Understanding Independent Accreditation: It’s More Than a Tag Line!
Accreditation is a term that you may hear when you are researching which school to attend. This is especially true if you are a prospective or current student of Homeopathy. Many schools may throw this term around, but what does it really mean?
Accreditation Defined!
Accreditation is a term applied to a school or specific program which has been recognized by a national or regional organization as meeting certain academic standards for quality and educational instruction.
www.uwyo.edu/registrar/University_Catalog/common.html
Most educational institutions, such as universities and colleges, are required to undergo a process of accreditation by a commission or independent organization. The purpose of this is to ensure that each educational institution is meeting specific standards in terms of academic quality as well as ensuring specific guidelines/laws are met. The current state of Homeopathy in Canada, and in Ontario specifically, is that Homeopathic educational institutions are not required to have an accreditation.
Why Independent Accreditation Matters!
Any educational training institution should be adhering to specific guidelines set out by an independent association. If you are looking for a Homeopathic College in particular, it is really important to choose one that has an on-going independent accreditation. This means that if I ran a College, I should not be able to create an organization to accredit my own College. The independent aspect is crucial as staff and boards that don’t have a conflict of interest will assess each College’s ability to meet already established standards and guidelines.
You can easily find out if a Homeopathic College meets these criteria by asking if they have an independent accreditation from a recognized accreditation commission not directly connected with that particular educational institution.
How the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine is Different!
Did you know that the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine is the only Homeopathic College or School in Canada that has an independent accreditation?
We are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Homeopathic Education in North America (ACHENA) to which we are accountable in an on-going process. Specifically, we are required to follow guidelines that also include a site visit by peer reviewers every 2-3 years. ACHENA reviews our curriculum and administration in an on-going manner which also requires us to meet specific educational objectives and outcomes that cover every aspect of running a college, including reviews of budgets/finances, curriculum, lecturers and much more. At the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine, we are proud of all of our efforts to adhere to such rigorous standards because it reflects our commitment to upholding the highest standards in Homeopathic education. In the end, you want to choose a College that is accountable to a specific set of standards because it also means we are accountable to our students.
To find out more about our independent accreditation, please visit the Accreditation Commission for Homeopathic Education in North America (ACHENA) at www.achena.org.
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