Distance Education Training Council Accreditation

USQ is the latest university to be accredited with the Distance Education Training Council (DETC), an American public service organisation dedicated to identifying quality distance learning institutions.

The accreditation is an expression of confidence in the educational programs, policies and procedures of the University by its peers, and brings the institution recognition through the extension of special status by several American states under their legislation and regulations.

USQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Global Learning) Professor Jim Taylor said the accreditation is an endorsement that will allow the University to better sell its distance education programs overseas.

“We had to meet quite rigorous standards to achieve this accreditation so it is a bit of an achievement that has some market implications. Those implications are that accreditation gives us better access to the United States market and that our U.S. based students may now be able to claim student financial assistance from their government,” he said.

In order to be accredited, the University had to satisfy a number of requirements including: a satisfaction survey of current distance education students, a review of USQ course materials by subject matter specialists in both the US and Australia, and compilation of a substantive Self Evaluation Report of USQ operations based on a set of comprehensive DETC Accreditation Standards.

A final requirement was that the DETC Examining Committee conduct a campus visit for the purpose of auditing USQ’s processes and procedures.

The entire process was completed in 11 months, and the University’s accreditation will be reviewed on a five-yearly basis.

Director of the University’s Distance and e-Learning Centre (DeC) Associate Professor Alan Smith said the DETC approval system will also serve as an assurance of quality to existing distance students.

“Even though the direct beneficiaries of this accreditation are our students in the United States, it also signifies to our distance education students in Australia and in other countries that our course content and standards of delivery are comparable with the best in the world,” he said. Further information about DETC and the accreditation can be found at http://www.detc.org