ALA Committee on Accreditation, a CHEA-recognized accrediting agency

ALA Committee on Accreditation, a CHEA-recognized accrediting agency

CHEA Committee on Recognition defers continued recognition recommendation to CHEA Board, October 4, 2023

CALL FOR THIRD-PARTY COMMENT for RECOGNITION REVIEW by May 26, 2023

CHEA response to ALA-CoA interim report follow-up of September 1, 2019

CHEA response to ALA-CoA interim report follow-up of April 30, 2019

  • June 21, 2019: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF)

CHEA response to ALA-CoA interim report follow-up meeting of November 2018

  • December 20, 2018: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF)

CHEA response to ALA-CoA interim report follow-up of May 2018

  • June 15, 2018: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF)

CHEA response to ALA-CoA interim report follow-up of February 2018

  • March 30, 2018: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF)

CHEA response to ALA-CoA interim report follow-up of April 2017

  • July 5, 2017: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF)

CHEA response to ALA-CoA interim report of July 2016

  • August 15, 2016: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF)

Recognition reaffirmed

  • May 16, 2013: CHEA Board of Directors letter (PDF), reaffirming recognition of ALA-COA.

Background

The ALA-CoA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as affirmation that the ALA-CoA standards and processes lead to enhanced academic quality. Accreditor recognition is sought voluntarily and CHEA decisions regarding recognition have no effect on the accredited status of programs or institutions.

CHEA is an association of degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations and serves as an advocate for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation and is governed by a board of college and university presidents, institutional representatives, and public members.

Recognized accrediting organizations are to adhere to CHEA Recognition Policy and undergo periodic comprehensive review and provide interim reports. The CHEA website provides detailed information, including information on safeguarding against degree mills and accreditation mills.

CHEA 2010-13 Comprehensive Review

Following the regularly scheduled CHEA comprehensive review of ALA-COA, the Committee on Recognition (CoR) recommended to the CHEA Board of Directors that it defer action for one year on the ALA application for reaffirmation of recognition. The recommendation cited a need for further substantiation of implementation of CHEA Standard 12B.1 which requires accredited programs to publicly disclose information on program performance, “including student achievement as determined by the institution or program.”

ALA provided further clarification and substantiation of compliance with CHEA Standard 12B.1 and asked the Board to immediately reaffirm recognition without delay. The CHEA Board of Directors met January 23 and 24, 2012, to take action on the CoR recommendation and the ALA response and request. The Board voted to defer a decision on continued recognition for one year, during which time ALA recognition by CHEA would continue. ALA requested a written response from the CoR, following its review of ALA's January 13, 2012, letter at its March 19-20, 2012, meeting. ALA provided further documentation supporting reaffirmation of recognition in a May 18, 2012, letter. The CHEA CoR responded that it would recommend to the CHEA Board that it “continue its review at the March 2013 meeting.” At its March 2013 meeting, the CHEA Committee on Recognition recommended to the CHEA Board that ALA-COA be granted CHEA recognition. At the April 29, 2013, meeting the CHEA Board of Directors granted ALA-COA recognition. PDFs of the correspondence listed above follow.

  • December 16, 2011: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF), deferring action on ALA-COA's application for reaffirmation of recognition.
  • January 13, 2012: Office for Accreditation response (PDF) to the Committee on Recognition's Letter.
  • February 2, 2012: CHEA Board of Directors letter (PDF) deferring a decision on continued recognition for one year. View all recent CHEA Recognition Decision Summaries.
  • February 8, 2012: Office for Accreditation request (PDF) for the Committee on Recognition's response.
  • May 18, 2012: Office for Accreditation letter (PDF), providing further documentation supporting reaffirmation of recognition.
  • July 12, 2012: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF), recommending to the CHEA Board that it “continue its review at the March 2013 meeting.”
  • July 17, 2012: Office for Accreditation letter (PDF), providing further clarification to support reaffirmation of recognition.
  • October 1, 2012: CHEA Board of Directors letter (PDF) referring the information provided by ALA-COA to the Committee on Recognition for consideration at its November 19-20, 2012, meeting.
  • December 20, 2012: CHEA letter (PDF) in reply to the ALA-COA meeting with the CHEA Board of Directors September 24, 2012. CHEA Committee on Recognition maintains its recommendation to the CHEA Board of Directors to defer a decision until spring 2013.
  • January 31, 2013: Office for Accreditation letter (PDF) with comprehensive list of the locations of public information made available by ALA-accredited programs concerning their performance.
  • February 4, 2013: CHEA letter (PDF) acknowledging acceptance by the Board of Directors of additional information provided by ALA-COA.
  • March 26, 2013: CHEA Committee on Recognition letter (PDF) recommending to the CHEA Board that ALA-COA be granted CHEA recognition.