At the December 2007 meeting of the National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity (the body that advises the US Secretary of Education about the recognition of accreditors) the recommendation was made and unanimously approved that the Academy be allowed to accept new applications for membership (for information on the former vote to limit AALE, please follow this link). On the strength of this reversal, AALE will begin accepting new applications in January of 2008.
In the winter of 2007, the Council of
Phi Beta Kappa has issued a rare resolution directly
related to a public policy debate. In reaction to the recent
publication of the Secretary's
A test of Leadership and her subsequent
public comments, the society has stressed the need for
the national debate on reform in Higher Education to
recognize the need for and the mission of liberal arts
colleges. The Academy endorses
this statement and stresses the need for all who strive
for excellence in American higher education to recognize
that liberal arts colleges are the foundation of an
educational system that is the envy of the world. The lenses
by which we evaluate the quality of such institutions must
be different than the ones used for education that simply
prepares students for their professional lives. Most of the
leading thinkers, creators, and political actors on the
American landscape, come from liberal arts colleges. We must
maintain and encourage such an education that breeds a
wonderful diversity of sought after ends.
a letter from President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey
Wallin
Do you represent an institution or program
interested in AALE accreditation at the two-year or graduate
level? Do you want to pursue accreditation for your
online liberal arts program? AALE is working to expand
its scope to work with you! Please look here if you are interested in participating in or
commenting on our pilot project.
The AALE Board of Trustees recently met to review several
applications for accreditation. For a list of AALE Board actions and
new member institutions, please follow these links: for colleges and
universities, click here, for
charter schools, click here.