Accreditation Information
The Social Work Program at Cornerstone University always was accredited through the Higher Learning Commission to offer a BA in Social Work degree. This is the same accreditation as other degrees offered by Cornerstone University such as History, English, or Psychology.
Along with this accreditation, the Social Work Program sought and has now received a secondary level of accreditation through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). A degree accredited by CSWE allows entrance into advanced placement MSW programs and state licensure, among other benefits.
Initial Accreditation has been granted by CSWE to Cornerstone University's Social Work Program. Word reached Cornerstone February 9, 2004 of the approval and faculty, students, and all others involved greeted the announcement with excitement, relief, and gratitude. Then, on May 17, 2004, word was received from CSWE that the program's Initial Accreditation status was retroactively extended back to the graduating class of 2001, the year Candidacy status was achieved.
Here is a little history of the accreditation process. From October 19-21, two Site Team Commissioners through the CSWE were on our campus to meet with all involved parties and to be the “eyes and ears of CSWE”. During this very intense visit, Dr. Ed Kuhlmann from Eastern College near Philadelphia, PA, and Professor Jan Potter from Dana College near Omaha, NB met with administrative personnel, social work faculty, students, alumni, advisory committee members, and field instructors to review our program. Just before they left, they met with administrators and about twenty other excited people to give a very positive report.
The next step was that the Social Work Department responded to their report. The site team recommendation along with our response was given to CSWE for their meeting in February, 2004. And now the verdict has been given. What wonderful news it was!
Additionally, CSWE allows us to apply for retroactive accreditation status back to Candidacy, affecting the graduating classes of 2001, 2002 and 2003. Please refer to the Council’s website at www.cswe.org. For more information please contact the social work program office at 254-1650 ext. 1910.
Go to http://www.cornerstone.edu/news/inside_cu/?news_ID=482 for an article about accreditation on the Cornerstone University website.
Also of interest is an article on accreditation from Cornerstone University’s campus newspaper shown below.
COUNCIL ON SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION
INITIAL ACCREDITATION: TASKS AND PROCESS
| INITIAL ACCREDITATION AWARDED |  |
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| INITIAL ACCREDITATION APPLICATION Commission Review - February, October, or June | |
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| Program's Response Site Team's Visit and Report Site Visit | |
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| SITE VISIT AUTHORIZATION REVIEW Commission Review of Site Visit - February, October, or June | |
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| Self-Study Document Addressing the Evaluative Standards and Curriculum Policy Statement Eligibility Standards Document ELGB or ELGM and ELG | |
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| After the second (or first in some cases) annual Commissioner Visit, the program may apply for initial accreditation. Eligibility is reviewed. When a letter is received by the program stating that eligibility has been approved, the program will submit its self-study. | |
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| CANDIDACY REVIEW Commission Review of Site Visit - February, October, or June | |
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| Annual Program's Response Annual Commissioner's Response Annual Commissioner's Visit Annual Program Report | |
October 2001 September 26-27, 2001 August 15, 2001 |
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Candidacy Granted: | |
| CANDIDACY APPLICATION Commission Review - February, October, or June | |
February 12, 2001 February 8-9, 2001 |
| Program's Response Pre-Candidacy Commissioner's Visit and Report Candicacy Evaluative Criteria Report | |
December 1, 2000 November 1-2, 2000 January 31, 2000 |
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| CANDIDACY APPLICATION: ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY | |
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| Eligibility Criteria Addressed - Forms CANDB or CANDM and ELGC Feasibility Study Affirmative Action Policy, Plan, or Program, and Procedures | |
August 5, 1999 May 6, 1999 |
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Copyright c 2000, Council on Social Work Educatoin, Inc. All rights reserved.
1725 Duke Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314
www.cswe.org
CORNERSTON PURSUES ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE THROUGH ACCREDITATION
The Herald (campus newspaper) – March 26, 2003
By Johanna Schuyten, staff writer
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools recently granted Cornerstone University continuing accreditation for the next 10 years. This marks the successful completion of a multi-year self-study and accreditation renewal process.
In the accreditation process, the department or school prepares a self-study, reviewing its mission and goals and evaluation how effectively it carries those out. The self-study document is then submitted to the accrediting organization, which arranges for a site visit. The site visit team prepares a final report for the organization, and the organization then votes on whether to grant accreditation.
HLC’s team visited Cornerstone in October 2002 and granted accreditation in February 2003.
Accreditation by HLC enables students to transfer credits to other schools and allows the institution to use federal funds for loans and grants.
According to Robert W. Nienhuis, executive vice president and chief academic officer for Cornerstone University, accreditation assures excellence of academic programs. “It forces you to take your program to the next level, to continue to improve,” Nienhuis said. “It provides external validation that we are providing a quality education.”
The social work program, currently accredited to offer a bachelor’s of arts in social work, is now in the process of being accredited to offer a bachelor’s of social work degree.
“What we’re looking for is above and beyond the accredited B.A.; we want to be able to offer a specifically social work accredited program,” said Pamela Awtrey, director of the social work program.
According to Awtrey, the department will submit a request for a site visit by April 1, 2003. If all goes as planned, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) will send a team in the fall, after which they will make a recommendation*(See note below). The department hopes to know whether they have received bachelor of social work accreditation by February of 2004. If they receive this accreditation, it will be good for four years. They can then repeat the process for an eight-year renewal rotation.
“Accreditation is sort of like a Betty Crocker seal of approval. It’s a stamp of approval on a program and basically says that you’ve met or exceeded all the standards that it takes to have a quality social work program,” Awtrey said.
The business department is currently deciding between two organizations to be accredited by, the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).
According to William Riter, division chair of business, after the department chooses an accrediting organization, there will be a year of work with a consultant before the self-study is finalized and a site visit scheduled. “The year 2004-05 … would be the earliest that we would be looking for accreditation to show up,” Riter said.
The Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary received their accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in June of 2002. ATS is the premier accrediting organization in North America, according to John VerBerkmoes, acting dean of the seminary. The ATS visit team granted full ATS membership for five years. After the initial five years, accreditation can be renewed on a 10-year rotation.
VerBerkmoes said that the seminary benefits from accreditation. Administrators and faculty have access to workshops and training sponsored by ATS. ATS-accredited status also opens up potential opportunities for funding.
VerBerkmoes said that students benefit from accreditation, as well. “Accreditation really works to the students’ advantage because it’s an external authority that holds the school accountable for having a clear mission, enacting that mission, evaluating its effectiveness, and making corrections as needed,” VerBerkmoes said.
*The Self-Study was approved and the Site Team visited in October, 2003.
