DETC News: Spring 2007

Spring 2007

In this issue:In this issue:In this issue:In this issue:In this issue:Report from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionReport from the Accrediting CommissionReflections on Distance EducationReflections on Distance EducationReflections on Distance EducationReflections on Distance EducationReflections on Distance EducationLLLLLooking Tooking Tooking Tooking Tooking Toward the Foward the Foward the Foward the Foward the Futureutureutureutureuture81st Annual Conference a Success81st Annual Conference a Success81st Annual Conference a Success81st Annual Conference a Success81st Annual Conference a SuccessDETC Earns Continued Federal RecogitionDETC Earns Continued Federal RecogitionDETC Earns Continued Federal RecogitionDETC Earns Continued Federal RecogitionDETC Earns Continued Federal Recogition

DETC NEWSDETC Honors Outstanding Graduates

and Famous Alumni

1D E T C N E W S • S P R I N G 2 0 0 5

Contents

Message from the Executive Director .............................................................

Report from the Accrediting Commission ........................................................

Important Dates ................................................................................................

Looking Toward the Future: What’s Ahead for Distance Education? ............ by Joseph C. Luman

New Commissioner Appointed, New Officers Elected ...................................

Reflections on Distance Education ................................................................... by Fred Harcleroad

DETC Presents Awards ..................................................................................

DETC Earns Continued Federal Recognition ...................................................

Plan to Attend DETC’s Fall Workshop ............................................................

DETC 81st Annual Conference a Success ......................................................

DETC NEWS - SPRING 2007

DETC NEWS—Published by the DistanceEducation and Training Council, 1601 18thStreet, NW, Suite 2, Washington, D.C. 20009(202-234-5100).

The Distance Education and Training Coun-cil (DETC) a nonprofit, voluntary associationof accredited distance study institutions, wasfounded in 1926 to promote sound educationalstandards and ethical business practices withinthe distance study field. The independent DETCAccrediting Commission is listed by the UnitedStates Department of Education as a “nation-ally recognized accrediting agency.” The Ac-crediting Commission is also a charter memberof the Council for Higher Education Accredi-tation (CHEA).

DETC Staff:Executive Director:Michael P. Lambert

Associate Director and News Editor:Sally R. Welch

Director of Accreditation:Nan M. Bayster

Director of Meetings and Publications:Robert S. Chalifoux

Information Specialist and Bookkeeper:Rachel A. Scheer

Legal Counsellor:Joseph C. Luman

On the Cover: DETC honored its Outstanding Graduates and Famous Alumni at the 81stAnnaul Conference in Tucson, AZ. Honorees are, from left, Mrs. Mary Rudy (acceptingfor her husband, Chief Randy Rudy, Columbia Southern University’s Outstanding Gradu-ate), Mr. Eric Rodriguez, Australasian College of Health Science’s Outstanding Graduate,and Dr. Mark Dykowski, ACHS’s Famous Alumni. Congratulations to these DETCOutstanding Graduates and Famous Alumni!

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1D E T C N E W S • SPRING 2007

Message from the Executive Director

(continued)

Another Very Good Year!

byMichael P. Lambert

The Distance Education and TrainingCouncil (DETC) has ended another re-markably successful, high-output year, itshistoric 80th, with a track record of solidachievement, earning continued nationalrecognition, earning new levels of nationaland international acceptance and respect,attaining a strong financial footing, whilereceiving more peer-group respect andpublic trust by means of its steady, unwa-vering pursuit of its strategic vision ofbeing a world-class accrediting associa-tion.

Any voluntary association of institu-tions that has been able to survive for eightdecades must have a key to its longevity.In DETC’s case, its key to success is itsstrength derives from the unique and eclec-tic group of outstanding institutions thatcomprise it.

DETC really does have a relativelystunning collection of diverse educational

institutions located in seven countries andenrolling nearly 4 million students. Thesediverse organizations are united by a com-mon passion for excellence in the evolvingmethod of delivering world-class learningvia distance learning technologies. DETCboasts of faith-based institutions, tradeassociation schools, military institutes,smaller family-operated schools, eleemo-synary schools, state owned universitieshere and abroad and for profit firms thathave been around for 80 years or more.

It is from this wide-ranging group ofinstitutions, offering instruction from Kin-dergarten to Doctoral Degrees, to peoplefrom 6 to 96, that DETC gets its inspirationfor success and from which DETC drawsits continuously renewed energy to pressahead as a single unit with a strong voicein an increasingly complex world.

D E T C N E W S • SPRING 20072

(continued)

(Message from the Executive Direc-tor, continued)

DETC has long been adept at “playingbigger than it is” on a global playing field,a field that is not level, fair nor welcomingat times. Year after year, accolades andhonors have been accruing to DETC forits persistent, unflagging pursuit of excel-lence in all matters involved in distancelearning, whether it is in the unendingenhancements andstrengthening of itsstandards for accredi-tation or its continu-ous fine-tuning of itsmuch-praised out-comes assessmentprogram or in its inno-vative, far reachingconsumer protectionrole where it contin-ues to pioneer withnew standards onInternet marketing andelectronic admissionspractices. No other accrediting associa-tion, in our opinion, brings so many value-adding services that are exclusive andrelevant to the distance school. No otheraccrediting group provides the same levelof insight into the key challenges facingdistance institutions today.

Our Year Ahead

The year before us offers no relieffrom tough challenges. As always, we willneed to call on the time and resources andgoodwill of the DETC membership if we

hope to overcome these bigger than imag-inable tasks that have been set before us.

Here is my “short list” of the top chal-lenges DETC will be facing next year:

• Ensuring that DETC’s voice is heard asCongress once again, for the fourth year ina row, starts anew—“from scratch” in theHouse—to re-authorize the Higher Edu-cation Act. Two key items interest DETC:fairness for our students in the credit

transfer issue andfairness in any newlaws concerning eli-gibility for onlinelearning programs.With the two Con-gressional authoriz-ing committees nowbeing run by Demo-crats, who in the pasthave hardly expressany strong affectionfor distance learning,there is no sure thingthat DETC institu-

tions’ interests are going to be safefrom legislative tinkering.

