NCA also has guidelines for distance education that institutions must follow, such as providing appropriate interaction between students and faculty and among students, or that appropriate library resources are available to distance students. Accreditation by the Commission and by other nationally recognized agencies provides assurance to the public, in particular to prospective students, that an institution has been found to meet the agency s clearly stated requirements and criteria and that there are reasonable grounds for believing that it will continue to meet them. Accreditation provides public certification of acceptable institutional quality as well as an opportunity and incentive for self-improvement in the institutions accredited. The Commission reaches the conclusion that an institution meets its requirements and criteria only after the institution opens itself to outside examination conducted by experienced evaluators familiar with accrediting requirements and with higher education. Moreover, for the accredited institution, the process of accreditation provides an opportunity for critical self-analysis leading to improvement in quality and for consultation and advice from persons from other institutions.
Accreditation includes distance education courses and programs.
The Commission accredits a number of institutions that offer courses and programs through various methods of distance delivery. Since the Commission accredits institutions rather than individual programs, it does not maintain listings of such programs. The Commission does provide a list of Internet resources on distance education on its web site. The Record of Status and Scope indicates whether the institution offers courses or programs through distance delivery. In addition, the Commission has developed principles of good practice as guidelines for those institutions that may offer courses or programs through distance delivery.