Mission

The Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education has been established as an independent entity with its primary mission the recognition of the achievement and maintenance of standards for programs of cooperative education.

The Attributes of Cooperative Education serves as a foundation to provide a structural model and principles of cooperative education. On this foundation, the Accreditation Council has built an expanded set of standards and definitions to  advance cooperative education as a discipline and promote quality in cooperative education programs.

Programs of cooperative education can now be accredited based on their substantial compliance to these standards.. It is recognized, however, that any process will evolve, and elaboration of this model will be no exception.

Purpose

The purpose of this organization is to serve the public through the establishment and maintenance of criteria and procedures for accrediting cooperative education programs, to promote the value of such accreditation and to share information gained through the accreditation process that will enhance the field of cooperative education.

The specific objectives of the organization are:

1. To establish and maintain an accreditation process for programs in Cooperative Education.


2. To effectively review cooperative education programs seeking the accreditation designation.


3. To provide information and training to raise the standards of individual cooperative education programs as well as cooperative education as an experience-based learning model.


4. To enhance and promote understanding of the significance and value of participation in and with an accredited cooperative education program.