• Monitoring the developments with theSecretary of Education’s Futures Com-mission, to ascertain that new regulationsthat may come out of the NegotiatedRulemaking process underway this springare not detrimental to the needs of ourstudents and our institutions.

• Making more headway in having a “levelplaying field” where our graduates’ aca-demic credits and degrees are routinelyaccepted by a recalcitrant higher educa-

Year after year,accolades and honorshave been accruingto DETC for its per-sistent, unflagging

pursuit of excellencein all matters in-

volved in distancelearning.


(Message from the Executive Direc-tor, continued)

tional community, which continues to pay“lip service” to national calls for opennessand fair play in credit transfer decisions.Last year, lobbyists from some highereducation groups succeeded in knockingout language in a U.S. House of Repre-sentatives’ Bill that would have helpedensure fair play to graduates of nationallya c c r e d i t e dschools. They suc-ceeded by tellingCongress thingsthat were distor-tions of the truthabout the impactof proposalsDETC had foughtto get into theHEA bill. Theywill not hesitateto continue topeddle distortionsof the truth andDETC will be on its toes.

• Ensuring that we keep our standardsfor accreditation relevant to institutions’needs, and on the “cutting edge” of tech-nological innovation. DETC has long beenthe leader in distance learning accredita-tion, but it now has competition from atleast a dozen other institutional accreditinggroups.

• Preserving DETC’s acceptance by thepublic as a premiere accrediting body,given the recent entry other “newcomer”accrediting groups to distance learning

accreditation, and continuing to attractapplications for accreditation from theworld’s leading distance learning institu-tions.

• Working hard to retain the trust of stateand federal regulators which we enjoynow.

• Ensuring that we always remember thatour core mission is to serve our students

and provide the very finestin learning opportunities tothem, with world class ser-vice and fair dealing.

• Finally, continuing to keepDETC members well in-formed and well equippedto compete, innovate andflourish in an increasinglyshrinking globe withtougher and tougher com-petition for the same stu-dent market.

Working as one team witha common vision, I am confident that wewill overcome each of these challenges inthe years ahead

Working as oneteam with a common

vision, I amconfident we willovercome each of

these challenges inthe years ahead.

Mark Your Calendar

Mark your calendar and plan toattend DETC’s Fall Workshop,October 14-16, 2007 at theRancho Bernard Inn in San

Diego, CA.


(continued)

Report from the Accrediting Commission

The DETC Accrediting Commissionmet January 12-13, 2007 and took thefollowing actions:

Commissioner Appointed

The Commission voted to appoint Dr.Timothy Mott to his first three-year termas a public member on the Commission.Dr. Mott is the Associate Provost, Dis-tance Learning at Union Institute & Uni-versity in Cincinnati, OH. He is also theDirector of the American Council onEducation’s State Affiliate Office in Ohio.

Throughout his tenure at Union, he hasheld the positions of Assistant Vice Presi-dent for Academic Affairs, Director of theUniversity’s Office for Licensure andCompliance, University Registrar, Deanof the College of Undergraduate Studiesand he was the founding Dean of theCenter for Distance Learning (CDL). His27 year educational career has be focusedon elementary education, gifted and tal-ented education, adult higher education,distance learning, applications of instruc-tional technology and teach/learning strat-egies to promote effective individualizededucational opportunities.

Dr. Mott holds a Ph.D. in Curriculumand Supervision from the University ofPittsburgh, a M.Ed. degree in ElementaryScience Education and a B.S. degree inElementary Education from the IndianaUniversity of Pennsylvania. Dr. Mott’sterm will expire in 2010.

Officers

Chair: The Commission voted to elect Dr.Dorothy C. Fenwick, Executive DirectorEmeritus, Commission on Recognition ofPostsecondary Accreditation, as the newChair of the DETC Accrediting Commis-sion. Dr. Fenwick joined the Commissionin 1998, and was re-appointed to her thirdand final term in January 2005. She re-places Mr. Henry Spille, who retired afterserving the maximum allowable terms onthe Commission.

Vice Chair: Dr. Gary L. Seevers, VicePresident of Academic Affairs, GlobalUniversity, Springfield, MO, was electedVice Chair of the Commission. Mr. BrookEllis, Vice President of Education, re-mains the Treasurer, and Mr. Michael P.Lambert remains the Executive Director.Ms. Sally R. Welch, Assistant Director,was named Associate Director.

One Institution Gains Accreditation

The following institutions were accreditedas of January 13, 2007:

Henley-Putnam University227 Devcon DriveSan Jose, CA 95112408-453-9900; fax 408-453-9700http://www.cupim.org

Dr. Michael Corcoran, PresidentMr. Greg VonGehr, CEO


(Report from the Accrediting Com-mission, continued)

(continued)

Founded 1991. Offers Bachelor of Science andMaster of Science degrees in IntelligenceManagement, Terrorism and CounterterrorismStudies, and Personal Protection.

Four Institutions Re-accredited

The following institutions were re-accred-ited:

Babel University Professional Schoolof Translation, Tokyo, Japan and Hono-lulu, HI

Brighton College, Hudson, OH

Independence University, Salt LakeCity, UT

Westlawn Institute of Marine Tech-nology, Mystic, CT and Annapolis, MD

Congratulations to each of these four insti-tutions.

