Accreditation Council for Co-op and Internship (ACCI)

In a 1929 speech, Herman Schneider stated, "There are no two cooperative courses the same and different tactics have to be used in different places. I hope there will never be two programs the same." Under the Accreditation Council for Co-op and Internship (ACCI) accreditation guidelines, an institution's co-op offerings are allowed to be diverse without compromising the program's integrity. Truly, this is what Schneider, the founding father of cooperative education, had in mind: quality programs to enhance the quality of a student's education.

The effort behind the formation of the ACCI has been focused on improvement of the field as a whole, allowing for diversity within the co-op community, while maintaining the quality of this method of experiential education. As we all know, "a rising tide lifts all ships," and this is what the ACCI strives to do. Our aim is to assist cooperative education programs in working toward goals that can enhance the quality of the educational experience for those students who participate.

The  Accreditation Council for Co-op and Internship (ACCI) is an association dedicated to encouraging and recognizing excellence in programs of cooperative education.  ACCI membership is comprised of programs or units that have current accreditation status as granted by ACCI.  These members establish standards and procedures regarding ACCI accreditation, respond to suggestions and queries regarding those standards and procedures from recognized cooperative education organizations, and serve as the body that grants or withholds accreditation in accordance with the established standards. The Accreditation Council for Co-op and Internship operates according to these established bylaws (MS Word | Adobe PDF).