DEAC and Higher Digital Launch First Accreditation-Readiness Assessment That Evaluates Schools’ Distance Education Capabilities
The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and Higher Digital, the leading digital strategic advisor to higher education institutions, today announced the launch of the (SEA)RESULTS® Distance Education Effectiveness Assessment.
This innovative tool couples DEAC’s trusted accreditation standards with Higher Digital’s innovative software service, (SEA)RESULTS, to provide colleges and universities with a quick and cost-effective evaluation of their online programs as well as a customized plan for improvement. In light of COVID-19, distance education has never been more prominent. This assessment will benefit both institutions planning to seek accreditation, as well as those simply looking for a quick and effective way to evaluate the effectiveness of their distance education capabilities. Using the new assessment, college and university leaders will be empowered to:
- Assess their distance education effectiveness across academic, organizational, operational, and technical dimensions, to better understand their strengths and weaknesses;
- Plan their distance education accreditation strategy using their customized (SEA)RESULTS report and an easy-to-follow road map for implementation and achieving digital transformation;
- Measure performance over time to hold staff and vendors accountable.
In assessing an institution’s distance education capabilities, the (SEA)RESULTS® Distance Education Effectiveness Assessment focuses on four key categories as identified by DEAC: student/consumer protection, academic quality, technology enterprise, and long-term viability. This includes evaluating components such as the levels of transparency schools have with students and how they invest in their technology infrastructure to provide the highest quality education possible.
DEAC and Higher Digital first announced their collaboration at Educause in 2019 and launched the assessment today at DEAC’s Virtual Annual Business Meeting. For more information, or to take the assessment, please visit the Higher Digital website.
ABOUT DEAC
The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1926 that operates as a national accreditor of distance education institutions. DEAC’s goal is to ensure a high standard of educational quality in the distance education institutions it accredits and a quality education for the more than two million students who annually study at its accredited institutions.
ABOUT Higher Digital
Higher Digital is a digital transformation service company that provides an innovative software service, (SEA)RESULTS®, as well as enterprise-wide consulting capabilities, that significantly lower the time and cost for higher education institution executives to assess, plan, and measure their technology strategies. Higher Digital’s corporate headquarters is located in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and the company’s European office is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. For more information, please visit higher.digital.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Leah Matthews, Executive Director
(202) 234-5100 * leah.matthews@deac.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Robert Chalifoux, Director, Media and Events
(202) 234-5100 * rob.chalifoux@deac.org