Accreditation Logistics

Russel C. Jones, Ph.D., P.E. World Expertise LLC USA and UAE

Scope of accreditation

The accreditation process may operate at a broad or a narrow scope:

Institutional the evaluation of an entire school, college or university Programmatic the evaluation of just one degree-granting program within a larger institution

Institutional example

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (USA)

A voluntary non-governmental organization dedicated to quality assurance and improvement through accreditation based on peer evaluation. Accreditation instills public confidence in institutional mission, goals, performance, and resources.

Middle States standards

Mission, goals and objectives Planning, resource allocation, and institutional renewal Institutional resources Leadership and governance Administration Integrity Institutional assessment

 more standards

Student admissions Student support services Faculty Educational offerings General education Related educational activities Assessment of student learning

Programmatic examples

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)

Standards measure an institutions effectiveness in providing high quality teacher preparation Must meet the professions consensus about the knowledge and skills educators need to help P-12 students learn.

 another example

Association of Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Standards for Business Accreditation:

Strategic management standards Participant standards (students, faculty) Assurance of learning standards

 AACSB standards

Knowledge and skills required in undergraduate programs:

Communications abilities Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities Analytical skills Use of information technology Multicultural and diversity understanding Reflective thinking skills

Self-study Report

Accreditation bodies require a self study report prior to on-site evaluation The report should be a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the strengths and limitations of the program It should include an assessment of the extent to which educational objectives and outcomes are being achieved

 more on self-study

Appropriate constituent groups should be involved in preparation of self-study (advisory boards, alumni, employers) Should detail how educational objectives and outcomes have been developed Should illustrate how the accreditation criteria have been met

Role of research and community services

Faculty competence factors:

Education Experience in professional practice Teaching experience and effectiveness Ability to communicate Level of scholarship Participation in professional societies

more on research and service

Research:

All faculty members must be involved in scholarly activities to assure that they remain up to date with developments in their field; and these developments should be reflected in their teaching Faculty members involved in post graduate education must be actively involved in research in their field.

 more on research

Adequate facilities and equipment must be available to support the research of faculty members and their students Faculty research contributions must be recognized and reflected in evaluations and promotion criteria Faculty research should result in publications in peer-reviewed joiurnals

 more on service

Contributions should be made to the community in which the institution is located

Should include both activities of individuals and more formal programs arranged by the institution Contributions may include services and activities to assist individuals, organizations or communities outside the institution.