CAD University is a worldwide university, and offers courses/practicums/internships to anyone who desires a higher education. Various accredited institutions throughout the world accept CADU transfer students and credits. CADU is a degree-granting institution (Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees), but has not applied for accreditation in any one nation’s educational system.
CADU recognizes the value of accrediting agencies in ensuring the quality of education. CADU will begin the application process with a global accrediting association in the future. However, this process is in its early stages.
Accreditation is a more complex process for CADU for the following reasons:
- CADU is a part of Christians Against Dinosaurs (CAD), an international and multi-denominational science outreach program. Normally, accreditation agencies require the separation of the educational institution from the parent organization, thus requiring CADU to separate from CAD. However, CADU is a part of CAD and only able to fulfill its purposes as such.
- The CADU Board of Regents consists of the international and regional coordinators of CAD global ministries and networks. Accreditation generally requires a partially non-CAD governing board. However, the present CADU Board of Regents is from a diverse international group, which understands the founding principles of the mission and the university. Since CADU needs freedom to grow into the fulfillment of the purposes for which it was created, we do not believe that it is right to form a non-CAD governing board.
- CADU maintains a staff of volunteers who must raise their own support independent of their positions with the university. Accrediting agencies require salaries for University staff members on the basis that a good solid income helps to ensure stability in the university system and quality in its programs. As CADU is still in its early stages, fundraisers and generous donations still make up a significant portion of the university’s income, and thus will need to reduce its heavy reliance on volunteers.
- Our modular approach to education as well as the guest lecturer concept used in our schools is generally unknown by accrediting boards. At the present time, much of the academic material provided in the school is presented by staff members in conjunction with visiting speakers, who generally have excellent credentials and high qualifications. Nearly all guest lecturers have extensive international experience and are able to present a broad perspective in their fields of expertise.
- All our library resources are online. While not a significant issue for accreditation, this does create a library resource strategy different from that required for accreditation standards in a centralized location. We use electronic technology to access most resources, and those resources will ultimately be made available internationally at many CADU training locations.
CADU is committed to quality education. As a result, CADU courses are now recognized by many institutions of higher learning. Our students are accepted as transfer students, and they are given transfer credit for those CADU courses which are comparable to the programs of the receiving institution. Courses do not transfer on a one-for-one basis, but neither do the courses of other universities. Accreditation is not always the main factor in that decision. The major factor is quality of instruction, recognized by the depth and quality of student learning. On that basis, CADU students show commendable aptitude. An increasing number of institutions are enthusiastic about accepting CADU students. The lack of accreditation may leave certain professional doors closed, but for many students, this is not an insurmountable problem. It all depends on the career or profession the individual student is pursuing, for what purpose, and in which nation.