In an earlier post, I stressed the need for students to inquire about the accreditation status of the college or university they wish to attend. The U. S. Department of Education (DOE) has recognized six regional accrediting associations, all of which are tasked with ensuring that schools within their geographic areas meet certain academic standards. The DOE, however, provides little oversight on the accrediting associations once they are recognize
d. As a result, flaws appear.
A case in point concerns a small, private business school in Washington, D. C. that was accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in 1981. Seeing an opportunity for profit, the school raised money through an IPO, renamed itself a university, and began a rapid expansion program, principally in Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. The only problem is that schools located in these states must be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), not by MSCHE.
In a letter, MSCHE defended its accreditation on the grounds that the "main campus" of the school was still located in Washington, D. C., which comes under MSCHE. However, the facts tell a different story. The Virginia State Corporation Commission shows the headquarters of the school is located in Arlington; moreover, the school's own catalog lists the Washington, D. C. location as merely another satellite campus.
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