The Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities is the accrediting body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It provides coordination, supervision, and quality control to the Adventist educational network worldwide. Thus, through the Adventist Accreditation Association all Advenitst owned educational institutions maintain a standar of quality and synergy.
Additionally, the accreditation process for Adventist educational institutions is principally concerned about educational quality through the Adventist philosophy of education. Successful accreditation of an institution means that it has the resources, programs, and services sufficient to accomplish the institution’s goals.
About the Adventist Accreditation Association (AAA)
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist
By means of the accreditation process, the institution demonstrates how it aligns effort with resources to provide the best Adventist education possible. The evaluation includes the way an institution nurtures and matures faith, as well as the way it prepares students for positions of leadership in their communities and churches. Thus, one can say that the goal of the Adventist Accreditation Association is to ensure that Adventist intitutions are trully “Adventist”.
Accreditation goes beyond the accountability for the integration of faith and learning and/or for quality education. In addition, it also serves as a forum for reflection, commitment (including financial commitments by governing boards or sponsoring organizations).
The Adventist Accrediting Association uses its standards of accreditation to make up a criteria for worldwide accreditation of all institutions. These criteria provide consistent guidelines for the evaluation of how each insitution operates.
Furthermore, a key component in the process of accreditation is that of self-study from each institution. Consequently, the institutions conduct a self-study of its philosophy, mission, purpose, programs, and services. Therefore, based on the self-study the association makes a visit for evaluation with a group of professionals that asses the strengths and weaknesses of the institution and its effectiveness in reaching its goals.
The members of the Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities are placed by the first Annual Council following the General Conference Session, upon recommendation from the General Conference Department of Education. Most noteworthy, the Chair person of the AAA is the director of the General Conference Department of Education.
Adventist Accreditation Process
The visiting team will supply the AAA board a written report of their findings and make a recommendation for a term of accreditation to be voted by the Accrediting Association board. As a result, an institution is normally granted candidacy for a two-year period prior to being considered for regular accreditation for a five year period.
Finaly, when AAA grants candidacy it is recognizing that an institution is in a position to offer accredited programs. most noteworthy, it denotes that programs approved are, as far as can be ascertained, likely to be the quality of other similar AAA accredited programs. While receiving institutions always retain the right to decide whether or not they will accept the credits granted by an institution in candidacy.
In conclusion, most Adventist institutions have full accreditation. However, institutions that are presently in candidacy or presently accredited may have a change of status at the end of their aloted period, this is based on the criteria for accreditation and re-accreditation.
Areas Reviewed by the Adventist Accreditation Association include:
- History, Philosophy, Mission, and Objectives
- Spiritual Development, Service, and Witnessing
- Governance, Organization, and Administration
- Finances, Financial Structure, and Industries
- Programs of Study
- Faculty and Staff
- Library and Resource Centers
- Academic Policies and Records
- Student Services
- Physical Plant and Facilities
- Public Relations and External Constituencies
- Compliance with the International Board of Ministerial and Theological Education (IBMTE) for programs in Religion and Theology
Headquarters for the Adventist Accreditation association in Maryland, USA.
Adventist Accreditation Headquartes
The Adventist Accrediting Association is organizedas a not-for-profit, non-stock, charitable, educational, scientific and religious organization. With headquarters at 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.