Accreditation in higher education ensures credibility of degrees and certifications. In the US, non-profit organizations of education professionals are responsible for accreditation. There are four areas of accreditation: regional institutional, national faith-based, career-related national, and programmatic. Accreditation is a voluntary process involving self-assessment, peer review, site visits, and maintenance. Financial aid often depends on accreditation, and loss of accreditation can be calamitous.
Accreditation in higher education is an essential element of any education system because, when properly administered, it ensures the credibility of college and university degrees and certifications. It is intended to be a third-party quality assurance for education, involving a process designed to assure prospective students, potential employers of its graduates, and creditors that the institution truly provides a good education and that graduates have achieved a level of competence in their fields. In fact, the words “credentialing”, “credibility” and “credentials” share the same Latin root: credibilitas. In many countries, this credibility is asserted by government agencies, but in the United States, the responsibility is fulfilled by non-profit organizations of education professionals.
There are approximately 80 organizations in the US involved in higher education accreditation. These organizations accredit institutions, generally awarding degrees, in four different areas. Regional institutional accreditors accredit two- and four-year public and private institutions. National faith-based accreditors accredit institutions, usually private, that are religiously affiliated or doctrinally oriented, such as a seminary. Career-related national accreditation efforts focus on single-purpose institutions such as culinary arts schools. Finally, programmatic accreditors accredit specific programs within a college or university, such as law, nursing, or teaching.
Most US colleges and universities will be accredited not only by one or more regional institutional accreditors, but potentially dozens of programmatic accreditors as well. Accreditation in higher education is sought and obtained through the deliberate efforts of the college, university or other institution of higher learning. It is a voluntary process by which the institution submitted for accreditation is evaluated according to objective standards of academic quality. Thus, the institution should actively seek accreditation.
The process followed is generally the same, regardless of whether the accreditation requested is for the institution itself or for one of the academic programs it offers. Accreditation in higher education is primarily an inspection, and it is appropriate for the institution to prepare with a thorough and honest self-assessment, consistent with the standards of the accrediting organization. This is basically a compilation of the institution’s achievements and standards in all areas, such as the requirements for obtaining a degree and the number of students who have met these requirements. Another significant area is faculty qualifications and achievements. After the self-assessment is complete, there is a period of peer review, which involves education professionals, usually from other colleges and universities, reviewing the materials produced during the self-assessment and adding their own comments and suggestions.
The next step in the higher education accreditation process is a site visit by the accrediting organization. The visiting team usually includes education professionals and interested lay people who are members of the accrediting organization, usually on a voluntary basis. The accrediting organization’s judgment follows the site visit – this is the actual award or accreditation. Finally, accredited institutions must maintain their accreditation through periodic self-assessments and site visits, combined with a deliberate effort to improve the quality of the educational services they provide.
There are many advantages to accreditation, among which most of the financial aid available to students depends on the institution and program accreditation. Start-up schools often have accreditation as their first major institutional goal, and the loss of accreditation is a calamitous event in the life of a college, university, or other school that often cannot be overcome.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
