A major milestone has been achieved with the incorporation of a non-profit agency to serve as the accrediting entity for postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability, the Inclusive Higher Education Accreditation Council. Pioneers in inclusive postsecondary education and notably, all parents of amazing individuals with intellectual disability, Madeleine Will, Stephanie Smith Lee, Elise McMillan and Tom Sannicandro are the founding board of directors for the Council. This historic accomplishment was highlighted in an Inside Higher Education article.
The Think College National Coordinating Center (NCC) is charged with several activities related to program accreditation. These activities are to 1) develop standards for program accreditation, 2) create a program accreditation process and 3) establish a program accreditation entity. The NCC Accreditation Workgroups have been working towards completion of these goals since first established in 2011 and have now met important milestones for all three activities. Accreditation standards were finalized in 2020, and the NCC workgroup has developed a process for accrediting programs using those standards, including a self-study and guidance manual. Another critical milestone was reached when the IHEAC piloted the accreditation process at programs for students with intellectual disability at Western Carolina University, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Alabama and University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.
Progress will continue as the NCC refines processes as needed, based on what was learned from this comprehensive pilot. The Inclusive Higher Education Accreditation Council will also petition the U.S. Department of Education and the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) to become a nationally recognized program accreditor. These exciting developments in accreditation are truly validating inclusive postsecondary education programs for students with ID.