Change of Location

The following institutions changed loca-tions:

Andrew Jackson University moved to2919 John Hawkins Parkway, Birming-ham, AL 35244

Lansbridge University moved to 415

King Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick,Canada E3B 1E5

Additional Sites

American Public University Systemestablished a new office in Virginia at10110 Battleview Parkway, Suite 200,Manassas, VA 20110

William Howard Taft University openeda new site at 16 Market Square Center,1400 16th Street, Suite 400, Denver, CO80202

Title IV Certified

The following institutions were certified tooffer Title IV:

Cleveland Institute of Electronics,Cleveland, OH

World College, Virginia Beach, VA

New and Revised Courses/ProgramsApproved

The Commission approved the followingnew courses/programs:

Allied Business Schools, Inc.• Appraiser’s Guide to Property Manage-

ment• Appraiser’s Guide to Real Estate Prin-

ciples• Georgia Real Estate Principles


(continued)


American Sentinel University• Bachelor of Science in Information Tech-

nology

Aspen University• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

At-Home Professionals/McKinleyCollege

• Associate of Applied Science in Account-ing and Business Management

• Associate of Applied Science in HealthInformation Management

Cardean University• Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science

– Psychology• Master of Science in Information Man-

agement

Columbia Southern University• Associate of Applied Science in Fire Sci-

ence

Huntington College of Health Sciences• Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition

International Import-Export Institute• Warehousing: Principles and Practices in

a Global Economy

New York Institute of Photography• Fundamentals of Digital Photography

Professional Career Development In-stitute

• Computer Network Security

Sessions Online School of Design• Digital Photography Using Camera Raw• Digital Video Editing I• After Effects I• SketchUp Basic• SketchUp Intermediate• Web Accessibility Design• Drawing I• Figure Drawing

Applicants for Accreditation and Re-Accreditation for 2007

The following institutions have applied forDETC initial accreditation or five year re-accreditation.

First Time Applicants:

Accelerated Training Institute, Napa, CA

Aerobics and Fitness Association of America,Sherman Oaks, CA

American Center for Conflict Resolution,Euclid, OH

American Central University, Laramie,WY

American City University, Cheyenne, WY

American Fitness Professionals and Associ-ates, Manahawkin, NJ

American Global University, Cheyenne,WY

Anaheim University, Anaheim, CA

BILD International University/Antioch Schoolof Church Planning and Leadership Develop-ment, Ames, IA

Brigham Yount University Independent Study,Provo, UT

Erudio College, Miami, FL


(continued)


Fairmont International University (formerlyPreston University), Cheyenne, WY

California Miramar University (formerly PacficWestern University), Cheyenee, WY

Florida Virtual University, Weston, FL

Halifax University, Casper, WY

Hindu University of America, Orlando, FL

Institute of Theology by Extension, DesMoines, IA

International Sports Sciences Association,Carpinteria, CA

Lion Investigation Academy, Bethlehem, PA

Perelandra College, LaMesa, CA

Real Estate Prepatory Schools, Inc., Sacra-mento, CA

Rocky Mountain University of Health Profes-sions, Provo, UT

Teacher Education University, Winter Park,FL

University of Atlanta, Mobile, AL

University of Philosophical Research, LosAngeles, CA

Vision International University, Ramona, CA

Yorktown University, Inc., Denver, CO

Applicants for Five-Year Re-Accredita-tion:

American Career Institute, Las Vegas, NV

Andrew Jackson University, Birmingham, AL

Applied Professional Training, Inc., Carlsbad,CA

Army Institute for Professional Development,Fort Eustis, VA

California National University for AdvancedStudies, Northridge, CA

Citizens’ High School, Orange Park, FL

Cleveland Institute of Electronics, Cleveland,OH

College of the Humanities and SciencesHarrison Middleton University, Tempe, AZ

Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad,CA

Marine Corps Institute, Washington, DC

National Tax Training, Mahwah, NJ

National Training, Inc., Orange Park, FL

Professional Career Development Institute,Norcross, GA

University of Management and Technology,Arlington, VA

Western Governors University, Salt Lake City,UT

World College, Virginia Beach, VA

Policies and Standards Adopted andProposed

The DETC Accrediting Commissiongave final approval to the addition to theDETC Business Standards, Section I: In-stitution and Course Promotion, SectionA. Advertising and Promotion, a newnumber 10:

An institution that offers academicdegrees or academic credit-bearingcourses must disclose on its web siteand in its catalog that the acceptance



(continued)

for transfer of its credits is determinedby the receiving institution.

The Commission also approved forpublic comment the following:

Changes to C.9. Policy on DegreePrograms, which includes adding the defi-nition of quarter hours, removing footnotefor admission requirements, and addingTOEFL requirements.Revisions to the DETC Accreditation Stan-dards to include elements of “Principles ofGood Practice in Distance Learning” asproposed by a Task Force for the U.S.Department of Defense.

To view these documents, go toDETC’s web site at www.detc.org andselect “The Accrediting Commission” and“Call for Public Comments.”

DETC Accreditation Handbook Up-dated

The 2007 edition of the DETC Accredita-tion Handbook is now available onDETC’s Web site. To view on DETC’sWeb site, please visit http://www.detc.org,select “Publications” and “AccreditationHandbook.”

Introducing New Course

The DETC is proud to announce itsnew course, the DETC Course on Pre-paring for Accreditation. The course isintended to give institutions a thoroughunderstanding of the accreditation pro-

cess. It is a dynamic learning program thatwill be updated frequently as theCommission’s standards, practices, andpolicies change.

Completion of this course is a requiredpart of an institution’s initial or reaccredi-tation process. At least one key personfrom an institution must complete the pro-gram prior to preparing its Self-EvaluationReport (SER) and before submitting itsApplication. An institution’s “Applicationfor Accreditation” will not be acceptedunless a key person at the institution hascompleted the course. This course appliesto:

Future Accreditation: An institutionwhich is considering applying for accredi-tation should enroll a key person in thiscourse.

Initial Accreditation: An institution ap-plying for accreditation and undergoing anon-site visit for the first time will find thiscourse very helpful because it providesdetailed information about the process ofaccreditation, and what will happen be-fore, during, and after the on-site visit.

Reaccreditation: An institution that ispreparing for its five-year review shoulduse this course as a refresher on theaccreditation process.

The textbook for the course is theDETC Accreditation Handbook (avail-able on DETC’s web site). There are eightlessons, each with a quiz.



