Accreditation also builds credibility for the institution. Many students like the assurance that there is an accrediting body that is setting rules and regulations for the school to follow and that the school is voluntarily participating in this process.
I think it is like the ISO9000/9001 certification that manufacturers abide to. It doesn't guaranty a higher quality education, but at least sets a minimum standard and expectation that a third party holds the school accountable to.
We have found that is sets are school apart from schools that do not have SACS accreditation. It also helps with transferring of credits to different schools for students to further their education. From an employer standpoint is lets them know that are students meet the highest standards.
Students, prospective students, employers and academic staff want to be affiliated with programs that set high stands of excellence!
Recognition in community, associations , career placement as being highly reputable and of high standards.
I've found that being accredited lends an impression that we value our students, and want them to be proud of the degree or certificate they are earning. It is also a requirement for several of our programs, so that state boards can be taken. We work very hard to maintain a high standard in our learning environment.....
While our schools has been nationally accredited for many years and had an excellent reputation, the addition of regional accreditation and our acceptance as a candidate for programmatic accreditation has made a significant difference in how the other schools within our region view our institution and the quality of our programs.
Accreditation at our school has had the benefit of making our programs more marketable to high school programs and parents. For high schools and parents, being accredited provides peace of mind that majors are sufficient to prepare individuals for their career field. It demonstrates the institution's deisre for quality.
Being accredited means that a third party has evaluated our programs or our institution, and this has merits because it is a non-biased look at our programs to see if we are meeting the general requirements of the industry. This helps potential students see if what is being offered "generally" will meet what the industry expects.
Having accreditation provides the parents of potential students with "peace of mind"... the question of accreditation is usually one of the first questions asked. It also from the beginning shows that we have high expectations in my opinion.
Our school is not yet accredited, however in the process for national-level accreditation. One benefit we see is recognition of being in a quality peer group with other like institutions.
It has been my experience, as I meet with prospective students, that accreditation is very important to most applicants. The applicant may not understand what it means to be accredited, but s/he judges schools based on this. I have already learned more about accreditation and what it means. My expectation is that I will be able to explain it better to prospective students.
Accreditation, I believe, enhances an institution's credibility in the community. One of the frequently asked questions when I'm manning an info table is "are you accredited?"
Reputation is everything in higher ed-- so when your institution has similar accreditation to other, more long-standing institutions, it levels the playing field a bit by putting your reputation on par with the other, more recognizable places.
I find that it helps with enrollment of our students. We are able to get more students for the nursing program because we are accredited.
Being accredited raises the percieved integrity of our institution and students. It also showcases our commitment to provide quality education to our students.
we do have alot of potential students inquire about whether we are accredited or not. I feel that it is very important to be accredited
I agree! Many parents are especially excited about our accreditation & are looking at that specifically for their child.
Many prospective students are becoming savy to accreditation & knowing the benefits. We have had many students come to us from schools that haven't been accredited & this is something they are looking for. Also, that goes a long w/our reputation.
It makes our students excited to be attending a school that has been accredited nationally. It is showing them that they are going to a school that is held to high expectations of a giving our students a great education.
I think the accreditation shows our students that they are going to a great education, also in some cases our accreditation will allow them to become a registered or certified in their field.
