US ACCREDITATION AND THE QUALITY MAINTENANCE MECHANISMS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Rose Marie Kuceyeski, Ph.D.
Owens Community College
June, 2009
DESTINATION “ACCREDITATIONVILLE”...
ACCREDITATIONVILLE…...
Share the history of accreditation in U.S.
Identify regional and specialized/programmatic accrediting agencies
Explain the established quality standards and criteria
Understand benefits of accreditation
ACCREDITATION DEFINEDAccording to CHEA, "Accreditation is a process of external quality review used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities and higher education programs for quality assurance and quality improvement.”
http://www.chea.org/
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
WHO ACCREDITS?
Regional Accrediting Organizations
Specialized and Professional Accrediting Organizations
Western Association of Schools & Colleges
Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities North Central Association
of Colleges & Schools - Higher Learning Commission
Southern Association of Colleges & Schools - Commission on Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
SPECIALIZED AND PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITING ORGANIZATIONS
http://www.usastudyguide.com/accreditation.htm
NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN US, 2007-2008
Type Enrollment
2-year 6,518,540
4-year 11,240,330
Total 17,758,870
Online 3.9 million
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2008/analysis/sa_table.asp?tableID=1054
HLC/NCA MISSION: SERVING THE COMMON GOOD BY ASSURING AND ADVANCING QUALITY
PEAQ
Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality
AQIP Academic Quality Improvement Program
CRITERION ONE Mission and Integrity
CRITERION TWO
Preparing for the Future
CRITERION THREE
Student Learning and Effective Teaching
CRITERION FOUR
Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
CRITERION FIVE
Engagement and Service
HLC = AQIP A = AcademicQ = QualityI = ImprovementP = Program
Measuring EffectivenessMeasuring Effectiveness
UnderstandingStudents’and other
Stakeholders’Needs
UnderstandingStudents’and other
Stakeholders’Needs
Building CollaborativeRelationships
Building CollaborativeRelationships
Planning ContinuousImprovement
Planning ContinuousImprovement
AccomplishingOther Distinctive
Objectives
AccomplishingOther Distinctive
Objectives
Leading andCommunicating
Leading andCommunicating
ValuingPeopleValuingPeople
HelpingStudents Learn
HelpingStudents Learn
SupportingInstitutional Operations
SupportingInstitutional Operations
DESTINATION “ACCREDITATIONVILLE”...
Standards Self-study Peer Review Site
Visit Judgment action Celebration
ACCREDITATIONVILLE…...
Benefits
Institution
Program
Faculty and Staff
Student
Stakeholder
s
ROAD TO ACCREDITATION...
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.”
William A. Foster
ASK NOT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO BECOME ACCREDITED, ASK WHAT ACCREDITATION CAN DO FOR YOU!
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