Accreditation: DEAC Fall Workshop 2016

From October 16-18, Christi Okuma, CCU’s Director of Compliance and Operations attended the 2016 DEAC - Distance Education Accrediting Commission’s Fall Workshop in Seattle, WA. As the accreditor for California Coast University, DEAC holds a conference and workshop each year in various locations around the country. The purpose of the meetings is to keep member institutions up to date on quality standards, governmental regulations, and on-going requirements for maintaining accreditation. CCU regularly attends all of the workshops and conferences, along with completing on-line training.

During the workshop in October, the keynote presentation was delivered by Mr. Jan Friis, Vice President for Government Affairs. Mr. Friis presentation focused on federal policy developments in higher education, with an emphasis on how accreditation is keeping pace with changing demands for accountability and action. Other featured speakers were Dr. Don Norris from Strategic Initiatives and his colleague, Dr. Robert Brodnick. They presented on the annual reporting process, student achievement, and data analysis. Throughout the workshop, there were multiple break-out sessions focusing on various accreditation standards designed to assist member institutions in the delivery of quality educational programming. The information presented is so valuable, as the U.S. Department of Education and the recognized accrediting agencies are increasingly requiring institutions to conduct internal research on student completion rates, satisfaction, retention and quality improvement processes and to report their findings.

Moving forward, it is imperative for California Coast University to keep up with the changing educational climate and DEAC helps us to do that. Thank you DEAC – Distance Education Accrediting Commission for another informative and helpful meeting. Next up is the 91^st Annual Conference to be held in San Antonio, TX. We will keep you updated!