Committee and Writing Committees on the new CCE Standards and HLC Criteria, the Federal Compliance Program, Self-Study roles and responsibilities, resources to support the Writing Committees, and evaluative writing for Self-Study reports. The Self-Study Coordinator works with the Campus Facilitators to arrange the site visits and electronic resource rooms on each campus. 

Steering Committee Structure and Selection

The Steering Committee consists of the Chairs of the five Writing Committees. The Steering Committee has primary oversight and responsibility for the timely completion of the CCE Self-Study Report and the HLC Assurance Report, and identifying the College’s strengths and opportunities for improvement in the context of the CCE Standards and HLC Criteria.

Writing Committees Structure and Selection

Assembled in February 2013, the five Writing Committees are assigned to multiple CCE Standards and corresponding HLC Criteria and Core Components. Each Writing Committee has a Chair and a Co-Chair. The Chairs of the Writing Committees were selected based on knowledge and expertise related to the assigned CCE Standards and HLC Criteria. Efforts were taken to ensure a broad range of institutional experience and perspectives on each committee. Each Writing Committee has 9-10 members, including faculty, student and staff representation from the main and branch campuses. The Writing Committee structure emphasizes the College’s commitment to an inclusive process and a recognition that all employees of the College contribute to its mission and effective operations.

The analysis of complex issues through a committee process is challenging. The Committees have the opportunity to make unique and indispensable contributions to the College’s Self-Study and toward enduring improvements in the institution. Writing Committee members were selected from individuals who possess the following qualities and/or potential: content knowledge; experience in evaluation; ability to produce a well written product; experience in effective meeting engagement; willingness and ability to collaborate with colleagues; and a commitment to the welfare of the College as a whole. 

Editing Committee Structure and Selection

The Editing Committee will commence in early Spring 2014. This committee works to give each Self-Study document a single voice and a consistent message, and ensure all final updates. In addition, the Committee reviews all final formatting, design and graphics prior to print and electronic submission of the reports. The Editing Committee consists of individuals with experience in editing and/or accreditation reporting. Following the completion of the second draft reports the Editing Committee has 6 months to prepare the final reports for each accreditor, with the HLC Assurance Report due in September 2014 and the CCE Self-Study due in March 2015.

Campus Facilitators

Support from the College leadership is essential in a Self-Study. The Campus Facilitators are executive administrators from the main and branch campuses. They communicate the importance of accreditation, and a thorough and inclusive Self-Study. In addition, they assist the Steering Committee and Writing Committee at the campus level by assuring cooperation and timely responses for requested information and evidence artifacts. The Campus Facilitators also work with the Self-Study Coordinator to prepare each campus for the site visits. 

• Main Campus, Davenport, IA: Robert Percuoco, DC, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
• West, Branch Campus, San Jose, CA: Bill Meeker, DC, President Florida Campus
• Florida, Branch Campus, Port Orange, FL: Peter Martin, DC, President West Campus

Federal Compliance Sub-Committee Structure and Selection:

The Federal Compliance Sub-Committee will work with the Steering Committee and Writing Committee 2: Ethics and Integrity, and Federal Compliance. While a summary of Federal Compliance will be included in the assigned chapters under Writing Committee 2, compliance items cut-across all major departments of the College. Committee members were selected based on their regulatory expertise in their respective departments. This sub-committee is responsible for identifying federal compliance expectations, collecting information necessary for evaluating the College’s compliance with federal guidelines, and completing the required Federal Compliance forms for HLC. 

Figure 1: Diagram for Self-Study Structure and Communication

 Steering Committee:  

1. Jeannette Danner, Sr. Director for Accreditation & Licensure, main campus, Self-Study Coordinator and Writing Committee 1, Chair
2. Earlye Julien, Sr. Director for Compliance and Organizational Development, main campus, Writing Committee 2, Chair
3. Dr. Dana Lawrence, Sr. Director for Center for Teaching & Learning; Professor, main campus, Writing Committee 3, Chair
4. Mindy Leahy, Sr. Director Registrar, main campus, Writing Committee 4, Chair
5. Dr. Andrea Haan, Sr. Director for Assessment, main campus, Writing Committee 5, Chair
6. Dr. Dustin Derby, Sr. Director for Institutional Planning and Research, main campus, Survey Data Support

