Educational Provider Review

Educational Provider: A Definition

For the purposes of the Educational Provider Review Process in policy at Thomas Edison State University, an “Educational Provider” is defined as:

Any entity* providing higher education courses or similar learning that is both A) not institutionally accredited by one of the six (6) federally recognized institutional accreditation agencies and B) has been recommended for college level credit by ACE (American College of Education) or NCCRS (National College Credit Recommendation Service).

Institutional accreditors include:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education,
New England Association of Schools and Colleges,
Higher Learning Commission,
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities,
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,
Western Association of Schools and Colleges

*Exclusions – ACE or NCCRS course recommendations for United States military training schools and those for corporate training are not subject to this review process. TESU reserves the right to make any and all exclusion determinations.

Process Overview and Instructions

Step 1

Prepare a narrative response, and attach any required or selected attachments, to the seven (7) compliance criteria listed on the attached Approved Provider Starter Kit.

Step 2

Submit the narrative response plus attachments to TESU via email at EPR@tesu.edu

Step 3

TESU will review the provided response and response formally to the Educational Provider within 30 business days. Response options include:

Approval of Educational Provider Materials
- Educational Provider will be sent a formal approval letter.
- Educational Provider will be added to the TESU Approved Provider Directory on the TESU website.
Request for clarification or additional information.
- Educational Provider will be sent a formal letter requesting additional clarification or more information.
Rejection of Educational Provider Materials w/ Explanation
- Educational Provider will be sent a formal letter of rejection indicating aspects of non-compliance.
- Educational Provider will have 30 business days to respond to TESU indicating any changes made or planned.
- TESU will re-review Educational Provider for compliance.

If Approved by TESU: Step 4

Approved provider to submit course syllabi for TESU to conduct equivalency evaluation. Please view the Approved Provider Starter Kit for more information.

Note: Being an “Approved Provider” does not guarantee 100% acceptance of courses or learning experiences by TESU. These decisions are made by TESU and communicated to the approved provider.

For all questions, please contact:
Jeff S. Harmon
Assistant Provost for Learning Outcomes
Thomas Edison State University
301 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08618
(609) 984-1120 ext. 2310