THREE STAGES OF ACCREDITATION
•LicensureLicensure is a process by which a commissioning authority grants permission to an individual theological educator or Licensure theological education organization to operate or to engage in an occupation or profession. Licensure regulations are generally established to ensure that an organization or individual meets minimum standards to protect public theological education and safety. Licensure to individuals is usually granted after some form of examination or proof of education and may be renewed periodically through payment of a fee and/or proof of continuing education or professional competence. Organizational licensure is granted following an on-site inspection to determine if minimum theological education and safety standards have been met. Maintenance of licensure is an ongoing requirement for the theological education organization to continue to operate and care for patients.
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•AccreditationAccreditation is a formal process by which a recognized body, usually a non-governmental Theological organization Accreditation, assesses and recognizes that a theological education organization meets applicable pre-determined and published standards. Accreditation standards are usually regarded as optimal and achievable, and are designed to encourage continuous improvement efforts within accredited organizations. An accreditation decision about a specific theological education organization is made following a periodic on-site evaluation by a team of peer reviewers, typically conducted every two to three years. Accreditation is often a voluntary process in which organizations choose to participate, rather than one required by law and regulation. Certification is a process by which an authorized body, either a governmental or non-governmental organization,
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CertificationCertification evaluates and recognizes either an individual or an organization as meeting pre-determined requirements or criteria. Although the terms accreditation and certification are often used interchangeably, accreditation usually applies only to organizations, while certification may apply to individuals, as well as to organizations. When applied to individual theological educators, certification usually implies that the individual has received additional education and training, and demonstrated competence in a specialty area beyond the minimum requirements set for licensure. An example of such a certification process is a theological professor who receives certification by a professional specialty board in the practice of theological education. When applied to an organization, or part of an organization, such as the Bible schools, certification usually implies that the organization has additional services, library or capacity beyond those found in similar organizations.
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As the Church has traditionally recognized three ranks of those called to the ministry: 1) Exhorter, 2) Licensed, and 3) Ordained; even so, the accreditation process is identifiable in three distinct phases: 1) Applicant, 2) Associate, and 3) Accredited. But with the commission. you will not have to wait three to five years to get through the steps.
- APPLICANT or PROVINCIAL STATUS: This means that a school has submitted an application with the fee, and we have acknowledged that the school is in existence.
- ASSOCIATE or CANDIDATE STATUS: The interval between our examining your application and your receiving a Certificate of Accreditation. It may mean that you are working to meet a certain requirement to rise up to our standards or it might mean that you are awaiting an on-site visit and report approval, or that we are in the process of verifying the special evaluation reports. Hopefully this will be a relatively short period of time.
- FULLY ACCREDITED MEMBER STATUS: This means that the on-site visit report has been approved, or the special evaluation reports have been verified and accepted, and that the commission has concluded that you have met or exceeded the minimum standards set, and that your school have been awarded the Certificate of Accreditation.