CDEA and Conflict Resolution

CDEA is a non-governmental private accreditation association established topromote and uphold high standards of education. With the CDEA accreditation, educational institutions can assure students that a Institution's curriculum,resources and facilities meet acceptable guidelines for academic excellence.

The CDEA has established the following general standards of excellence for our Member Institutions and Institutions:

CDEA monitors and recommends appropriate guidelines and/or procedures when Institutions and students are in disagreement about policy, standards or general standards of practice. CDEA acts in three ways to resolve conflict:

Students may make use of CDEA to facilitate conflict resolution. The dispute resolution process is an alternative to legal remedies. It's informal and user-friendly and it helps resolve numerous complaints each year. CDEA has many methods to resolve disputes for students and Institutions.

In conciliation, we collect factual information from both parties to a dispute, encourage open communication and facilitate discussions leading to a resolution.

In mediation, we will provide a professionally trained mediator to talk with the parties and guide them in working out their own mutually-agreeable solutions.

If conciliation and/or mediation efforts are not successful, arbitration may be the next step. The parties state their views at an arbitration hearing, offer evidence and let an impartial arbitrator make a decision that ends the dispute.

All inquiries about students and Institutions are documented and kept as a permanent record. CDEA internally rates Institutions for tracking purposes. In order to maintain a membership in good standing, Institutions are required to follow their policies, procedures and guidelines. Institutions are strongly encouraged to make best efforts in conflict resolution before CDEA steps in. CDEA reserves the right at any time to revoke a membership in order to enforce and ensure compliancy for the best interests of all parties.

CDEA members pledge themselves to promote student education and agree to treat all students honestly and equally. Members do not discriminate against students on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital or family status.

-> Members shall protect all confidentiality between a student and the staff.

-> Members shall cooperate with other member Institutions accredited by CDEA when such cooperation is in the interest of the student. Members shall have a grievance procedure so students may be given an opportunity to be heard.

-> Members shall not accept payment to falsify a student's grades, or to in any way take payment to award a student passage of any grade or test.

-> Members shall have a drop-refund policy and make all refunds according to that stated policy.

-> Members will keep in confidence all records between the student and the institution and not release any information except with the prior approval of the student.

->All Member Institutions believe that education is a joint partnership between the institution and the student.

Any violation of the code of ethics is sufficient cause for cancellation of accreditation.