The course is available online. Go towww.detc.org and select “Member Ser-vices” and “Publications”—sign in using“guest” as your user name and password.There’s a link to an e-mail address toeCollege. Send them the requested infor-mation and they will send you your username and password. You can also takethe course by downloading aWORD fileunder “Member Services” and “Publica-tions” at no charge.To complete the course,just print the Answer Sheet found at theend, read each lesson, fill in your answersto the quizzes, and mail or fax the form toDETC. It’s that simple.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the DETC Accredit-ing Commission will be June 8-9.

Important DatesMark your calendars now for the follow-ing DETC activities for 2007 and 2008:

Accrediting Commission MeetingJune 8-9

DETC International Seminar June 24-26 The DeVere Grand Hotel Brighton, England

DETC Fall WorkshopOctober 15-16Rancho Bernardo InnSan Diego, CA

DETC Title IV WorkshopOctober 17Rancho Bernardo InnSan Diego, CA

Accrediting Commission MeetingJanuary 11-12, 2008

DETC 82nd Annual ConferenceApril 13-15, 2008Fairmont Copley PlazaBoston, MA

Accrediting Commission MeetingJune 5-6, 2008

DETC Distance EducationWorkshop

October 12-13, 2008Center for Continuing EducationThe University of Notre Dame

Students Still Satisfied

The reports on DETCs’ Outcomes Assessmentprogram for 2006 showed that students aresatisfied with their experiences with DETC in-stitutions.

Results of the three questions were:

1. Did you achieve, or will you have achievedupon completing your studies, the goals youhad when you strated the course or program?94% said YES;

2. Would you recommend these studies to afriend? 96% said YES;

3. All things considered, were you satisfiedwith your studies? 95% said YES


(continued)

Looking Toward the Future

What's Ahead forDistance Education?

byJoseph C. LumanDETC Legal Counsel

Dealing with the issues of the day is theimportant work that consumes most of ourtime. Occasionally, however, it is wise tolift our eyes and try to look at what mightconfront us down the road. DETC’s Ac-crediting Commission set aside time to dothis at its January meeting, and the recentAnnual Conference was another opportu-nity to step away from daily operations andponder the future. Forecasting is an activ-ity built on many guesses, but those whohave to adjust their anticipations can copewith changes better than those who gaveno thought to how things might change.

Reflect on the operating environmentfor DETC schools ten years ago. Hadsomeone at the top of the learning curvethen taken a decade-long sabbatical, they’dhave to do a lot of catching up. When wepeer into the future, we may overstatesome trends and understate others, but theone prediction that we can make withgreat confidence is that the environmentwill continue to evolve. Just as the last ten

years have seen many changes, so will thenext ten. Or even the next five.

Among the many agents of change atwork in education today, technology hasthe most powerful potential. Even whenthe learning occurs primarily from books,the existence of the Internet has givendistance education a new glamour. One-liners about doctors who learned cosmeticsurgery through the mail have fallen fromfavor as almost every university in thecountry moves to offer distance educationcourses. Major advances in communica-tions technology have changed the publicperception and with it the nature of DETC‘smembership. Member schools still offervocational training, but increasingly thecourses sent in for review are at thecollege level.

At the recent annual conference inTucson, attendees saw how technologywill continue to shape distance education.“Live” discussions with experts on retire-


(Looking Toward the Future, contin-ued)

(continued)

ment planning illustrated again how dis-tance is no longer the handicap it oncewas. Personal items like iPods can offernew and exciting ways to handle learningtasks like notes and outlines. At confer-ences, the “sage on the stage” increasinglyrelies on computers to enrich the message,and this is something that can be done aswell through distance education. The pow-erful reality that simulation can create hasyet to be fully inte-grated, but its poten-tial is illustrated bycurrent reliance on itin pilot training andwar games. New gen-erations of videogames suggest thatthe cost of effectivesimulation is droppingas its effectiveness isincreasing.

A second factorthat will affect dis-tance education is thatit can avoid the ever-rising costs thatplague traditional colleges. Additional stu-dents do not require the same degree ofinvestment, making distance education farmore “scalable” and thus able to handlefar greater numbers. If the engine ofcompetition is allowed to do its work,proprietary distance education can ad-dress America’s great concern that highereducation be made more accessible.

However, the potential for proprietarydistance education to make this great con-tribution is presently limited. Although themajority of students who want to have

credits accepted have been successful,the process can be time-consuming andsuccess is not always certain. Registrarsat traditional colleges do not want to investthe time to validate credits from institu-tions unknown to them and their organiza-tion succeeded in stripping from the HigherEducation Act a provision against reject-ing credit solely on the grounds of the typeof accreditation.

The struggle continues. Its outcome isuncertain, but the results of negotiations onproposed Department of Education regu-

lations show thatmany outside of pro-prietary education seethe problem. Opposi-tion to lifting the biasagainst national ac-creditation, a positionsupported by majoreducation organiza-tions including that ofthe registrars them-selves, is increasinglybased on concernsabout Federal inter-vention in accredita-

tion rather than any claim of merit. DETChas proposed that the Government use itsfunding muscle and place the requirementin its agreement with schools using Fed-eral aid. This would insure that bias doesnot lead to courses being repeated while itrefrains from any new accreditation man-date.

Credit transfer considerations illustratethat government policies are a third forcethat will affect the future of higher educa-tion. Governmental reliance on accredita-

Credit transferconsiderationsillustrate that

government policiesare a third force

that will affect thefuture of higher

education.


(

(continued)


tion as an earmark of quality has added anew and powerful motivation to the tradi-tional ones of improvement through peerreview and a commitment to improve-ment. Federal funding has become a stapleand the loss of it usually means the closureof a proprietary school. This fact of life haschanged the way accrediting agenciesoperate and made them extraordinarilysensitive to Govern-ment requirements.As one example, arecent proposedregulation wouldhave inserted theword “explicit” indescribing standardsand also required oralhearings anytimethere was a potentialof adverse action.Both of these propos-als would have made accreditation muchmore legalistic and expensive, and DETCwas pleased to see that its strenuous butreasoned objections succeeded in gettingthem removed. The risk that well-inten-tioned regulators will wreak havoc is al-ways present, however, and once a mistakeis made it is usually very difficult to correctit.

