Accreditation

The American Association Of Distance Learning (AAODL) is a professional accrediting association established to uphold and maintain high standards for all levels of online postsecondary education.

Distance learning is not a new phenomenon. Correspondence courses that have spanned this century, have provided education for those learners who could not pursue a traditional education.

Why do so many pursue distance learning? For reasons of access, economy, effectiveness and convenience, this type of learning is sweeping higher education and, in the view of some, changing the role of traditional learning to a marketplace that some institutions would prefer not to enter. Whether one is for or against distance learning, one cannot escape its impact.

Many students are attracted by the convenience and flexibility of home based education programs -- a perfect fit for their busy lives. They are not alone, however; evidence indicates that many students of a more "traditional" age find distance learning attractive and that the population seeking postsecondary education is growing faster than the current institutions ability to meet the demand.

Since the accrediting process serves to validate an institution's commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement, the purpose of the AAODL is to provide a level of acceptability which will undergo much of the same scrutiny as the evaluation of conventional campus-based programs.

Accreditation by the AAODL provides assurance to the public, in particular to prospective students, that an institution has been found to meet the association's requirements and criteria and that there are reasonable grounds for believing that it will continue to meet them.

Accreditation provides certification of acceptable institutional quality as well as an opportunity and incentive for self-improvement in the accredited institutions. The AAODL reaches the conclusion that an institution meets its requirements and criteria only after the institution opens itself to examination. Moreover, for the accredited institution, the process of accreditation provides an opportunity for critical self-analysis leading to improvement in quality.

The schools that gain accreditation by the AAODL are committed to provide qualified students that meet or exceed the qualifications of traditionally accredited institutions.

To be accredited by the AAODL, an institution must provide full distance learning programs. Whether or not the institution offers traditional campus-based learning is not relevant.

The integrity, reliability and opportunities for student career advancement are of primary concern when evaluating a school for possible accreditation.