Value of Accreditation
It is important to distinguish between the accreditation of programs and the certification of individuals, two separate processes that are frequently referred to as if they are one and the same. On the one hand, accreditation implies the setting of minimal standards which training programs must meet. In order to become accredited, a counselor education program must fulfill certain requirements or standards with regard to institutional settings, program mission and objectives, program content, practicum experiences, student selection and advising, faculty qualifications and workload, program governance, instructional support, and self-evaluation. On the other hand, certification implies recognition that individuals have met minimal professional standards to practice independently as a counselor. In order to be certified, counselors must meet certain levels of education and training in counseling, they must follow the code of ethics, and they are held accountable to show competent and ethical performance in practice.
In the United States, there are two types of accreditation – institutional and specialized. Institutional looks at the entire institution. Specialized accreditors, such as CACREP, look at professional preparation programs within institutions.
When programs are reviewed by CACREP, there are a few standards that address issues at the institutional level (such as financial aid), but most of the application and review focus on the program that offers the graduate degree in counseling. It is the degree-specific program that holds accreditation, not the department or college in which it is housed. Eligibility for CACREP includes having institutional accreditation, so the institutional issues such as financial viability and resources are addressed.
CACREP Accreditation provides recognition that the content and quality of the program has been evaluated and meets standards set by the profession. The student, as a consumer, can be assured that appropriate knowledge and skill areas are included and that the program is stable, professionally and financially.
Prospective students are advised to be wary of diploma and accreditation mills. Diploma mills or degree mills award academic degrees with substandard, limited, or no academic study. Often these degrees are awarded on the basis of ‘life experience.’ While this may sound promising, the motivation is profit on the part of the degree mill. An accreditation mill claims that it awards accreditation to a higher education institution, but they have no authority or recognition to do so, and there are either subpar or no standards involved. These types of organizations do not have recognition as legitimate accreditors through any sort of organization that awards such recognition, such as the Council for Higher Accreditation, the US Department of Education or ministries of education in other countries.
For more information on accreditation and/or degree mills, CACREP encourages prospective counseling students to check CHEA’s website (www.chea.org), UNESCO’s website (www.unesco.org) or even Wikipedia to get more information about diploma and accreditation mills, especially if an institution’s or program’s claims seem suspicious. These websites try to maintain current information on fake agencies and institutions. If attending a legitimately accredited institution is important to you, confirm it before it is too late! Not doing so can have significant and unfortunate implications for your future ability to obtain licensure as a professional counselor or your ability to continue on for further graduate-level education.
CACREP Accreditation Provides Program Enhancement through Self Assessment
When a counseling program undertakes self-assessment, it indicates that the persons responsible for the program have articulated a clear direction or mission for the program and are taking the time to reflect on the means they are using to accomplish that mission. The mission, goals, and objectives are openly stated and made available to prospective students, employers, and other educators. By making this information publicly available, the program demonstrates its desire to be held accountable for its educational activities and assists prospective students in selecting an appropriate counselor education program.
The self-evaluation entails an assessment of the program’s resources, objectives, strengths, and limitations with the ultimate purpose of improving the educational effectiveness of the program. The self-assessment CACREP requires of programs is focused on planning, goal setting, and measurement against self-designed goals and objectives of the program, as well as the professional standards. The results of this self-assessment are presented in the form of a self-study document.
Peer Assessment Enhances the Accreditation Process
The peer evaluation entails a review of the self-study document against a set of standards and using a set of procedures established by the CACREP Board. Peer evaluators are counselor educators and counseling practitioners, as well as qualified representatives of the public interest. Peer evaluation ensures that persons competent to judge the educational merit and professional relevance of the program have the opportunity to examine and assess the quality of the curriculum, facilities, faculty and students.
An important aspect of peer evaluation is the advice and counsel that is offered by those individuals who have been designated to assess the program. The collegial consultation that occurs through an on-site review, together with oral and written feedback, can be incorporated into the program’s and institution’s future plans, reviews, and research aimed at educational improvement.
Because CACREP accreditation does not rank programs against each other, adversarial relationships are avoided, and an atmosphere appropriate to a community of scholars is promoted. In such an environment, research and change are fostered. Ideally, educational innovation and rational decision-making based on the assessment results should characterize accredited programs.
Learn more about CACREP Value of Accreditation.