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Overview

The American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE) is a national association that accredits institutions offering quality general education programs in the liberal arts that meet the Academy's stringent educational, administrative, and financial criteria.  Led by President Jeffrey Wallin, AALE is unique in the accreditation community in grounding the entire institutional or program accreditation process on a rigorous set of Education Standards.  A major purpose of the Academy is the accreditation of liberal arts institutions in order to enable them to participate in programs authorized under the Higher Education Act and other Federal programs.  Universities, colleges, or liberal arts programs within such institutions may apply for AALE accreditation.

Accreditation by AALE signifies institutional integrity and a strong commitment to liberal education.  Membership certifies that the institution meets or exceeds the Academy's independently established Education Standards.  These standards require students to complete demanding core studies in the arts, sciences, and humanities taught by senior as well as junior faculty.  Consequently, AALE's Education Standards provide stakeholders in higher education, including parents and prospective students, with a clear means for identifying curricula with a focused, well-articulated core of languages, history, mathematics, science, literature, philosophy, and other elements of a liberal education.

AALE is listed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized national accrediting agency for the accreditation and preaccreditation of institutions of higher education and programs within institutions of higher education that offer liberal arts degrees at the baccalaureate level.  The Academy is located in the nation's capital and is non-profit, non-partisan, and non-sectarian.

Board and Council

Final Decisions for accreditation and certification are made by the Academy's Board of Trustees, in consultation with the Council of Scholars for Higher Education decisions.

Articles about AALE

• "A New Power in Accreditation," The New York Times
• "Accrediting the Educators," The Washington Post
• "Liberal Arts Posse," Harvard Magazine
• "Pressure to End Standards Circus," The London Times Higher Education Supplement

Staff

AALE Staff: Dr. Jeffrey Wallin, President; Jeff Martineau, Vice President, Accreditation; Vicki Lancioni, Director of Operations; Director of Educational Assessment & Charter School Accreditation; Assistant to the President; Program Officer, Higher Education; Program Officer, Charter Schools; Director of Special Projects, George Lucas, U.S. Naval Academy; Director of Finances, Dale Larson, University of Dallas

Questions and Answers

Some Questions and Answers about Liberal Education, a Higher Education Accreditation Publication

Frequently Asked Questions, a Charter School Accreditation Publication