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Glossary
Plain definitions of the terms used across HCDE's standards, process and registry.
- Accreditation
- A decision by an accrediting body that an institution, training center or program meets the body's published standards, for a stated period.
- Accreditation Committee
- The HCDE body that takes the accreditation decision on each case.
- Accredited with conditions
- A status in which accreditation is granted but specific actions must be completed by set dates.
- Annual report
- A yearly report from an accredited body to HCDE on its activity, changes and progress against recommendations.
- Appeal
- A request to review an accreditation decision on defined grounds, heard by a panel that took no part in the original decision.
- Certificate
- The document issued with an accreditation decision, showing the body, the scope, the registration and certificate numbers and the dates.
- Credential Review
- A private evaluation of an individual's qualifications and experience. It is not an official attestation.
- Conflict of interest
- An interest that could reasonably be seen to affect a person's judgement in a review or a decision.
- Distance education
- Education in which learners and instructors are separated by place, and often by time, and communicate through technology or other means.
- Evidence
- Documents, records, data and statements that show whether a standard is met.
- Institutional accreditation
- Accreditation of an institution as a whole, as distinct from a single program.
- Learning outcome
- A statement of what a learner will know or be able to do after completing a course or program.
- Mark
- The HCDE accreditation mark, which only a currently accredited body may use, within the scope of its certificate.
- Monitoring
- The annual review of an accredited body's report and any other information that bears on its status.
- Online program
- A program delivered mainly or wholly through the internet.
- Public notice
- A published statement in the registry, for example of a suspension or withdrawal.
- Recognition
- An official acknowledgement, usually by a government or a body empowered by one, that a qualification or an institution counts for a stated purpose. HCDE accreditation is not recognition.
- Registration number
- The unique number assigned by HCDE to an accredited body in the registry.
- Registry
- HCDE's public record of accreditation decisions, which can be searched and verified.
- Review team
- The reviewers who examine the evidence and write the review report for a case.
- Self-study
- The applicant's own assessment of how it meets each standard, with evidence.
- Standard
- A published statement of what good practice looks like in one area, against which HCDE reviews.
- Substantive change
- A major change in an accredited body, such as ownership, delivery model, new programs, partners or closure, that must be reported to HCDE.
- Suspension
- A temporary status in which accreditation may not be claimed while concerns are resolved.
- Teach-out
- Arrangements that allow enrolled learners to complete their studies if a program or an institution stops.
- Training center
- A provider whose main activity is the delivery of training, courses or short programs.
- Verification
- Checking a record or certificate against HCDE's registry.
- Withdrawal
- The ending of an accreditation by HCDE or at the body's own request.
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