 Writing Committee 1: Mission, Governance, Planning, Resources, and Service 

1. Jeannette Danner, Sr. Director for Accreditation & Licensure, main campus, Writing Committee 1, Chair
2. Alexis VanderHorn, Sr. Director for Financial Affairs, main campus, Writing Committee 1, Co-Chair 
3. Dr. Kurt Wood, Vice Chancellor for Clinic Affairs, main campus
4. Mindy Schaapveld, Assistant Controller, Business Administration, main campus
5. Jill Everetts, Accreditation and Licensure Coordinator, main campus
6. Dr. Robert Rowell, Associate Professor, main campus
7. Dr. Theresa Whitney, Associate Professor, West branch campus
8. Dr. Rod Floyd, Associate Professor, Faculty-Clinician, Florida branch campus
9. Katherine Melot, main campus, 4th Trimester Student, (Fall 2012-13)
10. John Demutiis, Florida branch campus, 6th Quarter Student (Winter 2013)

 Writing Committee 2: Ethics and Integrity and Federal Compliance  

1. Earlye Julien, Sr. Director for Compliance and Organizational Development, main campus, Writing Committee 2, Chair
2. Lori Larsen, Lead Coordinator Office of Adjudication, main campus, Writing Committee 2, Co-Chair 
3. Dr. Bill DuMonthier, Dean of Student Academic Affairs, West branch campus 
4. Cheryl Shaw, Human Resources Manager, Florida branch campus
5. Dr. Nancy Kime, Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Clinical Academics, main campus
6. Dr. Kenice Morehouse, Associate Professor, Faculty-Clinician, Florida branch campus
7. Leah Hetebrueg, main campus, 7th Trimester Student, (Fall 2012-13)
8. Sam O'Toole, main campus, 5th Trimester Student, (Fall 2012-13)
9. Lee Mosurak, Florida branch campus, 6th Quarter Student (Winter 2013)   

Writing Committee 3: Faculty, Research and Scholarship

1. Dr. Dana Lawrence, Sr. Director for Center for Teaching & Learning, Professor, main campus, Writing Committee 3, Chair
2. Dr. Kevin Paustian, Academic Dean, main campus, Writing Committee 3, Co-Chair
3. Dr. Cyndy Long, Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, main campus
4. Kelly Krell-Mares, Administrative Assistant, Philosophy & Practice Management, Center for Teaching & Learning, main campus
5. Dr. Lia Nightingale, Assistant Professor, Physiology/Biochemistry, main campus
6. Dr. Robert Cooperstein, Professor, Director of Technique & Research, West branch campus
7. Dr. Troy Tatum, Professor, Florida branch campus
8. Anton Keller, main campus, 5th Trimester Student (Fall 2012-13)
9. Erica Heppe, West branch campus, 3rd Quarter Student (Winter 2013)  

Writing Committee 4: Student Support Services and Admissions  

1. Mindy Leahy, Sr. Director Registrar, main campus, Writing Committee 4, Chair 
2. Jennifer Randazzo, Sr. Director for Financial Affairs, main campus, Writing Committee 4, Co-Chair
3. Jason Brewer, Florida Campus Registrar, Florida branch campus
4. Julie Behn, Director for Admissions, West branch campus
5. Dr. Barbara Mansholt, Assistant Professor, Technique, main campus
6. Dr. Anne Canty, Professor, Florida branch campus
7. Morgan Winkler, main campus, 3rd Trimester Student, (Fall 2012-13)
8. Diana Miller, West branch campus, 1st Quarter Student, (Winter 2013)
9. Chris Turner, Florida branch campus, 4th Quarter Student, (Winter 2013) 