Government funding makes it possiblefor more students to continue their educa-tion but from a school perspective it is amixed blessing. As presentations in Tuc-son at DETC’s Annual Conference dem-onstrated, the funds are accompanied by amultitude of regulations. One size must fitall, and DETC schools without a campus

are still required to have policies designedto report on and minimize the occurrenceof campus violence and drug abuse.

Any activity relying on tax dollars issubject to Congressional control, and thedirect importance of education to Ameri-can families increases the risk of politicalshowboating. Much of the opposition towhat is termed correspondence educationrests on the assertion that diploma millsonce received federal funds, a belief thatlives on despite its utter falsity. There

were, however, realproblems with studentloan defaults in hy-brid schools thatcoupled correspon-dence learning withon-site instruction,and these insure thatDETC schools usingfederal aid will bescrutinized moreclosely than others.

Another factorthat may affect DETC as an accreditingagency is its loss of exclusivity. It was nottoo long ago, less than two decades, that allproprietary distance education accreditingapplications found their way to the doorsof DETC’s predecessor. Both regionaland national accreditors alike told propri-etary school prospects, a group with aheavy input from diploma mills, to taketheir case to the National Home StudyCouncil.

This changed when distance educa-tion, glamorized by new developments intechnology, started to become fashion-able. Regional agencies, particularly NorthCentral, no longer held their noses at

One size must fit all,and DETC schools with-out a campus are still

required to have policiesdesigned to report on

and minimize the occur-rence of campus violence

and drug abuse.


Searching for a wordto characterize theoverall tone of theCommission . . . I

would selectoptimism.


dealing with schools that operated on aprofit basis. Those schools located in thisregion inherited the favorable bias towardregional accreditation that was initiallyinstalled when it was the only accredita-tion around and only nonprofit collegescould attain it. In the proprietary schooluniverse, the Department of Educationconcluded that DETC confining itself toinstitutions operated viadistance education didnot mean that these in-stitutions were confinedto DETC, and other na-tional accreditors pre-pared to open shop.

Some DETCschools have relocatedto make themselves eli-gible for North Centralaccreditation. Otherswith accreditation fromboth DETC and anothernational have been pressured to place theirentire operation under the other accredita-tion. Competition has many good features,but it is of dubious value in an environmentwhere accrediting agencies are expectedto act as regulators. How this will affectDETC over the long term cannot be deter-mined, but its effect may lesson over time.With the advent of eligibility of Title IV,regional accreditation has lost some of itsappeal and progress in transfer of creditswill have a major affect in increasing thedesirability of national accreditation.

There are developments in the busi-ness area that could manifest themselvesas agents of change in distance education.

As a general rule, most industries seeconsolidation as they mature. In the earlydays of automobile manufacturing therewere over 100 companies turning outhorseless carriages and most of us mayrecall the names of several computer com-panies that no longer exist. Residentialproprietary education has seen the con-solidation of smaller schools into largechains. Nonetheless, as shown by thegreat number of colleges, education hasfunctioned surprisingly well with many

niches. In the dis-cussions at theCommission meet-ing, the consensuswas that DETCschools are lesslikely to see mas-sive consolidationand can continue tosucceed by servingthe niches that theyhave created.

Searching for aword to character-

ize the overall tenor of the Commission’sdeliberations, I would select optimism.While conscious of several very real chal-lenges, the Commissioners also reflectedon the overall growth of education, par-ticularly distance education, and the in-creasing prestige of DETC and themembers that it serves. There are reallimits on the slice of the educational piethat distance education can aspire to serve,but the pie grows larger every year. Thereis a great need for what DETC schoolsoffer, and their future looks good whenone considers the overall growth in thisarea and their ability to offer a qualityproduct at attractive prices


The DETC Accrediting Commissionappointed one new Commissioner at itsJanuary 2007 meeting and elected twonew officers. The DETC membershipelected one new Commissioner at its An-nual Business Meeting, April 16, 2007.

New Commissioners

The Com-mission voted toappoint Dr.Timothy Mottto his first three-year term as apublic memberon the Commis-sion. Dr. Mottis the AssociateProvost, Dis-tance Learning

at Union Institute & University in Cincin-nati, OH. He is also the Director of theAmerican Council on Education’s StateAffiliate Office in Ohio (see page 4 formore information).

At DETCs Annual Business meetingon April 16th, the membership voted toelect Mr. Thomas Kube, President ofSonoran Desert Institute, Scottsdale, AZ,as an institution member of the Commis-sion.

Mr. Kube also serves as the ExecutiveDirector/CEO for the Council of Educa-tional Facility Planners (CEFPI). Mr. Kube

New Commissioners Appointed, NewOfficers Elected

earned a BAdegree fromColorado StateUniversity andan MBA degreein finance fromGeorge MasonUniversity. Mr.Kube formerlyserved as theExecutive Di-rector of Ac-crediting Commission of Career Schoolsand Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).His accomplishments include: Adminis-tering national research programs on edu-cational outcomes and the factors thatinfluence student success, starting the firstSmall Business Development Center inVirginia at George Mason University andhelping refine and apply the complex regu-lations and sweeping changes imposed bythe 1992 Reauthorization of the HigherEducation Act. He was also intricatelyinvolved in the planning and execution ofthe first National Symposium on SchoolDesign in 1998.

Mr. Kube is a Trustee of the NationalClearinghouse for Educational Facilitiesand a literary reviewer for the NationalResearch Center in the Office of Educa-tional Research and Improvement at theU.S. Department of Education. He servedas a member of the U.S Secretary ofEducation’s Financial Ratio Task Force

(continued)


(New Commissione Appointed andNew Officers Elected, continued)

and has testified before the U.S. Congresson educational research. Mr. Kube is theauthor of numerous published articles andeditorials, and has written for such publi-cations as the School Planning & Man-agement, School Construction News,The San Diego Business Journal, Col-lege Bound, Transworld Education, andTechniques magazine.

