Texas Will Now Recognize National Accrediting Agencies

Cajun — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:12:00 GMT

Texas made it official on 7-24-08; they will now recognize national accrediting agencies such as the DETC, ACICS, COE, etc. For those of you who are new to the whole issue here's the short and ugly of it. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board passed a policy which stated that only degree holders with a degree issued by a school accredited by one of the 6 regional accrediting agencies will be permitted to use their credentials within the State of Texas. Believe it or not Texas passed a law making it a criminal offense to do otherwise (misdemeanor). Therefore degree holders from schools like Aspen University, Penn Foster College or Andrew Jackson University would be committing a crime by using their degree for gainful employment purposes within the State.

Texas then published a list of diploma mills and degree mills, which was woefully non-comprehensive and in some cases outright wrong as in the case where they listed California Coast University as a degree mill. Unfortunately for the credibility of the State, California Coast University was accredited by the DETC. As you may imagine this captured the attention of the DETC, various alumni of California Coast University and generally anyone who else who may be concerned and the formal protests and letters began to flow not only concerning the inappropriateness of labeling California Coast University as a degree mill, but also the inappropriateness of the policy against legal and appropriately recognized accreditation agencies and the schools they accredit.

To make a long story short, the board eventually agreed to reconvene and reconsider their stance on accreditation. Shortly thereafter, on July 24^th they agreed to recognize national accrediting agencies as well. As for how this new policy will play out in the various state licensing agencies there is still a question. For example, Texas will not permit anyone who earned a JD via a distance, regardless of accreditation, to sit for the Texas State Bar Exam to practice law in Texas. CPA's are required to have earned a minimum of half the required credit hours in accounting in a regionally accredited school's B&M classroom, butt in seat. Additionally the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement will only recognize higher education from one of the 6 regional accrediting bodies and even goes on to itemize them in their educational standards. So though Texas is not out of the woods yet, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/GeneralPubs/Agenda/Ag2008_07/IXI/default.htm

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An Unlicensed Nursing School Gets the Axe in Texas: 2 People Criminally Charged

Cajun — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:10:00 GMT

In Richardson, Texas the State Attorney General, Greg Abbott shut down an unlicensed and unaccredited nursing school in Texas. The scary thing is that this school has charged their students from $7,500 to $10,000 each yet the graduates are not eligible to sit for the State's nursing exam nor are they permitted to practice nursing in Texas.

In short, a lot of people have been ripped off for a lot of money. So how did they get away with it for so long when it is so simple to look up the accreditation of a school? Simple ignorance of accreditation and licensing, its purpose and where to find out if a school is truly accredited or licensed which isn't always as easy as it would first appear.

In Texas regional or national accreditation of a school is not so much of a concern as far as nursing goes; it is whether or not the school is recognized by the state as being able to prepare students for the nursing certification exam that is in question. In this case state licensure preempts any accreditation. Texas does list their licensing agency's requirements on their Web site at http://www.bon.state.tx.us/ but it took me a minute to find a link listing recognized nursing schools. However the common "accreditation" language is not used, instead words like "certified," "licensed," "authorized" and "recognized" were used. You can find a list of approved schools at http://www.bon.state.tx.us/nursingeducation/info.html under the subtitle menu "Nursing Education" but I honestly hate to see so many hard working and well meaning people bilked out of their time and money by such lowlifes on what should have been a reasonably simple to avoid scam.

The problem is that the world of higher learning, vocational and otherwise is convoluted and difficult to understand and follow for even people who have made understanding these matters a mission in life. I cannot imagine how distorted the picture must be for those on the outside looking in. In this case specific knowledge to the vocation, licensing and state requirements would be necessary to advise anyone on the program. Research skills are needed and quite frankly, not everyone has those skills.

For example I cannot tell you what it takes to be a nurse in Vermont, but after about a half hour of experienced research I probably could. It would be nice if there was one national standard for vocational licenses, especially in healthcare but until then resources like eLearners and specific consultants and advisors will be necessary to clear up the murkiness once in a while. Unfortunately those who do not know enough to ask questions will occasionally be preyed upon by those who would take advantage of ignorance combined with dreams.

See more at http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=7005

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My Ashford University Experience : accreditation

Texas Will Now Recognize National Accrediting Agencies

An Unlicensed Nursing School Gets the Axe in Texas: 2 People Criminally Charged