Recognition, Approval, and Accreditation
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Adizes Graduate School is approved by
The Bureau for Private, Postsecondary and Vocational Education for the State of California (BPPE)

While State approval is mandatory, national accreditation in the United States is a voluntary process. The Adizes Graduate School is not accredited by design. Rather than spend years dedicating finances and staff effort to measuring one particular concept of success, we are proud to put our efforts into creating quality interactions between faculty and students, and developing knowledge centers to be explored and enhanced through rigorus academic inquiry and hands-on application of concepts. Our students forge pioneering paths in emerging theory and sustainable management disciplines while grounding their work in proven and traditional resources. They create their own models for managing change and experience results with real-world clients. Core faculty teach, consult, and work with well-known institutions and have significant experience in delivering programs over the internet.
We are proud of our students, faculty, and Adizes Graduate School.

What agencies regulate and approve Adizes Graduate School?

The United States government requires that all schools are approved by the governing body of the State in which they are located. This is the only mandatory level of recognition in the United States. Adizes Graduate School is approved by:

The Bureau for Private, Postsecondary and Vocational Education for the State of California (BPPE). The Bureau approves schools to operate and to offer educational programs under the Department of Consumer Affairs. The approval process is designed to ensure that institutions meet certain academic standards and deliver the quality of education promised in their promotional materials.

If a school is approved or accredited, are all of its programs approved or accredited, too?

Approved: each program must be approved on an individual basis by the State in California
Accredited: Regional agencies often accredit entire schools rather than programs. Thus, new programs may not be reviewed until years after they are initially offered. The State of California requires approval of each new degree or certificate BEFORE the program may be offered for credit.

What agencies accredit Adizes Graduate School?

The United States government, unlike many other countries, does not directly approve or accredit higher education programs and schools. The government allows certain agencies to perform accreditation functions. Accreditation is an entirely voluntary process and schools are not required to participate in these expensive agency programs. The DETC (Distance Education and Training Council) accredits distance learning programs including schools with Professional Doctorates but not Ph.D. degree programs at this time (2011). From the accrediting agency website:

Accreditation is purely voluntary. The applicant institution voluntarily  elects to apply for accreditation and it voluntarily agrees to comply with all standards and policies of the Commission.

Accreditation is a non-governmental peer review process in which the  integrity and good faith of an institution and its officers are essential.

Can I transfer credits to accredited schools?

According to the DETC website, "... that regionally accredited colleges refuse to accept credits from another school because it is not regionally accredited flies directly in the  face of national policies advocated by American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO),  Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), et al. The real issue here has less to do with the academic quality of the sending institution, and more to do with anti-competitive business practices of the receiving institution ... Congress, the Department of Education, and the Department of Justice have been looking into this anti-competitive practice."

Because there is no national oversight, there is no guarantee that credits or degrees obtained at any school in the United States will transfer to any other school within the United States or abroad, regardless of agency affiliation or accreditation. In fact, California regulations require that ALL schools formally state in their catalog that there is no guarantee that credits will transfer.

For example, credits obtained at a regionally recognized school offering programs in Digital Art in New York may not transfer to a regionally recognized school offering programs in Digital Art in California. Even credits from a two-year college in a local community may not transfer to any other school in the same community. Universities regularly offer classes that do not apply to their degree programs. Every school in the United States makes its' own decisions in this regard. Some schools will accept transfer credit from anywhere with appropriate documentation. Some States impose limits on transferable credit.  California  limits the number of academic transfer or experiential credits that can be applied to programs at the Masters and at the Ph.D. level.

What employers recognize the value of Adizes programs?

Adizes Graduate School students have received tuition support from their employers both in the USA and abroad, including major corporations in diverse fields such as health care, banking, and industrial mining, and in widely distant countries such as Norway, Mexico, Croatia, Iceland, and Greece.  The U.S. military has provided tuition assistance for it's personnel to attend seminars and online classes.

Where can I find out more?

Dr. John Bear is recognized as "a leading authority." by the the United States Network for Education Information ( website) From Dr. Bears' website:

Can anyone benefit from an unaccredited degree? "The unaccredited option may work for people who really don't need a degree, but rather want one, either for self satisfaction ("validating my life's work" is a phrase we hear often), or to give themselves a marketing edge."

Does the level of the degree make a difference?  "We think it does.…. a person with at least one accredited [undergraduate] degree, as the foundation, is seen to be someone clearly capable of doing university level work, and if they chose to pursue an unaccredited Master's or Doctorate, after earning the accredited Bachelor's, they must have had a good reason. . ."

What happens if my school becomes accredited after I earn my degree? " For many practical purposes, it is unlikely that an employer will say, for instance, "Did you earn your degree [from Adizes Graduate School] before or after November 17, 1997?" Once a school has been accredited, it is likely (but not certain) that all its degrees will be regarded as accredited, whenever earned. " . . . "Some of the larger distance learning schools make no accreditation claims whatsoever (California Coast, California Pacific, Fairfax, Southwest, Greenwich, etc.) . . . "

What are the options for program recognition in the United States?

1. The first level of recognition is mandatory State approval for all colleges and their programs.  Schools must conform to the laws of the state in which they are physically located. Some states, like California, emulate accrediting agencies in the scope and detail of their regulations. However, few state agencies are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. In the State of California, this means that the Department of Consumer Affairs has overall responsibility for the quality of school operations and program delivery. The BPPE approves applications for operation, sets standards and monitors ongoing criteria for continued operation. It establishes standards of competency for more than 200 professions/occupations and administers the regulatory functions of licensing, examination and enforcement for those professions. The New Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education Reform Act of January 1, 1998 contains the most recent up-to-date standards for the State of California with a focus on student protection. Schools approved under this Act are subject to both documentary and on-site reviews regularly and at the discretion of the State.

2. The second level of recognition is a voluntary process.  The Federal government recognizes a number of agencies as having the authority to "accredit" a school in order that the students at the school may participate in federal financial-aid programs. (see financial aid). AGS is not affiliated with any of these agencies and does not plan to be. In order to be accredited by the DETC (Distance Education and Training Council), for example, a school must have been continuously operating for two years and meet rigorous criteria. However, the DETC does not accredit schools that offer Doctoral Degrees, so AGS cannot apply. There are also federally recognized associations in various disciplines.  Each of these associations have requirements for 'accreditation' in their field of expertise - such as psychology and medicine. In addition, there are the large regional commissions, most familiar to all as 'accreditors'. Schools in California can voluntarily seek accreditation by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), the regional agency, in addition to the DETC or another specialized agency. The WASC website states:

Voluntary, non-governmental, institutional accreditation as practiced by the WASC and other regional commissions is a unique characteristic of American education. In many other countries the maintenance of educational standards is a governmental function. No institution in the United States is required to seek accreditation, however, because of the recognized benefits, most of the eligible institutions in this and other regions have sought to become accredited.

Accreditation by WASC requires many years of completion statistics, which newer schools and programs - particularly those in emerging fields - are unlikely to have. It can take up to ten years to be recognized by a regional commission.

Questions: Any questions a student may have regarding this website that have not been satisfactorily answered by the institution may be directed to the Bureau for Private Post-secondary Education at 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95833. International Tel: 916-431-6959, Toll- Free in the U.S. 888-370-7589. Fax: 916-263-1897.

Web: www.BPPE.CA.Gov

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