UNDERSTANDING ACCREDITATION
Educational accreditation is a process of external quality review created and used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities, and programs for quality assurance and quality improvement. Accreditation in the United States is more than 100 years old, emerging from concerns to protect public health and safety and to serve the public interest.
In the United States, accreditation is carried out by private, nonprofit organizations designed for this specific purpose. External quality review of higher education is a nongovernmental enterprise.
There are two types of educational accreditation: institutional and specialized.
Regional (Institutional) Accreditation
Institutional accreditation is provided by regional and national associations of schools and colleges. There are six regional associations, (Middle States Commission, New England Association, Higher Learning Commission, Southern Association, Western Association for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association for Senior Colleges and Universities).The regional associations are independent of one another, but they cooperate extensively and acknowledge one another’s accreditation. Several national associations focus on particular kinds of institutions (for example, trade and technical colleges, or religious colleges and universities). An institutional accrediting agency evaluates an entire educational organization in terms of its mission and the agency’s standards or criteria. As an institution, Illinois Central College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) through 2030.
AQIP Participant, Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Illinois Central College is an AQIP participant, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. To contact the Higher Learning Commission, go to hlcommission.org or call (800) 627-7449. It is the policy of this College that no person, on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status, shall be discriminated against in employment, in educational programs and activities, or in admission.
Inquiries and complaints may be addressed to the:
Title IX/Civil Rights Equity Coordinator, Illinois Central College • 1 College Drive • East Peoria, Illinois 61635- 0001 • (309) 694-8460
Specialized (Programmatic) Accreditation and State Regulatory Agencies
ICC programs have sought and received specialized (program) accreditation/approval. These include the following.
Accrediting and State Regulatory Agencies | |
|---|---|
American Bar Association Standing Committee on Paralegals Approval Commission (ABA) | Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) |
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) | Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc. (IAODAPCA) |
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) | Illinois Board of Nursing |
American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation (ACFEF) | Illinois Community College Board |
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) | Illinois Department of Public Health |
Association of Leaders in Equipment Distribution Foundation (AED) | Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JCERT) |
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) | National Association of Schools of Music |
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in cooperation with the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC-STSA) | National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) |
Commission for Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) | National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) |
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) | |
ICC program name | accrediting agency | accreditation status & contact |
|---|---|---|
Automotive Technology | Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) | January 2025 Program Director: Todd Fortier |
Caterpillar Dealer Service Technology (CATTK) | Association of Leaders in Equipment Distribution Foundation (AED) | March 20, 2023 Program Director: Mark Matthews |
Culinary Arts Management | American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation (ACFEF) | December 3, 2026 Program Director: Charles Robertson |
Dental Hygienist | Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) | Fall 2021 Program Director: Cathleen Korondi |
Drug and Alcohol Counselor Trainings (DACT) | Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc. (IAODAPCA) | September 1, 2021 Program Director: Dan Kelts |
Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic programs | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) | 2023 Program Director: Mike Dant |
General Motor Automotive Service Educational Program (GM-ASEP) | Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) | January 1, 2025 Program Director: Trevor Imm |
Horticulture programs (multiple) | National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) | December 31, 2021 Program Director: Corinne Brown |
Licensed Practical Nurse | Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) | Spring 2028 Program Director: Mischelle Monagle |
Medical Assistant | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) | Fall 2028 Program Director: Cydney Condit |
Medical Laboratory Technician | National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) | October 31, 2030 Program Director: Vince Strow |
Music (Associate in Arts) | National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) | Deferred by NASM until November 2021 Program Director: Julie Clemens |
Occupational Therapy Assistant | Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) | June 2028 (Received June 2018 for 10 years) Program Director: Jennifer Haines |
Paralegal (AAS & Certificate) | American Bar Association Standing Committee on Paralegals Approval Commission (ABA) | February 2021 Coordinator: Peggy Crane |
Physical Therapist Assistant | Commission for Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) | June 30, 2026 Program Director: Julie Feeny |
Radiographer | Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JCERT) | Fall 2025 Program Director: April Tatham |
Registered Nurse | Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) | Spring 2028 Program Director: Mischelle Monagle |
Respiratory Therapist | Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) | Spring 2026 Program Director: Mary Beth Cregger |
Surgical Technologist | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in cooperation with the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC-STSA) | 2029 Program Director: Bill Hammer |