PART III

Institutions of Higher Education Accredited and Approved by State Departments of Education, State Accrediting Commissions, and State Universities

Previous editions of this publication have reported accreditation of institutions of higher education by State departments of education for (1) general collegiate purposes and (2) teacher education purposes, and by State universities for (1) unconditional admission to graduate school, (2) full transfer credit, and (3) partial transfer credit. Because of some confusion resulting from differing interpretations of such phrases as "general collegiate purposes" and "unconditional admission to graduate school," letters to chief State school officers and State university presidents for information to be included in the current edition avoided language likely to influence reporting of a pattern not conforming to actual practice.

All State departments of education and State universities were asked to furnish a statement of the policies followed in performing the accrediting function and a current list of the institutions accredited. In those States in which commissions are responsible for accrediting higher institutions, information was obtained from appropriate officials.

The term most frequently reported by State departments to describe their accrediting function is approve. Other designations reported are: Accredit, admit to membership, certify, classify, license, recognize, and register. Practice varies even more widely, different labels referring to practices which are very similar and identical terminology referring to practices lacking in comparability.

In view of the variations in terminology and in procedure, State department of education and State accrediting commission officials were requested to report as accreditation, regardless of the word used, that procedure which includes the establishment of criteria, the inspection of institutions by competent authorities, the publication of a list of institutions meeting the criteria, and periodic reviews to determine whether institutions continue to qualify as institutions of higher education. Such functions as approval or recognition of an institution for obtaining a charter, for training veterans, or for admitting foreign students were not to be reported as accreditation. Presidents of State universities were instructed not to report as accreditation the practices they follow in the

acceptance of transfer credit for work done at colleges and universities within the State.

Half of the State departments of education reported accreditation or approval of institutions for teacher education purposes. More than two-thirds of the State universities reported no responsibility, either by law or by custom, for accrediting collegiate institutions within the State. A summary of the responsibilities reported is given in the accompanying table.

Institutions listed in Parts I and II as accredited by nationally recognized accrediting agencies are not included in this section. Most of those institutions are included on State lists where State accrediting is done. It seemed unnecessary to include them here a second time. Lists of institutions accredited or approved by State departments of education for the preparation of teachers or for general purposes are readily available from the respective departments.

Responsibility of State Departments of Education, State Accrediting Commissions, and State Universities for Accrediting Institutions of Higher Education: 1956