The Daily Bulletin Archive

Buffalo State’s institutional accreditation with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools was described in the September 27 issue of the Bulletin. The same issue contained a summary of accreditation with NCATE(National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education). NCATE covers our teacher preparation programs, which are housed in all four schools.

Discipline- or program-specific accreditation is awarded when standards of a national organization for a distinct discipline are met. Buffalo State’s Academic Plan adopted in December 2003 established the goal to “achieve 100 percent accreditation of eligible programs.” In 2003, approximately 70 percent of the college’s eligible programs were accredited. As of today, 90 percent of our eligible programs have received accreditation. These are as follows:

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)*
Electrical Engineering Technology (Electronics) B.S.
Electrical Engineering Technology (Power and Machines) B.S.
Mechanical Engineering Technology, B.S.

Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA)
Hospitality Administration, B.S.

American Chemical Society (ACS)
Chemistry, B.A.

American Dietetic Association (ADA)
Dietetics, Coordinated Program, B.S.
Dietetics, Didactic Program, B.S.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Speech-Language Pathology, B.S., M.S.Ed.

Council for Interior Design Accreditation
Interior Design, B.F.A.

Council on Social Work Education (CSW)
Social Work, B.S.

National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT)
Industrial Technology, B.S.

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
Art Education, B.S., M.S.
Design, B.S., B.F.A.
Fine Arts, Art, B.A.
Fine Arts, Art History, B.A.
Fine Arts, Painting, B.F.A.
Fine Arts, Photography, B.F.A.
Fine Arts, Printmaking, B.F.A.
Fine Arts, Sculpture, B.F.A.
Interior Design, B.F.A.

National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
Theater, B.A.

NASAD and NAST have awarded accreditation to our programs since 2004. We continue to pursue disciplinary accreditation with the following organizations:

• Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC): This is for programs in communication; an accreditation site visit took place this week.
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM): This is for programs in music; an accreditation site visit is scheduled for March 2008.
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB): Actions to support progress toward this accreditation are in process. A projected date is not possible at this time.

The above discipline-specific accreditations, awarded or in process, are those previously identified as appropriate for Buffalo State. Suggestions to pursue additional accreditations are sometimes made. When these occur, deans are asked to consult with departments to determine if we should pursue and to develop a work plan. We also investigate the new accreditation organization to confirm that they are approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and check with other schools to ascertain their experience with the accrediting body.

Accreditation awards for specific programs are typically valid for a five- to 10-year period. When it is time to renew, a self-study is prepared per accreditation organization guidelines. This is followed by a site visit led by individuals from peer institutions. Recommendations of the review team are used by the accreditation organization in their decision to continue the accreditation.

*Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 347-7700.