January 18, 2024
Holly Eichhorst
Manager of Commission Actions and Governance
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
RE: IntelliTec
Dear Holly Eichhorst,
IntelliTec in Grand Junction, Colorado, is on the list of schools that may have its renewal application for accreditation considered by the Commission at the February 2024 meeting. As it appears ACCSC is the only institutional accreditor for IntelliTec, we write to bring your attention to complaints we have received from student veterans at other IntelliTec campuses regarding recruitment practices and educational quality.
One student veteran attending IntelliTec’s Colorado Springs campus told us he was misled by the admissions process, explaining, “I specifically shared with the admissions department that I was interested in a light diesel course that was listed in the school materials, but after enrolling I found out there was no such course.” The student also stated that “The quality of education was greatly lacking. The teachers did not know the material well enough to teach it, and there were significant errors in the materials that were provided. The answer keys for the tests had information that contradicted the books….” When the student decided to withdraw, he said he was “threatened with additional fees.”
Another student, who did not disclose which IntelliTec campus he attended, also appears to have been misled during the recruitment process. The student veteran enrolled in a medical assistant program at IntelliTec, intending to transfer to another school where he would complete his education to become a Physician’s Assistant. The student said that the school told him, “because it was an associates degree it would transfer to any other college to finish my prerequisite classes.” However, according to the student, “no school will take the credits.” The student concluded that IntelliTec “took 17 months of [his] GI Bill.”
We urge you to review IntelliTec’s compliance with ACCSC’s Standards, including Section IV—Student Recruitment, Advertising, and Disclosures and Section VII—Student Learning, Assessment, Progress, and Achievement. Specifically, the school’s compliance with the below standards warrants review by the Commission:
- Section IV, A2: A school’s recruitment efforts describe the school to prospective students fully and accurately and follow practices that permit prospective students to make informed and considered enrollment decisions without undue pressure.
- Section IV, A4: A school has and enforces an acceptable code of conduct for all school personnel whose primary responsibilities are to engage in recruiting and admissions functions prior to and during admission and matriculation.
- Section IV, A8: A school has in place policies and procedures and takes reasonable steps to ensure that its personnel do not make false, exaggerated, or misleading statements about the school….
- Section VII, A1(c): Student learning outcomes for each program reflect the necessary occupational and academic knowledge, skills, and competencies as applicable.
We urge the Commission to require IntelliTec to demonstrate its compliance with ACCSC’s educational quality standards and to exercise its authority under ACCSC Standards, Section IV, A9, requiring IntelliTec “to audit its recruiting activities for compliance with accreditation standards or applicable law and regulation using a qualified independent third-party that is approved by the Commission” prior to considering the renewal application for the Grand Junction location.
Respectfully,
Della M. Justice
Vice President for Legal Affairs
Nathan Winshall
Law Fellow