A. Any provider seeking accreditation or re-accreditation by ODL QC makes available to the Council any evidence in support of its application as the Council might request.

This might include samples of all publicity, course and other materials supplied to learners, sample letters and records, internal quality control documents, samples of marked scripts and other evidence of the feedback between learner & provider, copies of contracts, letters of appointment, CVs of staff & tutors, official certificates and policies. All such information is treated by the Council as confidential between itself and the provider.

B. Where a provider has sought and obtained accreditation by another reputable organisation in areas relevant to those under consideration by ODL QC, that accreditation, and any submission made in support of it, may be used as evidence in support of an application to ODL QC.

C. An accredited provider normally acknowledges accreditation in its prospectus and other publicity material.

It may use the statement “(x is) Accredited by ODL QC”, and/or the relevant ODL QC quality mark. Providers may also use the following explanatory paragraph about accreditation:

“Accreditation includes a rigorous assessment, by independent experts, of a provider’s administration, tutorial support, educational materials, and publicity, to ensure that they meet the standards set by the Council. Accredited providers are monitored by the Council to ensure that learners continue to receive good service, and are assessed for re-accreditation at intervals of not more than three years”

Providers should also make available the name, address {email, telephone & fax numbers} of ODL QC.

D. Accreditation covers the service provided by a provider. Providers must avoid statements which imply that ODL QC validates individual courses.

E. If any provision is included in an accredited provider’s published lists or prospectus which is not covered by ODL QC accreditation, this must be clearly indicated.

Any provision may be deemed to be accredited by ODL QC only if it is:

1. subject to that provider’s own, already accredited, quality control procedures; or
2. subject to the quality control procedures of a partner organisation which is itself accredited by ODL QC; or
3. accredited by ODL QC as a separate item.

F. If an accredited provider sells course materials to a non-accredited third party, those materials may include a statement that they have been developed by an ODL QC accredited provider, but should not indicate or suggest that the materials themselves, or any subsequent provision based on them, is accredited.

G. An accredited provider must submit an annual return to ODL QC in the format required by the Council, and submits itself to re-accreditation as required by the Council and in any event not more than three years since its last accreditation or re-accreditation.

H. An accredited provider reports any changes of significance in its operating circumstances, or its provision, to ODL QC.