New Officers

The Com-mission voted toelect Dr. Dor-othy C. Fen-wick, ExecutiveDirector Emeri-tus, Commissionon Recognitionof Postsecon-dary Accredita-tion, as Chair ofthe DETC Ac-crediting Commission. Dr. Fenwick joinedthe Commission in 1998, and was re-appointed to her third and final term inJanuary 2005. She replaces Mr. HenrySpille, who retired after serving the maxi-mum allowable terms on the Commission.Dr. Fenwick currently is the President ofthe Association of Commissions in Ox-ford, Md. From 1994 until 1997, Dr.Fenwick served as the Executive Directorof the Commission on Recognition ofPostsecondary Accreditation (CORPA),the predecessor organization to the Coun-cil for Higher Education Accreditation(CHEA). Prior to her work with CORPA

and COPA, she served as Executive Di-rector of the Accrediting Commission forthe National Association of Trade andTechnical Schools from 1985 to 1992.

The Commission voted to elect Dr.Gary L. Seevers, Vice President of Aca-demic Affairs,Global Univer-sity in Spring-field, MO, as theVice Chair. Hewas appointed tothe Commissionas an institu-tional member inS e p t e m b e r2002. He is aveteran evalua-tor for the Com-mission and has served as both educa-tional standards examiner and as Chair onseveral accrediting committees, both inthe U.S. and overseas.

Dr. Seevers earned a Ph.D. in Educa-tional Research and Evaluation, an Ed.D.(ABD) in Higher Education, and a Certifi-cate in Advanced Graduate Studies inHigher Education Administration from Vir-ginia Polytechnic Institute and State Uni-versity (Virginia Tech), an M.Ed. in Edu-cation Psychology-Social Foundations fromthe University of Virginia, and a B.S. inBible and an Evangelistic Teacher Train-ing Association from Valley Forge Chris-tian College. Dr. Seevers joined ICI Uni-versity/Global University in 1994. He pre-viously served as the Director of Re-search and Evaluation, Dean of UniversityRelations, and the Associate Vice Presi-dent for Academic Affairs.

(continued on page 18)


Relfections on Distance Education

(Editor's Note: This speech was pre-sented by Dr. Fred F. Harcleroad at theDistance Education and TrainingCouncil's 81st Ammual Conference,April 16, 2007.)

It is a distinct pleasure, and distantlyfamiliar, to speak at your meeting today.From 1975 to 1985 I was one of your publiccommissioners and chaired the Accredit-ing Commission from 1977 to 1985, a veryactive time.

In 1975 the former National HomeStudy Council became a charter-recog-nized member of the new Council onPostsecondary Accreditation.

NHSC members moved from award-ing certificates to awarding degrees. In1979 the Accrediting Council started ac-crediting college degrees earned by corre-spondence study and in 1981 the U.S.Commissioner of Education expanded ourscope of approval to include associatedegrees. Then, in 1983, the Council onPostsecondary Education expanded rec-

ognition to bachelors and masters degreelevels-followed soon after by similar fed-eral approval in 1985.

Recent members of DETC have allprofited by these efforts from the recentpast! And it’s a charge to both old and newmembers to maintain and continually workto improve the educational quality thatmade these critical recognitions possible.

A century ago medical education, cor-respondence education and college athlet-ics had a great deal of fraudulent actors atwork. Some of Andrew Carnegie’s foun-dations resolved to try to correct them,making in-depth studies of the facts andproposed solutions. Many medical schoolswere eliminated. The study of correspon-dence education, by Dr. John Noffsinger,encouraged the existing “reputable schools”to establish a regulatory association inorder to “purge the profession” and to lendcredibility to this type of educational ef-fort. The new National Home Study Coun-cil, beginning in 1926, was formed for this

(continued)

byFred F. HarcleroadFormer DETC Commission Chair


(Reflections on Distance Education,continued)

(continued)

purpose, and in 1953-1955 formed its Ac-crediting Commission with a set of stan-dards, policies, and procedures to formal-ize the accrediting process.

As Mike Lambert has written, in theSpring 2006 DETC News, the DETC Ac-crediting Commission has “labored intentlyfor over 50 years toperfect the craft ofdistance learningaccreditation.” Ithas denied accredi-tation to scores ofapplicants and,when necessary,has “unhesitatinglywithdrawn ac-creditation,” evenfrom some largeinstitutions. Thetestimonials frommany institutions inthe Spring 2006 issue of the DETC Newsrecognize this contribution to educationalquality and to the learning by millions ofstudents. Further, it is these constant highstandards that have led to recognition byfederal departments and the peer organi-zation, the Council for Higher EducationAccreditation (CHEA).

Quoting Mr. Gary M. Keisling, formerCommission Vice Chair, “As a member ofthe DETC Accrediting Commision, I regu-larly observe how strong and vital ourstandards and process is to the continuedsuccess of DETC in our field. From thevery beginning, when a school first appliesfor its initial accreditation, there is a clearunderstanding that the process is designed

to protect the students, provide an excep-tional educational experience and assurethe continued vitality of the school itself.”

What must you, the current membersof the DETC, do to maintain this recogni-tion? First, the members must activelysupport the standards and work to makethe evaluation process effective. Thismeans volunteering to go through the train-ing process and serve in an ethical way on

site visit teams. Someof you will be needed tochair these teams. Invarious states legisla-tion is still needed toprotect reputableschools from terriblepublicity based on de-gree mills and accredi-tation mills. Working inyour own states forthese laws is very de-sirable. The Internet in-cludes hundred (possi-

bly thousands) of such fraudulent organi-zations—far more than a century agowhen the Carnegie Foundation thought itimperative to do something about it. CHEAhas undertaken a major effort to work onthis problem, by educating the public to theproblems of false degrees and the need forfederal and state legislation to control suchfelonious activity. An old effort to estab-lish model state legislation (1973) needs tobe strengthened and passed by other states.CHEA’s October, 2006 publication on“Degree Mills and the Public Interest”describes the problem and suggests futureactivity, plus a summary of efforts in 14states to work on the problems. Recent

The members mustactively support thestandards and workto make the evalua-tion process more

effective.


law changes in several states could leadsome degree mills to apply for DETCaccreditation. Beware! I would encour-age you to consider membership in CHEA,currently the largest institutional member-ship association in our country, with closeto 3,000 members. DETC works closelywith CHEA, and this may be a way youcan stay abreast of efforts in this area.