Writing Committee 5: Educational Programs and Meta Competencies 

1. Dr. Andrea Haan, Sr. Director for Assessment, main campus, Writing Committee 5, Chair
2. Ms. Lori Byrd, Director for Clinic Assessment and Integrity, main campus, Writing Committee 5, Co-Chair 
3. Dr. Al Luce, Dean of Clinics, Florida branch campus
4. Dr. Misty Stick, Associate Professor, Faculty-Clinician, main campus
5. Dr. Virginia Barber, Associate Professor, Faculty-Clinician, main campus
6. Dr. Tammi Clark, Associate Professor, Faculty Clinician, West branch campus
7. Erica Boland, main campus, 9th Trimester Student, (Fall 2012-13)
8. Sylvia Corbett, West branch, 5th Quarter Student, (Winter 2013)

Editing Committee:  

1. Dr. Robert Percuoco, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, main campus
2. Jeannette Danner, Sr. Director for Accreditation & Licensure, main campus, Self-Study Coordinator and Writing Committee 1, Chair
3. Dr. Dana Lawrence, Sr. Director for Center for Teaching & Learning; Professor, main campus, Writing Committee 3, Chair
4. Dr. Andrea Haan, Sr. Director for Assessment, main campus, Writing Committee 5, Chair
5. Dr. Dustin Derby, Sr. Director for Institutional Planning and Research, main campus, Survey Data Support
6. Mr. Mike Rekemeyer, Website Design Manager, main campus, Self-Study Design and Tech Coordinator
7. Dr. Alana Callender, Sr. Director for Palmer History and Grammarian, main campus  

Federal Compliance Sub-Committee:  

1. Jeannette Danner, Sr. Director for Accreditation & Licensure, main campus, Self-Study Coordinator and Writing Committee 1, Chair
2. Earlye Julien, Sr. Director for Compliance and Organizational Development, main campus, Writing Committee 2, Chair
3. Alexis VanderHorn, Sr. Director for Financial Affairs, main campus, Writing Committee 1, Co-Chair 
4. Mindy Leahy, Sr. Director Registrar, main campus, Writing Committee 4, Chair
5. Jennifer Randazzo, Sr. Director for Financial Planning,  main campus, Writing Committee 4, Co-Chair
6. Dr. Shayan Sheybani, Clinics Operations Administrator; Assistant Professor, main campus
7. Karen Grimm, Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, main campus

Palmer College’s Self-Study process is designed to be comprehensive and inclusive of broad perspectives. An institutional self-study is a time intensive and challenging process. Palmer College has elected to use a committee structure to complete its Self-Study as a strategy for distributing responsibilities, ensuring input across employee levels and unit divisions, and using communication loops and coordination, including multi-campus input and feedback, to support a meaningful, thorough, and candid self-evaluation of the College.

CCE Standards-HLC Criteria Matrix

The 2014-15 Self-Study process differs from past Self-Study processes in that the CCE and HLC evaluation reports are due six months apart. The CCE Standard –HLC Criteria Matrix document was developed to link similar accreditation themes for the Writing Committees. The CCE Standard –HLC Criteria Matrix is housed on the Self-Study Portal. Where the CCE Standards and the HLC Criteria themes overlap the Writing Committees will write a nearly common response to both reports, i.e. College operations. Since HLC accredits the College at the institutional-level, the Assurance Report encompasses all degree programs; the Self-Study for CCE focuses only on the Doctor of Chiropractic Program.

CCE Standards and HLC Criteria Training

In March 2013, training sessions for the Steering Committee and the Writing Committees will provide a review of the accreditation Standards and Criteria, best practices for assessing, and evaluative writing for a self-study. 

1. Introduction to the Self-Study Process, Timeline, Portal, SharePoint, and Accreditation Resources; presented by Jeannette Danner, Sr. Director for Accreditation and Licensure
2. CCE 2012 Standards; presented by Dr. Percuoco, Vice Chancellor For Academic Affairs and CCE Site Team Academy Chair
3. HLC Pathways, 2012 Criteria and Core Components, Assumed Practices for Accreditation, and the Federal Compliance Program; presented by Jeannette Danner, Sr. Director for Accreditation and Licensure 
4. The Challenge of Evidence and Evaluative Writing – a Practical Lesson and Best Use of Data; presented by Dr. Haan, Sr. Director for Assessment and Dr. Derby, Sr. Director for Institutional Research and Planning.

