Annual Conference
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 | 4pm
Centennial Gala
Washington, DC
Diamond Sponsor
Platinum Sponsor
Exhibitors
For nearly a century, distance education has embodied a revolutionary promise: that learning should transcend the boundaries of place, circumstance, and convention.
When visionary educators founded the non-profit that would become DEAC in 1926, they recognized that quality education could—and should—reach beyond traditional classroom walls to meet learners where they are. This “Freedom to Learn” has been our north star through decades of transformation, from correspondence courses delivered by mail to today’s sophisticated digital platforms.
DEAC’s 100th Annual Conference brings DEAC-accredited institutions and applicants for accreditation together to advance the enduring legacy of distance education and to equip practitioners to enhance educational quality and outcomes in the century ahead.
Monday night’s Centennial Gala, a separately-ticketed formal event, features a cocktail reception, dinner, dancing, and inspiring reflections on DEAC’s legacy and the future of distance education. Together we’ll commemorate the enduring impact of visionary institutional founders whose work has made possible these 100 years of innovation, leadership, and opportunity.
Featured Speakers
Opening Keynote
Stephen M.R. Covey
How can innovative institutions break the cycle of public skepticism toward higher education?
Tuesday Morning Keynote
Dr. Jen Mott
What will tomorrow’s learners expect from distance education?
Closing Keynote
Dr. C. Edward Watson
What will distance education look like in the next several decades—or even century?
Other Program Highlights
Future Ready: The Next Era for Accreditation
With unprecedented changes to federal oversight of higher education likely, leaders of several major institutional accreditors join DEAC’s Executive Director, Dr. Leah Matthews, to consider how accreditors and their institutions can work together to build trust, accountability, and credibility for the next century.
Breakout Sessions
Six hours of breakout session options led by peers with practical experience applying DEAC standards as well as specialized learning tracks on technology, policy and strategy, workforce and ROI, academic excellence, and leadership and mission.
Centennial Awards Luncheon
Tuesday’s luncheon honors newly-accredited institutions as well the outstanding graduates, alumni, and volunteers whose dedication and accomplishments exemplify the very best of DEAC’s century-long tradition of quality education and innovation.
Through the Years
In 1926, a group of educators launched the National Home Study Council on a founding principle: Students deserved access to quality education regardless of where they lived. Over the next century, the organization grew from the NHSC to the DETC, and finally into today’s Distance Education Accrediting Commission.
Now celebrating 100 years, DEAC remains the only nationally recognized accreditor dedicated exclusively to distance education and Freedom to Learn for students worldwide.
The Founding
A group of educators and correspondence school leaders founded the National Home Study Council (NHSC) on October 29, 1926 and, at an inaugural conference in Pittsburgh, PA, established fair practices for correspondence education to protect students from fraud.
Global Delegate
NHSC Executive Director John Noffsinger is named by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a delegate to the International Congress on Commercial Education held in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
The GI Bill
Congress passed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act and opened federal tuition benefits to millions of returning veterans, who could now use government funding to enroll in NHSC member institutions.
Accreditation Commission
NHSC member institutions appointed nine institutional representatives to formally establish the accrediting function within the NHSC.
Federal Recognition
The U.S. Commissioner of Education listed the NHSC Accrediting Commission as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and granted the first (and only) federal recognition of a distance education accreditor.
Awards Program
The NHSC inaugurated its awards program, presenting the first Distinguished Service Award to Edward Degener from the National Radio Institute
National Academic Recognition
The American Council on Education (ACE) accepted the NHSC as an affiliate member, placing NHSC alongside regional accreditors and traditional universities in national policy discussions.
The Higher Education Act
The U.S. Congress passed the Higher Education Act and extended federal financial aid to working adults and first-generation students, expanding access to NHSC member institutions’ programs.
A Leadership Legacy
Michael Lambert joined NHSC’s staff and advanced to serve as executive director from 1993 - 2013, culminating in a distinguished 40-year career with the organization.
COPA Charter Member
NHSC joined the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, a forerunner of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), as a charter member.
Graduate Recognition
NHSC expanded its awards program to recognize and celebrate the achievements of outstanding graduates and famous alumni.
National Forum
NHSC hosted a National Invitational Forum on Correspondence Education at Ohio State University to convene leaders of the U.S. Military, the National University Continuing Education Association, and the Christian Correspondence School Association.
Expansion of Scope
The U.S. Secretary of Education granted NHCS continued recognition and an expansion of scope, allowing NHCS to accredit academic degrees through the master’s degree level.
The Distance Education
and Training Council
To align the organization's identity with what member institutions delivered—programs through video, satellite, correspondence courses, and early online platforms—the NHSC adopted the name Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).
Delta Epsilon Tau
DETC launched Delta Epsilon Tau, a distinguished national honor society recognizing excellence among distance education institutions and students.
CHEA Recognition
The newly formed Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognized the DETC, confirming that DETC met CHEA's published standards for academic quality and institutional accountability.
Scope Expands to Doctoral Degrees
DETC received renewal of recognition from the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), including approval to expand its scope to encompass professional doctoral degree programs.
Higher Education Opportunity Act
Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act, including online learning in federal regulation for the first time, and codified standards for the distance education delivery method that DETC-accredited institutions had operated for decades.
State Authorization
DETC convened a series of regional meetings to ensure that its accredited institutions were fully prepared to comply with evolving state authorization requirements governing student enrollment.
Renamed to DEAC
Seeking to highlight the organization’s core function as the independent accreditation of distance education institutions, the DETC adopted the name Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).
Distance Education, Defined
Dr. Leah Matthews, DEAC’s executive director, served on the U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, contributing to the development of regulatory language that refined the implementation of the federal definition of distance education.
Leadership and Support
DEAC provided steady leadership and critical support to the accreditation community as higher education rapidly pivoted to online learning in response to concerns about COVID-19—a trend that has continued to expand since the pandemic.
Board Expansion
The Commission expanded its board to include six institutional representatives and six public members, bringing the total number of Commissioners to twelve.
The Centennial
DEAC marks 100 years of continuous operation and stands as the only nationally recognized accreditor dedicated exclusively to distance education.
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