Accrediting Commission International (ACI), also known as Accrediting Commission International for Schools, Colleges, and Theological Seminaries, possibly associated with International Accrediting Commission (IAC), also known as International Accrediting Commission for Schools, Colleges and Theological Seminaries,
[ is an unrecognized ]educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated and verified by an external body to determine whether applicable and recognized standards are met. ...
corporation in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It primarily accredits religious schools, including seminaries
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
and Bible colleges, and also offers accreditation to non-U.S. schools that offer business education programs. It is on a 2009 list of accreditation mills in ''College and University'', the journal of the .
History
In 1982, International Accrediting Commission for Schools, Colleges, and Theological Seminaries (IAC) was established in Missouri.sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person attempting to commit a crime. A typical sting will have an undercover law enforcement officer, detective, or co-operative member of the public play a role a ...
in which it set up the "Eastern Missouri Business College" with deliberately substandard faculty and curriculum for less than a week. An accreditation visit from the IAC resulted in civil fraud charges. IAC was ordered to pay the state of Missouri $15,0000 and cease operation in the state of Missouri in the fall of 1989.Beebe, Arkansas
Beebe is a city in White County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 7,315 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the second most populous in the county. The city is home to Arkansas State University-Beebe. ASU-Beebe also has branch campuse ...
.
Recognition
ACI is not recognized by the United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
, the institution responsible for recognizing educational accrediting institutions in the United States.Oregon Office of Degree Authorization The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization (ODA) is a unit of the Office of Student Access and Completion, with responsibilities related to maintaining high standards in private higher education institutions in Oregon. ODA administers laws and prov ...
includes ACI in its list of unrecognized accreditation agencies stating that, "any so-called 'accreditation' by these bodies is meaningless in Oregon and in some other states." In 2007, the ''St. Petersburg Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'' quoted Alan Contreras
Alan Lee Contreras (born Mar 11, 1956) is an American writer, poet, birdwatcher, and education consultant. He is best known for his contributions to Oregon ornithology and his work in higher education. He lives in Eugene, Oregon, and works part- ...
, the leader of Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization (an organization that follows questionable accrediting agencies) as saying, "Anything accredited by ACI in Beebe, Ark., is either fake or substandard, as far as I know."South Carolina Department of Education
The South Carolina Department of Education is the state education agency of South Carolina. It is headquartered in Columbia at the Rutledge Building. The agency is overseen by an elected Superintendent of Education, currently Ellen Weaver. Pre ...
said that a diploma issued by Georgia-based, ACI-accredited Cornerstone Christian Correspondence School did not appear to meet South Carolina's diploma-issuing criteria.State University System of Florida
The State University System of Florida (SUSF or SUS) is a system of twelve public universities in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2018, over 341,000 students were enrolled in Florida's state universities. Together with the Florida College Syst ...
. The organization employed no faculty and offered an "accredited online high school diploma"; it charged $195 and used an online multiple choice test which could be taken until a passing grade was achieved.
See also
*List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning
This is a list of colleges, seminaries, and universities that do not have educational accreditation. In many countries, accreditation is defined as a governmental designation.
Degrees or other qualifications from unaccredited institutions may ...
*
References
External links
Accrediting Commission International
{{Authority control
Unrecognized accreditation associations