Self-Study Portal

The Self-Study Portal was developed to provide an electronic workspace and resource repository for the 2-3 year Self-Study process. The Writing Committees will utilize Microsoft SharePoint software from the Self-Study Portal to write their respective chapters. SharePoint works on the principle of electronic check-out of a document before editing can occur. The software allows multiple writers/reviewers access to a single document; however, only one person can check the document out at any given time. This avoids creation of multiple versions. The complete history of all edited versions of the report is archived by the software and retrievable, so no work is lost. Access to the portal is restricted to the Self-Study committee members through assigned committee folders that house evidence collected, committee minutes and evidence worksheets. Self-Study resources such as the 2012 CCE Standards, 2012 HLC Criteria, Federal Compliance Program, past accreditation reports, and templates are housed on the Self-Study Portal. In addition, the Writing Committees have access to the electronic Resource Room with institutional data from annual accreditation reports, which will be periodically updated. 

Collection and Analysis of Evidence

Commencing in March 2013, the Writing Committees will meet regularly to review their assigned CCE Standards and HLC Criteria, interview groups and individuals, and identify, collect, and assess evidence. The CCE Standard –HLC Criteria Matrix serves as a guide to identify the location of evidence, documents and data necessary to evaluate the area against the CCE Standards and HLC Criteria. Evidence Worksheets (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet) were developed for each Writing Committee to track information and evidence. The Writing Committees will develop their chapter outlines from the completed Evidence Worksheet. Chapter outlines are due May 2013. The Steering Committee will review the Writing Committees' chapter outlines and Evidence Worksheets to identify overlaps, review assessments, data and evidence collected, and provide feedback.

The Writing Process 

Following the chapter outline review by the Steering Committee, the Writing Committees will begin writing the first draft of their assigned chapters and continue collecting necessary information, evidence, and data. The Writing Committees Chairs will meet regularly as the Steering Committee to review progress, identify gaps and overlaps, review data, and discuss assessments. The first drafts will be due in early October 2013. The draft reports will be placed on the Self-Study webpage for broad constituency feedback and comments. In addition, the draft chapters will be reviewed by the College Deans, administration, and the Board of Trustees for feedback.

The Writing Committees will begin the second draft in November 2013, which will be completed in late January 2014. These 2nd draft reports will again be placed on the Self-Study webpage for broad constituency feedback and comments, following the same review process as the 1st draft. In February 2014, the Editing Committee will devote its attention to drawing the HLC Assurance report into an integrated document with a single voice. Drafts will be subsequently reviewed by an external reviewer for feedback. The HLC Assurance Report is due in Fall 2014. Following the submission of the HLC Assurance Report, the Editing Committee will begin work on the CCE Self-Study, which is due March 2015.

Self-Study Webpage

The Self-Study webpage was developed to communicate the Self-Study goals, structure, and processes to the Palmer community of students, employees, patients and alumni. Unlike the Self-Study Portal, which is restricted to working groups, the Self-Study webpage is available to all constituents. Each draft of the reports will be provided on the Self-Study webpage to solicit feedback and comments.

Chancellor and Executive Administration Team 

• Ensure the Self-Study is an institutional priority;
• Establish Self-Study Goals;
• Appoint the Steering Committee;
• Tie the Self-Study process to institutional planning;
• Provide input and resources;
• Monitor progress;
• Inform and update the Board of Trustees;
• Ensure the institution is meeting Federal Compliance Requirements;
• Approve final Self-Study report; and
• Meet with the site visit teams. 

College and Campus Leadership (Vice Chancellors, Campus Provost, Branch Campus Presidents, and Deans) 

• Support and promote the Self-Study as an institutional priority within respective units and areas of responsibility; 
• Provide sufficient time and resources to unit personnel assigned to the Steering Committee and Writing Committees;
• Provide input and resources necessary for completing the Self-Study, including the provision of data and documentary evidence;
• Ensure the institution is meeting HLC’s Assumed Practices; and
• Meet with the site visit teams.  

