Bristow Academy has voluntarily undergone a process of accreditation by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). For a prospective student this means that Bristow Academy has already met a very high standard that few of its competitors have attempted to achieve. Only 4 helicopter schools are currently accredited third level training institutions, and of these Bristow Academy was the first to achieve this status. The accreditation process is challenging, but very positive for the school. It raises academic and administrative standards and provides important benefits and safeguards for the school’s students. The certification process is demanding and most helicopter flight training schools would not meet the minimum requirements, but Bristow Academy has been accredited since 1994. More information about accreditation can be found at the ACCSC web site (www.accsct.org). Here is an extract that describes some of the benefits of accreditation:
For more than 35 years, ACCSC has been at the forefront of establishing and advancing quality education at private, post secondary career schools and colleges. ACCSC, recognized by the United States Department of Education as a private, non-profit, independent accrediting agency, is dedicated to ensuring a quality education for more than 220,000 students who annually pursue career education at more than 820 ACCSC accredited institutions.
There are many benefits to accreditation. Among them, accreditation encourages continuous efforts to achieve maximum educational effectiveness, provides an assurance of acceptable quality, and establishes eligibility for participation in federally funded programs including student financial aid. Many factors influence and reflect the quality of post secondary education. ACCSC assesses the effectiveness of an institution’s educational programs by evaluating the infrastructure that supports the delivery of programs as well as educational outcomes, including student achievement.
ACCSC accreditation is a means of assisting private career schools and colleges to become stronger and better institutions by setting standards of educational quality, and supports the efforts of institutions to achieve maximum educational effectiveness for students, employers and the public. ACCSC accreditation is a voluntary process that requires institutions to maintain high educational standards and ethical business practices. ACCSC’s accreditation process is a comprehensive review of all academic and ancillary activities and resources that support an institution’s educational objectives and the programs it offers. The accreditation process is the cornerstone of ACCSC’s ability to continually ensure the high quality of education in our accredited member schools.
By applying for and receiving accreditation, a school accepts the obligation to demonstrate compliance with the Standards of Accreditation. While the Commission employs its own fact-finding methods to determine a school’s compliance with accrediting standards, such as on-site evaluation teams’ observations and review of information provided by third parties, the burden rests with the school to establish it is meeting the standards. The Commission relies on information provided by applicant and member institutions to ensure compliance with accrediting standards. Through documentation and on-site peer evaluations, schools demonstrate commitment to follow the standards and practices through which institutional quality is achieved. ACCSC accredited institutions must, therefore, maintain compliance with ACCSC standards at all times and implement necessary changes as revisions to the Standards of Accreditation occur.
