Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools

The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) is a U.S. national educational accreditation agency for Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries. TRACS, which is based in Forest, Virginia, is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. [http://www.chea.org/pdf/CHEA_USDE_AllAccred.pdf]

History

TRACS is "a voluntary, non-profit, self-governing organization to provide accreditation to Christian postsecondary institutions offering associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees."cite news | url=http://tracs.org/ | title=TRACS: Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools | publisher=Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools | date=2007 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2007-05-04] The organization was founded in 1979 to "promote the welfare, interests, and development of postsecondary institutions, whose mission is characterized by a distinctly Christian purpose." According to the Institute for Creation Research Graduate School (ICR and ICRGS), TRACS is a "product of the ICR Graduate School" and was created "Because of the prejudice against creation-science, outspoken creationist schools such as ICRGS used to stand little or no chance of getting recognition through accreditation." [cite news | title= The ICR Graduates | author=Sandra Blakeslee| url=http://www.icr.org/article/495/| format= | publisher=Institute for Creation Research | date=2007 | accessdate=2007-11-26 ]

TRACS was first recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) in 1991 as a national accrediting body with authority for the "accreditation and preaccreditation ("Candidate" status) of postsecondary institutions in the United States that offer certificates, diplomas, and associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees, including institutions that offer distance education." The USDE reauthorized TRACS in 2004. Its next scheduled review by the USDE is in 2009. [http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg8.html#chred US Department of Education, National Institutional and Specialized Accrediting Bodies] ]

TRACS is also a "full member" of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education. [http://www.inqaahe.org/members_view.cfm?typ=1&mID=3&sID=5]

ee also

* List of recognized accreditation associations of higher learning
* Regional accreditation

References

External links

* [http://www.tracs.org/ Transnational Association of Christian Colleges] , official site
* [http://tracs.org/accredited.htm Accredited institutions] (by TRACS)
* [http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp Institution Accreditation] at the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education
* [http://chronicle.com/che-data/articles.dir/art-41.dir/issue-40.dir/40a02801.htm Christian Accrediting Group Faulted in Federal Review] June 16, 1995 by Scott Jaschik