College Community (Faculty, Staff, Administrators, and Students) 

• Participate in the Self-Study process by reading drafts and providing input, information, and feedback;
• Stay informed by reading updates;
• Obtain a deeper understanding of accreditation and self-study processes and findings; and
• Prepare for the campus site visits.

Self-Study Coordinator

• Coordinate the Self-Study process;
• Manage the HLC and CCE Self-Study budgets; 
• Train and advise committees on CCE Standards, HLC Criteria, Federal Compliance Requirements and Assumed Practices, evaluation processes, and roles and responsibilities;
• Provide regular updates and reports to the Chancellor and Executive Admin Team;
• Coordinate activities with Campus Facilitators;
• Ensure timely communication with HLC and CCE;
• Oversee development of the Self-Study Portal and Webpage;
• Oversee development of the electronic Resource Room;
• Ensure timely completion and submission of the Self-Study reports;
• Meet with site visit team; and
• Make recommendations for ongoing collection of relevant institutional documents to meet institutional needs beyond those of the accreditation Self-Study.

 Steering Committee

• Fulfill the Chancellor’s charge for the Self-Study;
• Ensure broad representation and input for the Self-Study;
• Convene committees and monitor their progress;
• Work with the Federal Compliance Committee to immediately inform the College leadership should any compliance issues arise, and make recommendations for addressing such issues;
• Review HLC Assumed Practices to ensure they are included in the appropriate criterion chapters of the HLC report;
• Identify gaps and corrective actions as related to the CCE Standards and HLC Criteria for institutional planning;
• Develop an Executive Summary, including Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement, and Recommendations for each report;
• Manage the collections of data and evidence artifacts for final reports; submit them to the Self-Study Coordinator for inclusion in the electronic Resource Room;
• Solicit feedback, including campus community and public comment; and
• Meet with site visit team. 

Writing Committees  

• Participate in regular meetings of the committee;
• Conduct interviews to solicit data and information from a broad range of constituents;
• Collect, and evaluate data and documentary evidence;
• Write and submit outlines and assigned chapters to the Steering Committee;
• Write reports that are both descriptive and evaluative, including best evidence (rather than preponderance of evidence);
• Identify evidence to be included in the final reports and the electronic Resource Room;
• Identify and communicate gaps and corrective actions with the Steering Committee;
• Identify strengths and opportunities for improvement for each assigned CCE Standard and HLC Criteria chapter; and
• Meet with the site visit team. 

Editing Committee

• Establish conventions for language usage across the reports;
• Edit each final Self-Study document into an integrated report with a single voice and a consistent message;
• Work with Writing Committee Chairs to ensure all final updates are accurate and include the most current data;
• Determine and review all final formatting, design and graphics prior to print and (electronic submission of the reports); and
• Develop a table of acronyms used in the Self-Study reports. 

Federal Compliance Sub-Committee 

• Collect information to evaluate the College’s compliance with federal rules and guidelines;
• Inform College leadership of any issues related to compliance and make recommendations for addressing these issues;
• Monitor changes in federal compliance expectations and inform College leadership, as necessary;
• Complete required forms; and
• Provide content narrative for chapters on federal compliance. 

Communications and Marketing Department 

• Develop and implement communication strategies to provide the College community regular updates on the Self-Study timeline, findings and site visit preparations;
• Provide communications for internal and external constituents, including students, to solicit feedback on the draft reports, i.e. emails, Tuesday E-News, alumni publications, etc.; and
• Assist the Self-Study Coordinator with the Public Notification of Opportunity to Comment (federal compliance item).  

Electronic Resource Room Coordinator 

• Design an electronic resource room to archive all evidence referenced in the Self-Study reports and artifacts provided by the Writing Committees;
• Develop and update the electronic Resource Room inventory spreadsheet;
• Develop a file naming system for the Writing Committees to utilize in cataloguing evidence artifacts;
• Manage the Self-Study Portal documents and folders; and
• Update the Self-Study webpage, as needed. 

Self-Study Design and Technical Coordinator 

• Provide design and technical support for the Self-Study webpage and Portal;
• Design communication materials for internal and external constituents to solicit feedback on draft reports i.e. posters and flyers;
• Design, format, and brand final reports prior to print (and electronic submission of the reports); and
• Create graphics for the reports.

