Guidelines Set Forth by Eight Regional Accrediting Bodies will Ensure the Quality of Online Programs, According to eCollegesm

eCollegesm [Nasdaq: ECLG] and the Center for Internet Technology in Education (CiTEsm announced today that along with three of the eight accrediting bodies, they will host a discussion on accreditation guidelines for online programs at the CiTE Conference in Denver on March 8.

Never before have the eight regional accrediting bodies collaborated in an effort to provide educators with guidelines for online degree and certificate programs. The guidelines have been set to ensure that online programs adhere to the same common practices and are as effective as their traditional counterparts.

“With the emergence of online degree offerings, eCollege and CiTE understand the importance of standard accreditation, and are committed to helping educators meet the proposed guidelines for their online degree programs,” said Karen Middleton, director of CiTE. “Accountability for these requirements will result in high quality education for students, whether on-campus or online.”

The panel will discuss the recently released Statement of the Regional Accrediting Commissions on the Evaluation of Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs. Through this interactive session, participants will learn new information on the standards that their online programs must meet, and how to review their online programs to make sure they are compliant.

Moderating the panel is Russell Poulin, the associate director of the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications. The panel includes:

• Steve Crow, executive director of The Higher Learning Commission (NCA)

• Charles Cook, director of the New England Association’s Commission on Institutions of Higher Education

• Sandra Elman, executive director of the Commission on Colleges and Universities in Bellevue, Washington

Registration for the CiTE Conference is still open. To register, or to learn more about the event, please visit http://citereg.eCollege.com/.

About CiTE

CiTE, the Center for Internet Technology in Education, brings together leading educators to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of technology in education. CiTE partners with institutions of higher education to explore current issues related to Internet-based technologies in education. CiTE creates opportunities for leading thinkers to convene in the eLearning arena to share best practices, collaborate and gain knowledge from each other.