As one of the most essential pieces of running USAO, the process of renewing the accreditation of the school is highly important. What does the accreditation of the school mean?
USAO has been a fully accredited university since its inception, and it is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission. Dr. Brenda Brown, dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Humanities, is a part of the accreditation process.
“Being an accredited college is a huge deal. If you want your degree to be recognized, then the college should be accredited,” Dr. Brown said. “A university must be accredited for the degree to mean something; otherwise, it is just a piece of paper.”
Dr. Brown said that colleges are evaluated on five different criteria. One example is criteria three, which is the quality of course work. Accrediting agencies maintain the level of standards that the college possesses. This way, if you know that you are getting a degree from an accredited university, then you know that the degree is a quality one.
“Not only do they assess the students, but they also assess aspects such as tutoring and the registrar, things that people would not normally think about,” said Dr. Brown.
The process of renewing the accreditation of a university is a lengthy one. If a university wishes to continue as an accredited institution, then it must undergo the process every five to ten years, which is an expensive and timely commitment. Other colleges have estimated that the process of accreditation renewal can cost $5,300 or more.
There are also separate accrediting bodies that accredit different areas of the university. The education and music departments have different bodies that accredit their departments. This means that these departments have specific people come to evaluate their programs.
In the renewal of the accreditation, the university may make modifications to the curriculum.
“The course evaluations at the end of the trimester are critical. They evaluate not only the instructors but also the course work,” said Dr. Brown. These evaluations aid in improving the course for other students.
Elyanne Kenney is a second-year psychology major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
