The first was to obtain state licensure to award Master of Divinity degrees (M.Div.).  Such licensing by the state ensures that a school has met at least minimum requirements for the degree being offered, and allows for the professional oversight of a state higher education commission.

Most states exempt religious or theological training from licensing.  The State of South Carolina Commission on Higher Education has granted this exemption to Cherry Hill Seminary. 

However, although as an institution whose sole purpose is religious or theological training that originates in the State of South Carolina, Cherry Hill Seminary is exempt from oversight of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, our goal is voluntarily to meet the same standards for licensure which would be required of a non-religious school.

The second goal is to become an accredited university.  In the United States educational accreditation is a peer review process coordinated by accreditation commissions and the members.  Accreditation requirements vary, but are generally quite stringent, going beyond standards for state licenusre.  The process can usually be expected to take approximately two-three years to complete.  As we move towards future accreditation, Cherry Hill continues to endeavor to ensure our programs are of the highest quality.

As there is currently no accrediting religious organization for Pagan schools, we plan to apply for accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a non-profit educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions. DETC was established in 1926 and is recognized by Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education as an accreditor of institutions of higher education.

Cherry Hill Seminary prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment. Furthermore, Seminary policy includes prohibitions of harassment of students and employees, i.e., racial harassment, sexual harassment, and retaliation for filing complaints of discrimination.