Accreditation
Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) is a not-for-profit corporation registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State and approved by the Internal Revenue Service as an institution of higher learning in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
ACHE has been granted certification by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board (AHECB) to offer the degree of Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD).
Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board certification does not constitute an endorsement of any institution or program. Such certification merely indicates that certain criteria have been met as required under the rules and regulations implementing institutional and program certification as defined in A.C.A. §6-61-301.
The Higher Learning Commission
The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U. S. Department of Education.
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
DOCTORAL-DEGREE-LEVEL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Students must complete Level II fieldwork and experiential requirements within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.
COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE PROGRAM
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) has a formal policy regarding the filing of a complaint. ACOTE will investigate a complaint when it believes practices or conditions indicate the educational program may not be in substantial compliance with accreditation standards or established accreditation policies. However, ACOTE is not able to intervene on behalf of individual students or act as a court of appeal for faculty members or students in matters of admission, appointment, promotion, or dismissal. The filing of a formal complaint is considered a “last resort” to be taken after all other avenues for resolution have been explored.
Students wishing to file a formal complaint against the School of Occupational Therapy, must follow the criteria and process established by the ACOTE.
Degrees Leading to Professional Licensure
The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education offers degrees on its campus in Fort Smith, Arkansas that may involve clinical rotations in other states. Each of these Degrees meets program requirements established by national accrediting agencies and is designed to meet graduate educational requirements for licensure in every state. Graduates of these accredited programs are eligible to take the national licensure examinations for their respective field or specific examinations as required by each state.
Each professional licensing board in every state is autonomous and establishes and governs the standards a program or a graduate must meet to earn a license or certification in a professional field. States also may have other licensure requirements beyond the professional examination including, but not limited to background and drug tests, internships, or other standards.