Finally, I commend to you the DETC’snew Outcomes Assessment Standards.The U.S. Department of Education enthu-siastically accepted them and said theycould be a model for other accreditingbodies. Living up to these standards, by allof you, could be a premier way to continueeducational improvement into the future.

Personally, I am very proud of whatDETC has become. Changing the namefrom a “national” term to distance educa-tion as a whole, a global effort, was contro-versial but brilliant. Now it is truly compre-hensive. With quality programs for thedisabled, for free enterprise business, forreligious groups, for voluntary organiza-tional services and government services, itcan use this special methodology to reachthroughout the world. It can meet theneeds of millions of people who desire tobecome better educated, to improve theirlot in life, and eventually make it a morepeaceful place for all who follow us.

I gave much of my professional life forten years to this cause, and encouragecurrent members to feel the cause andkeep DETC at the forefront of qualityassurance in higher education.

# # #

(Reflections on Distance Education,continued)

Mr. BrookEllis was re-elected Trea-surer of DETC.Mr. Ellis, a Ca-nadian native, iscurrently theVice Presidentof Education forthe GemologicalInstitute of Am-erica (GIA) inCarlsbad, CA, a position he’s held since1996. Prior to that, he was Vice Presidentof Operations for GIA for one year. Aspart of his duties, he oversees the coursedevelopment department with a staff oftwenty, who produce GIA’s educationprograms. Mr. Ellis’ distinguished careerin the jewelry industry began with HenryBirks & Sons, Ltd., one of Canada’slargest fine jewelers. He worked withHenry Birks & Sons until 1995, and ulti-mately achieved the position of Vice Presi-dent of Fine Jewelry.

(Officers Elected, continued frompage 15)

Mark Your Calendar

Mark your calendarand plan to attend DETCs82nd Annual Conference,April 13-15, 2008 at theFairmont Copley Plaza in

Boston, MA.


DETC Presents Awards

(continued)

The Distance Education and TrainingCouncil presented two awards at its Janu-ary Accrediting Commission Meeting, andpresented two awards at the 81st annualconference in April.

Distance Education Award

Mr. Henry A. Spille accepts award from Mr.Michael P. Lambert.

The DETC Distance EducationAward is presented to individuals pri-marily outside the distance educationfield who have distinguished themselvesfor their outstanding contributions andservice to distance education.

Mr. Henry A. Spille, M.A.,LL.D.(hon.), retired in 1997 as Vice Presi-dent of the American Council on Educa-tion. Mr. Spille also served as Director ofthe Center for Adult Learning and Educa-tional Credentials since 1978. He was firstappointed to serve on the DETC Accred-iting Commission in 1997 and re-appointedin 2001 and 2004. He was elected Chair ofthe Commission in 2002. Mr. Spille gradu-ated in 1954 with a Bachelor’s degreefrom Lawrence University and received

his Master’s degree from the Universityof Wisconsin-Madison in 1962. He re-ceived an Honorary Doctor of Law De-gree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in May 1994.

In 1993, Mr. Spille received the Coali-tion of Adult Education Organization’sOutstanding Service Award. He receivedthe Pentagon’s Distinguished Public Ser-vice Medal. In addition, Mr. Spille servedas a member of several Boards of Direc-tors, including the Servicemembers Op-portunity Colleges, Excelsior College, theAmerican Speech-Language Hearing As-sociation, and the International Associa-tion for Continuing Education and Train-ing. Hank is co-author of three books,Diploma Mills: Degrees of Fraud, Fo-cus on Adults: A Self-Study Guide forPostsecondary Educational Institutions,and College Degrees for Adults: A User’sGuide.

His contributions to the DETC and thefield of distance education merit Mr. Spillethe DETC Distance Education Award.

Distinguished Service Award

The DETC Distinguished Service Awardis presented to individuals inside thedistance education field for their spe-cial outstanding service that has en-hanced the image of distance educationor significantly furthered the work ofthe Distance Education and TrainingCouncil.


(DETC Awards Presented, continued)

Mr. Gary M. Keisling is the Chairmanof Professional Career Development In-stitute, LLC. Prior to joining PCDI in 2003,he was the Chairman of a private educa-tional investment and consulting company,providing a variety of consulting servicesand advice to companies in the areas ofmergers and acquisitions and growth strat-egies. Mr. Keisling was the President ofICS Learning Systems (now Penn FosterSchools) from 1988 until 1998. Beforethat, he served in several other executivepositions for ICS and other education com-panies. Mr. Keisling received his B.S.degree in Business Administration fromTemple University, and also completedcourses in advanced corporate taxes andmanagement. He has been active in localcommunities, serving on numerous boardsof charitable organizations, including act-ing as Treasurer of a large local hospital.

Mr. Keisling has been a strong sup-porter of DETC for several decades. He’spresented at DETC Conferences on“Crafting a Strategic Vision of Your Fu-ture,” “The Future of Voluntary Accredi-

tation,” and “Taking Your Institution to theNext Level.” He served on the DETCBoard of Trustees from 1989 until 1998.From 1993 until 1996, he served as theFirst Vice President, and from 1996 until1998 he served as President. In 1994, hewas given the DETC Distinguished Ser-vice Award and in 1998 he was awardedDETC’s Distinguished RecognitionAward. He joined the DETC AccreditingCommission in 2003 and was elected ViceChair in 2005. For his contributions to theDETC Accrediting Commission, Mr.Keisling merits the DETC’s DistinguishedService Award once again.

