NICE Program Accreditation

The New Intensive Courses in English (NICE) program at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA).

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a process whereby the program administration, faculty, and staff review all aspects of the program to ensure that the program meets a standard of EXCELLENCE, as required by CEA. For 1-1/2 years, NICE reviewed the program's mission, its curriculum, student services, finances, facilities, and many aspects of the program's administration. Program improvements were made in order to meet the rigorous standards. An extensive report, with documentation to prove the program's claims, was submitted to the commission for review by experts in the field of teaching English as a second language. In February 2006 an expert review team conducted a thorough visit of the program on site.

NICE is Unique

NICE is the FIRST and ONLY intensive English language program on O‘ahu to receive this accreditation, and only the SECOND in the state of Hawai‘i.
The NICE accreditation covers TWO intensive programs: Intensive Spoken English (ISE) and English for Conversational Purposes (ECP).
Most accredited English language programs prepare students to enter an American university. In addition to preparing students for UNIVERSITY work and for the BUSINESS world through its ISE course, NICE is unique in having an accredited course of study dedicated to the teaching of English CONVERSATION, through its ECP course.

Students, sponsors, and sponsoring institutions can be sure that, with this accreditation, NICE is among the BEST intensive English programs in the U.S.!

NICE is currently accredited by CEA for the period April 2006 through April 2011. As an accredited institution, NICE agrees to uphold the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as an accrediting agency for English language programs in the U.S. For further information about this accreditation, please contact CEA, 1725 Duke St., Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314 (703-519-2070, www.cea-accredit.org).

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About the CEA

The Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) is a not-for-profit corporation whose primary focus is the accreditation of English language programs and institutions in the United States. English language institutions accredited by CEA may offer other language-related programs such as TEFL training and foreign language courses. CEA is recognized by the US Secretary of Education, which allows institutions to use CEA accreditation for purposes of certification to admit international students. CEA also conducts international accreditation reviews.

An English language program or institution, its administrative and teaching staff, and its students benefit directly from involvement in a comprehensive assessment of how effectively the program or institution meets its stated mission. By evaluating the quality of its programs and services with respect to the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions, the program or institution can gauge its effectiveness against benchmarks set by the profession. All policies governing CEA and the procedures for accreditation can be found in the CEA Policies and Procedures.