Site Visit Preparation Committee

• Develop a plan, in conjunction with the College leadership and Campus Facilitators, to prepare the College campuses for the accreditation site visit.

The Following information was taken from The Higher Learning Commission's website:  "Institutional Accreditation: An Overview" The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (2003; Pages 10 - 13)

Q: What is accreditation? 

A: Accreditation by regional and by other nationally recognized agencies provides assurance to the public, in particular prospective students, that an organization has been found to meet the agency's clearly stated requirements and criteria, and that it is reasonable to believe the organization will continue to meet them.

Q: What is the value of accreditation? 

A: Accreditation provides both public certification of acceptable institutional quality and an opportunity and incentive for self-improvement in the accredited organization. The accreditor reaches the conclusion that a college meets the Criteria or Standards only after the organization opens itself to outside examination by experienced evaluators familiar with accrediting requirements and with higher education. The process of accreditation provides the accredited organization with an opportunity for critical self-analysis leading to improvement in quality; and for consultation and advice from persons from other organizations.

Q: What is the difference between regional accreditation and state licensure? 

A: While many states have established regulations that must be met before an educational organization may operate, in most states such regulations represent a minimum basis for protection of students. State authorization should not be confused with institutional or specialized accreditation. To operate legally, a college or university may need state authorization, but it does not necessarily have to be accredited by an institutional or specialized accrediting agency. In fact, an organization must have the appropriate authorization by a state to operate before it can seek affiliation with an accrediting agency.

Q: What is the difference between institutional accreditation and program accreditation? 

A: Institutional accreditation speaks to the overall quality of the organization without making judgments about specific programs. Institutional accreditation is accreditation of all programs, sites, and methods of delivery. The accreditation of individual programs, such as those preparing students to practice a profession, is carried out by specialized or program accrediting bodies that apply specific standards for curriculum and course content. Each specialized accrediting body publishes a list of programs it accredits. This information also is shown in the annual directories, Accreditation Institutions of Postsecondary Education, published by the American Council on Education, and Higher Education Directory, published by Higher Education Publication, which are available in many libraries. The National Center for Education Statistics also provides an online tool called, COOL (College Opportunities Online), that contains programs and other information (http://nces.ed.gov/) College catalogs usually note all information and program accreditations. 

Q: Does accreditation include distance education courses and programs? 

A: Yes. Regional and national accrediting agencies provide institutional accreditation for many organizations that offer courses and programs through various methods of distance delivery. Since regional and national agencies accredit organizations rather than individual programs, they do not maintain listings of such programs. The HLC-NCA does provide a list of internet resources on distance education on its website. In addition, the regional associations have developed "Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs" for those organizations that offer courses or programs through distance delivery (available on the HLC-NCA's website).

Q: Does accreditation guarantee that credits and degrees can be transferred to another college or university? 

A: No. The college or university to which the student has applied determines transferability of credits and degrees. Transferability depends on the college or university at which credits or degrees were earned, how well the credits mesh with the curriculum offered by the school to which the student wishes to transfer, and how well the student did in the courses. Many organizations choose to consider the accredited status of the college at which the credit or degree was earned as one factor in the transfer decision. Some have specific agreements with other colleges or universities guaranteeing transfer of credits. Organizations should be prepared to explain their institutional policies on transfer and the factors in an individual transfer decision. 

Students should be skeptical of any school that makes unqualified assertions that its credits will transfer to all other schools. Any student planning to transfer credits should, at the earliest opportunity, consult the receiving organization about the transfer of credits before taking the courses for transfer, if possible.

 

• 2013 CCE Accreditation Standards 
• 2013 CCE Manual of Policies  

• 2013 HLC Criteria and Assumed Practices 
• March 2012 HLC Standard Pathway Booklet  

If you have any questions please contact the Office of Accreditation and Licensure:

Jeannette Danner, Sr. Director for Accreditation and Licensure, PH :( 563) 884 5151, jeannette.danner@palmer.edu 

Jill Everetts, Accreditation and Licensure Coordinator, PH: (563) 884 5586, jill.everetts@palmer.edu