Distinguished Service Award

Mr. BrookEllis, Vice Pre-sident of Edu-cation at Gem-ological Instituteof America inCarlsbad, CA,was presentedthe DETC Dis-tinguished Ser-vice Award atthe DETC Aw-ards Luncheonon Tueday, April 17, 2007. Brook and GIAhas hosted several DETC regional meet-ings, DETC conferences and AccreditingCommission members. With Brook’s guid-ance, GIA printed the beautiful 4-colorDETC Federal Student Aid Training Pro-gram. Brook’s distinguished career in thejewelry industry began in 1959 with HenryBirks & Sons, Ltd., one of Canada’s

(continued)

Mr. Gary Keisling receives plaque from Mr.Michael P. Lambert


largest fine jewelry chain retailers. Heworked with Henry Birks & Sons until1995, and ultimately achieved the positionof Vice President of Fine Jewelry. Duringhis tenure with Henry Birks and Sons,LTD, Brook also held positions with theAmerican Gem Society, the 24 Karat Clubof America, the Jewellers VigilanceCanada, Inc., Jewellery World Maga-zine, and the Jewelers Education Founda-tion. He served on GIA’s Board of Gover-nors from 1983-1995. Brook received aBachelor of Commerce from the Univer-sity of Toronto, Canada in 1959. He re-ceived the American Gem Society’s “Reg-istered Jeweller” designation in 1961 andthe “Certified Gemologist” in 1964. Hewas elected to the DETC Board of Trust-ees in 2000 and was elected Second VicePresident of DETC in 2001. Brook waselected to the DETC Accrediting Com-mission in 2002 and also serves as DETCTreasurer. He has also participated onnumerous DETC on-site evaluations. Forhis outstanding contributions to DETC,Brook merits the DETC DistinguishedService Award.

DETC Hall of Fame

Mr. Harold B. Reeb was admitted intothe DETC Hall of Fame. Hal served asPresident of NRI Schools/McGraw-HillContinuing Education Schools for over 15years until his retirement in 1998, where hebegan as a Controller in 1964. He gradu-ated from Benjamin Franklin Universitywith a B.S. and a M.S. degree. Hal hasbeen a Certified Public Accountant by theState of Virginia for the past 38 years. He

is a member of the American Institute ofCertified Public Accountants (AICPA)and a number of other financial associa-tions and has served on the Board ofDirectors for two corporations. Hal servedas a member of DETC’s Board of Trust-ees for 14 years, including 2nd Vice Presi-dent, and on DETC’s National Affairs andFinance, Budget, and Audit Committees.Hal was the recipient of McGraw-Hill’sChairman’s Award for Excellence inManagement in 1990 and the DETC’sDistinguished Service Award in 1992. Halwas an outstanding leader and role modelin DETC, and his institution was a charterfounding member of DETC. He set anoutstanding example for two generationsof DETC institution staff. His steadfastsupport of high ethical standards helpedsee DETC through the good and badyears. For his outstanding contributions tothe field of distance education, Hal meritsto be to be initiated into the DETC Hall ofFame. His name is inscribed on a plaqueon permanent display in the DETC officein Washington, DC.

# # #

(DETC Awards Presented, continued)

Mr. Harold B. Reeb accepts Certificate fromMr. Michael P. Lambert


DETC Earns Continued FederalRecognition

We are delighted to announce that onDecember 6, 2006, the National AdvisoryCommittee on Institutional Quality andIntegrity (NACIQI) of the U.S. Depart-ment of Education, voted unanimously toaward the maximum five years of federalrecognition to the Accrediting Commis-sion of the DETC.

The Committee, in the same action,also voted unanimously to extend the rec-ognized scope of the Commission to in-clude “Professional Doctoral Degree Pro-grams.” The Committee’s action was inthe form of a recommendation to the U.S.Secretary of Education, who wrote a letterdated April 30, 2007 and confirmed therecommendation.

This continuation of federal recogni-tion caps a multi-year effort by DETC tohave its scope of activity expanded toinclude professional doctoral degrees suchas the Doctor of Business Administrationand the Doctor of Education degrees. TheNACIQI action also marks the secondtime in five years that the DETC Commis-sion has received a full term (five year)

award of recognition, a significant achieve-ment in itself.

Eight federal, state and private agen-cies submitted third-party comments inenthusiastic support for DETC’s bid forcontinued federal recognition, another trib-ute to DETC’s growing reputation.

Accrediting Commission Chair Dor-othy C. Fenwick remarked, “We are deeplygratified and delighted with the decision ofthe Advisory Committee to continue theSecretarial recognition of the Commissionfor a full term, and we are particularlypleased with the decision to expand ourscope to include professional doctoral de-grees. This decision is another historicmilestone for the DETC, and will surely becelebrated as a major accomplishmentwhen the next DETC history is written.”

Federal recognition gives the DETCimmeasurable public credibility and alsoenables DETC members to participate inFederal Student Aid, DANTES and theG.I. Bill. DETC has enjoyed continuousfederal government recognition since 1959.

Plan to Attend DETC's Fall WorkshopDETC’s Fall Workshop is set for October14-16, 2007 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn inSan Diego, CA. The Workshop will beginSunday, October 14th with a reception anddinner. Workshop sessions will begin Mon-day, October 15th and the Workshop will

conclude with a dinner on Tuesday, Octo-ber 16th. The program is being planned andinformation will be posted on DETC’sWeb site when it is available. The Work-shop Registration Form and the Hotel Res-ervation Form will be mailed this summer.


DETC 81st Annual Conference a SuccessMore than 115 people attended the DETC’s81st Annual Conference April 15-17, 2007at the Omni Tucson National Resort andSpa in Tucson, AZ. The complete “Reporton DETC’s 81st Annual Conference,”including summaries of all the session, is

available on the DETC Web site homepage at http:// www.detc.org. Printed cop-ies may be obtained by e-mailing RachelScheer at [email protected]. Here are afew photos from theConference.


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