American Polygraph Association

Education Accreditation Committee

APA EAC Mission

The mission of the American Polygraph Association (APA) Education Accreditation Committee (EAC) is to continually evaluate and improve the quality of credibility assessment education programs through its voluntary accreditation program; and to encourage a culture of continuous self-evaluation, reflection and improvement among faculty of basic polygraph education programs by emphasizing a focus on student achievement in critical areas necessary for success as credibility assessment professionals in the field.

Purposes

The purposes of the APA EAC are:

to establish, subject to the approval of the board of directors, minimum standards designed to ensure consistency and quality in basic polygraph education and training programs;

to review and evaluate program documents, provide feedback and guidance to programs as necessary, assess programs for compliance with accreditation standards, and make accreditation recommendations to the board of directors;

to recommend changes to the accreditation standards based on input and participation from communities of interest, including accredited programs;

to develop internal policies and procedures, subject to the approval of the board of directors, to ensure:

well-defined procedures for evaluating programs against accreditation standards; 

the fair and consistent application of all standards, the means of which include, but are not limited to, orientation, training and professional development of EAC personnel and volunteers;

objective decision making that includes attention to due process and expedient response to appeals and complaints;

efficient and cost-effective accreditation processes for individual programs; and

accurate, relevant and timely information is provided or made available to members of the various communities of interest, including accredited programs.

History

Established in 1966, the APA is dedicated to providing a valid and reliable means to verify the truth and establish high standards of moral, ethical, and professional conduct in the polygraph field. The APA establishes, for its members, standards of ethical practices, best practices, techniques, instrumentation, research, and advanced training and continuing educational programs.

The APA has been accrediting basic polygraph training programs since its inception. For over 50 years, the APA has sought to ensure that basic polygraph training courses have met the high-quality and rigorous standards necessary to produce technically competent and highly skilled professionals in the field of credibility assessment.

The EAC is a standing committee within the American Polygraph Association.

The APA is a 501(c)(6)  Nonprofit Organization.

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