DEGREE GRANTING AUTHORITY
State of Michigan: Department of Labor & Economic Growth
Great Lakes University is fully approved under Section 171 of Public Act 327 to own and operate a nonpublic institution of higher education which has the authority to award the following degrees; Bachelor of Arts in Music; Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a Major in Counseling Psychology or Biology; Bachelor of Business Administration; and Bachelor of Science in Religious Education.
State of Michigan
Department of Labor & Economic Growth
Bureau of Career Education Programs
201 N. Washington Square
Lansing , MI. 48913
ACCREDITATION UPDATE:
Accreditation for an institute of higher learning, while not essential, helps validate the institution and carries tremendous advantages. It is the policy of GLU that accreditation is not an “if question,” but a “when question.” Great Lakes University is committed to quality education in a fulfilling spiritual/social environment. .
- GLU is committed to achieving accreditation through both national and regional accrediting agencies.
- When the first stage is completed, students will be eligible for Title IV Financial Aid monies.
Accreditation is a voluntary process for an institution of higher education. There are several misconceptions about what accreditation means and how it is obtained.
Technically, accreditation is a measure of quality control. Either a national or regional agency (depending on the type of accreditation) writes a set of standards or criteria that the institution chooses to fulfill. The institution then receives a stamp of approval from the agency. Basically, it means that an outside agency has evaluated the institution and the programs it offers and is willing to validate that it has reached a level of quality expected by the agency.
Having the stamp of approval (accreditation) has numerous advantages to institutions. It first helps the institution remain on task and focused on issues of an educational nature. It monitors the education offered, the student service extended, the financial and fiscal management, and ensures that the education being offered by the institution is a positive contribution to society. This reassures students and parents of the quality of the programs offered by the institution.
All accreditation is not the same. There are both national and regional accreditations as well as programmatic and institutional accreditations. Typically, national accreditation agencies are fairly specific in the types of institutions they accredit (i.e. the American Psychological Associations Committee on Accreditation accredits psychology programs). Regional accreditation, which is the most common form of accreditation, is more general in nature and typically has a focus on the overall functioning of the educational school as a viable organization. However, for some institutions, both are important.
Accrediting agencies are validated by being listed and recognized by the United States Department of Education. Only accreditation from agencies listed and recognized by the United States Department of Education (see the www.ed.gov Web site) are eligible for Federal student loans/grants (Title IV) ensuring an educational experience of excellent academic instruction. Another validation of accrediting agencies is to be listed and recognized by CHEA – Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This is a national organization that accreditation agencies can belong to. Not all accreditation agencies are listed and/or recognized by CHEA. Membership in CHEA is voluntary, not mandatory. It is of utmost importance to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Many people think that accreditation means transferability of credits. This is not always the case, although it is often used by an institution of higher education to decide if they will accept credits from another institution. Any college has the right to accept transfer credits from any college or university it desires. However, many use the standard of accreditation as an argument to accept or not accept transfer credits. There are many more advantages to accreditation that have nothing to do with credit transfer.
Typically, if the school/college/university is accredited by an agency listed with the U.S. Department of Education, institutions will transfer credits and will accept baccalaureate degrees by students seeking entrance into graduate and professional schools (i.e. Medical, Dental, Law, etc…). Also, most corporations that sponsor college scholarships and reimburse employee tuition do so only to accredited colleges/universities. Again, this is something the employer decides to use as a standard of excellence.
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