Wikiversity talk:Accreditation

I think that accredation should be one of the long-term (very long-term) goals of Wikiversity. While it should have "just for learning" courses, it should also aim to set up a vigorous program of study capable of providing effective real-world degrees. A good starting point may be setting up a GED preparation program for those in the US, where Wikipedia would not need to offer any accredation itself, but simply prepare its students for "the big test" which itself would grant the diploma. Jade Knight 09:30, 7 October 2006 (UTC)


 * I believe this would be the best model and could be expanded to the university sphere as well. Courses could be set up so that, if taken properly, students could expect to pass a clep test at an accredited university.  By taken properly I mean that, for example, if a wikiversity class has an exam that is designated as closed book/notes, the student acually takes the exam in such a manner.  Such a model would take much of the legal responsibilities off of Wikimedia itself, as it is not actually granting any degrees, while still imparting a real-world value to the classes.  What would be highly valuable (although admittedly difficult and time consuming) would be a table which equates a certain Wikiversity class to classes offered by various universities in terms of difficulty and subject material covered.  Then again, one could argue that much of the work has already been done by other projects, as most of the course material for a great many subjects can be easily accessed on Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikispecies, etc.  Wikiversity's main function would be to organize these articles into a cohesive and understandable curriculum, set up tests, and delineate what these classes could mean in the real world.  cerealkiller13 18:24, 25 October 2006 (UTC)


 * I lean towards this model, myself. Eventually, however, I'd like to see us offer our own sort of acceditation.  The Jade Knight 12:03, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Far? Future
I think that at this moment in time, there is no possible way to Wikiversity to be considered a "credible" university in the eyes of wider society worthy of accredidation. It does not seem this should be the focus as this point in time. It does seem like right now that we should focus on developing a solid core structure and system of the way information and knowledge is conveyed. Perhaps once departments seem like cohesive units that really have state of the art and advanced information and knowledge, and people are using Wikiversity to gain as much knowledge as they would at already accredited university, then accreditation will seem like a natural progression. --Remi0o 06:53, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Accreditation outside of Wikiversity
Accreditation in the United States is a fairly simple process. Schools must show accreditors that they have clear academic goals and the financial and human resources to achieve those goals. The main purpose of accreditation is to ensure that the university doesn't go bankrupt while students get their degrees.

Accreditors tend to be very favorably disposed toward new universities, thanks to institutions such as the University of Phoenix and Capella University.

It's also probably unnecessary for Wikiversity. There are several ways of converting knowledge to degrees, that it's not necessary for Wikiversity IMHO to reinvent the wheel.

Roadrunner 21:27, 5 August 2006 (UTC)