Dear Students and Parents,

Many of you have asked about or expressed concern regarding our accreditation status.  The decision to pursue accreditation or not is one of the most critical decisions that a new school must face.  This is a decision that the administration discussed and investigated at length.  The result of this process is that we have determined that we will pursue accreditation and will do so at a fairly aggressive pace.  We came to this decision for two separate reasons.  First are the tangible benefits which most people think of immediately such as access to Federal and State funding, more readily transferable credits, and better access to post-graduate degree programs.  Second, and ultimately more important to us, is the accountability which the process provides.  The process of accreditation will force us to do three things:  1) be very specific about what we hope to accomplish, 2) find ways of measuring whether we are accomplishing these goals, and 3) make plans to close the gap between where we are and where we hope to be.  We believe this process of self-examination is a healthy one for any organization serious about accomplishing long-term goals.

The agency which we are pursuing accreditation through is the Association for Biblical Higher Education (www.abhe.org), formerly the Association for Accreditation of Bible Colleges.  They are a ‘real’ accrediting agency approved by the US Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).   ABHE has been in existence since 1947 and has maintained recognition with the USDE since they began recognizing accrediting agencies in 1957.  A full description of ABHE’s history and credentials is available at their website noted above.  We chose ABHE because we believe they provide the best option for helping us to maintain high academic standards while also sharing our Christian faith.

The accreditation process is lengthy.  ABHE has three stages that a school must proceed through:  applicant, candidate, and accredited.  EBC achieved applicant status in February, 2007.  The normal process from applicant to candidate status is four years.  We hope to be slightly aggressive and complete it in three years, thus achieving candidate status in 2010.  Candidate status is an indication that an accrediting agency believes it is reasonable to think that an institution can meet the requirements for full accreditation within the time frame permitted (under ABHE procedures, a maximum of five years).  The U.S. Department of Education recognizes “pre-accreditation” status (candidacy) for purposes of eligibility to participate in the federal Title IV programs for student financial assistance.  Full accreditation requires continuing to improve in the same standard areas that were assessed for candidate status.  In addition, initial accreditation is a statement by the accrediting agency that they reasonably expect the school to continue to maintain those standards for the next five years.

We as the administration and Board of Trustees of Eternity Bible College are committed to the accreditation process.  We trust that this roadmap and our actions thus far will provide you with a good picture of where we are headed and our commitment to get there.  If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact me directly at jwalker@eternitybiblecollege.com.

In His Service,

Joshua Walker
President
Eternity Bible College