What is Accreditation?

In 1869, the faculty of Michigan State University began the accrediting process in the American academic world. The original desire and intent of the accrediting process was simply to unify the nation’s institutions as to the credit hours granted for classroom hours of study, (i.e.) a 45 clock hour course would equate to 3 credit hours, thus allowing transferability from institution to institution.

However, today there are hundreds of “accrediting agencies,” most of which offer no guarantee of academic quality or genuine conservative theological soundness. Conservative Theological University meets or exceeds educational standards as set forth by secular colleges and universities. Conservative Theological University is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. We are also certified by the Council of Private College of America and active member of the Florida Council of Private Colleges. Although accreditation is not necessary or required for a Christian Theological University, we feel that the highest academic standards and ethics are essential. Through careful research and methodical development, we have the finest programs available anywhere in the world. Our graduates are committed, competent, and theologically qualified to minister the Word of God.

Dr. H. R. Kells, professor of higher education at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, conducted a survey of accrediting agencies recognized by the Council on Post-secondary Accreditation. The survey recorded several alarming aspects of the accrediting process. Dr. Kells said, “The accrediting process and the value of being accredited can be severely questioned.” Kells’ survey found that, “accrediting agencies are haphazard.” Dr. Kells further stated that, “the accreditation process is flawed and accreditation serves no useful purpose.” The problem with accreditation can be summed up by just one of Kells’ questions. When asked to comment on the importance of accreditation, not a single respondent believed that accreditation was important in helping place a school’s graduate in employment!

In his book, “How to Pick a Perfect Private School”, Hallow G. Unger stated, “The accreditation idea has taken a firm hold on the nation’s educational system. However, accreditation has only seemed to institutionalize the problems the process was meant to solve.” Why should a conservative theological Christian school want to become entangled with any agency or organization that could dictate its agenda and creed upon its member schools? Why not be obedient to the Biblical mandate for Christians, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate from the world.”

In his book, “How to Pick a Perfect Private School,” Unger said, “Since accreditation means only what an individual’s, or an organization’s, opinion dictates, which precludes any general standard of acceptance, formal accreditation is, for practical purposes, worthless.” Unger further stated, “Having been freed from the confinement of accreditation, a school can establish its own academic standards and concentrate on meeting the approval of parents, students, and employees.” Furthermore, our goal is first, and foremost academically-theologically sound biblical training, through which God is pleased.

Conservative Theological University is content with providing the very best Biblical, theological, academic training through meeting God’s standard of moral, ethical, Biblical absolutes, free from any societal, secular, humanistic, governmental contamination.

The exclusive purpose of Conservative Theological University is the training for the Ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the education of those in Christian service, accreditation has little or no real value other than dramatically increasing the cost of tuition and becoming a part of the secular world’s value system. C.T.U. has chosen certification via The Council of Private Colleges of America, which exceeds other standards.

Analysis of the Process

An accrediting association is an organization designed to set-up criteria for judging the quality of training offered by an educational institution, determines the extent to which the institution meets these criteria, and publishes a list of the institutions found to be of acceptable quality. Member institutions voluntarily join, pay membership dues, often in excess of $2,000 to $10,000 and up, annually, depending on student body size, and agrees to meet the criteria for holding membership as defined by that accrediting association.

There are only six regional accrediting associations recognized by the United States Department of Education. These associations evaluate a college or seminary on such items as educational objectives and outcomes, educational programs, admissions policies, personnel, services, institutional study, training, and experience of the instructional faculty, financial stability and library resources. In recent years, we find an eroding public confidence in the process of accreditation. George Arnstein’s writing in Phi Delta Kappa says, “Accreditation is central in American post secondary education, but it is neither essential nor reliable as an indicator of quality“.

Christians are commanded in Scripture not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (II Cor. 6:14). Therefore, it is impossible for a Christian institution to obey the Lord and voluntarily align itself with an accreditation association where unsaved men and women sit as “peer reviewers” on the purpose, philosophy, objectives, and theological doctrinal programs being taught or carried out by the Christian institution.

There are those who think Christian institutions and organizations should have a Christian organization or association to police the educational standards and policies of Christian schools, however as stated by Dr. Bob Jones III, “A cursory knowledge of church history will reveal that …such efforts result in religious TOTALITARIANISM in the religious hierarchy of control which is intolerable to any school owing its conscience to the Lord Jesus Christ”. Is it possible for a Christian School to maintain high educational quality and scriptural studies without holding membership in an accrediting institution? Can its graduate serve our Lord in the Ministry around the world with integrity and skill? The unequivocal answer is Yes! For many years C.T.U. has had the privilege of training men and women of God in the Scriptures, equipping them to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thousands of C.T.U. students and graduates proudly minister the Gospel worldwide.

It is essential for C.T.U. to maintain unanimity of doctrinal position, purpose and purity and truly fundamental central Biblicist approach to Christianity in all of the administration and faculty. Thus the administration must maintain control of the faculty, curriculum, and biblical-theological purity without being subjected to intervention and pressures of committees who are not Born-again Christians who fail to understand our unique emphasis on scriptural purity, theological freedom and ministry training goals. Yes, you as prospective students should be concerned about the accreditation of the Christian College or seminary you plan to attend. The question that is so VITAL, “Has the institution surrendered itself into the hands of the unsaved system of the world who will attempt to dictate the manner, methods, and materials in which its degree programs are to be carried out?” CONSERVATIVE THEOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY justly lays claim to Biblical theological, educational purity apart from all secular institutions or liberal arts schools that happen to have a department of religion. Our graduates are equipped in the Word of God to impact the world for Jesus Christ.

Affiliations-Certification

Conservative Theological University is “certified” by the Council of Private College of America and is a CERTIFIED MEMBER of the Florida Council of Private Colleges, Inc. (F.C.P.C.) which is a peer review educational certification agency which represents its member independent colleges and universities before any governmental and/or educational agency. Conservative Theological University has voluntarily and without reservation submitted to the F.C.P.C. and C.P.C.A. for a thorough and rigorous review team examination. The F.C.P.C. provides experienced, professional educational quality peer review of the faculty, academic curriculum, and course development, both on campus and distant learning processes and procedures as well as a complete on site review of campus operations, catalog, brochures, advertisement, matriculation forms, institutional financials, student records and transcripts to meet or exceed all standards of excellence of C.P.C.A. and the F.C.P.C. The C.P.C.A. and F.C.P.C. also reviews and evaluates the institution’s web site. Furthermore, F.C.P.C. conducts interviews with past and present students to determine that the educational learning experience provided has achieved true academic professional learning in keeping with the educational standards of excellence that equals or exceeds the F.C.P.C. and C.P.C.A. standards. F.C.P.C. and C.P.C.A. standards exceed all the minimum standards of the State of Florida. For verification of all F.C.P.C. and C.P.C.A. standards and a listing or affiliate and certified member schools, go to www.FCPC.INFO. C.T.U. also meets or exceeds the minimum standards for the State Boards of Education nationally.