Overview of Institutional Accreditation

AASCU Conference, Beijing, China20 October, 2007

Jean Avnet MorsePresident

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA

www.msche.org jmorse@msche.org

Topics

• Overview of U.S. Accreditation

• The Accreditation Process

• Analysis of U.S. Accreditation

Overview of U.S. Accreditation

• Goals of the American accreditation system: – Assure the public that minimum standards are

being met

– Provide a mechanism for institutional improvement

– Allow for a diversity of public and private

institutions

– Provide a self-regulating system that reduces

government regulation

Overview of U.S. Accreditation cont’d

• Evaluation is done through peer review examination of:

– Educational programs, student services, financial

condition, administrative effectiveness, treatment

of students, faculty and staff, and includes all

non-degree and specialized programs• Role of the government includes:

– State: Licensure of institutions to grant degrees

– Federal: Provision of loans/grants to students at

accredited institutions

Overview of U.S. Accreditation cont’d

• Types of Accreditors

– 7 Regional Accreditors• Examine entire institution

• Similar standards

– Specialized and Professional Accreditors• Specific programs

– National Accreditors• Degree-granting & non-degree granting institutions across

the U.S.

• Specialized type of institutions, e.g. distance learning, liberal

arts colleges

Overview of U.S. Accreditation cont’d

• Middle States Accreditation Standards– Principles of the standards

• Concern for student learning and other outcomes vs. inputs and processes

• Concern for flexibility

• Concern for self-assessment, planning and improvement

– Content of the standards• Define mission.

• Engage in ongoing planning regarding resource allocation, finances, personnel and other resources.

• Offer appropriate courses including general education with student support services and qualified faculty and administration

• Plan ongoing assessment in the area of student learning and institutional performance

Overview of U.S. Accreditation cont’d

• International Accreditation

– Locations abroad are reviewed whether operated

by a U.S. institution or by a non-accredited

partner.

– Institutions abroad may be accredited provided

that they meet the same requirements as

domestic U.S. institutions.

The Accreditation Process

• There are 4 types of reports that are required from institutions:– The Annual Report or Institutional Profile which provides

basic information on the status of the institution.

– The Self-Study Report which is prepared every 10 years to

provide self-evaluation and planning for the future.

– The Periodic Review Report which is submitted 5 years

after the Self-Study Report.

– The Follow-up Report which provides continued monitoring

of the institution, when needed.

The Accreditation Process cont’d

• Self-Study and Peer Review– Types of self-study: comprehensive, comprehensive with

special emphasis, selected topics, and collaborative reviews.

– Organization of the self-study includes a steering committee and

subcommittees which report to the steering committee

– Timeline of the self-study: a self-study design is created and

approved by MSCHE; a self-study report is created by the

institution; and evaluation team visits.

The Accreditation Process cont’d

• Team Visits

– Proposal of prospective team members selected by

Commission staff is given to the institution for review.

– Team members include: an expert on outcomes

assessment, trained by MSCHE; a finance officer; and

individuals with special expertise pertinent to the

institution’s self-study.

– Team members serve voluntarily and receive a small

honorarium.

– The team compiles its findings and offers recommendations

of actions to the Commission.

The Accreditation Process cont’d

• Types of Actions:– Reaffirmation of accreditation

• Without conditions

• With a request for a follow-up report

• With a request for a follow-up report, followed by a special visit

– Deferment of a decision on accreditation

– Warning that accreditation may be in jeopardy

– Probation

– Show cause as to why accreditation should not be removed

– Remove accreditation

Analysis of U.S. Accreditation

• Strengths

– Promotes a diversity of institutions

– Uses experienced volunteers

– Has flexibility in addressing new issues, new types

of institutions and providers

– Reduces government bureaucracy

– Assures public awareness regarding the

accreditation status of an institution

– Promotes continuous monitoring and continuous

planning

Analysis of U.S. Accreditation cont’d

• Areas for Improvement

– Possible duplication of activities among specialized

and institutional accreditors

– Varying requirements of accreditation standards

within the U.S

– Cost of the institution’s time and personnel to

conduct the self-study

– Public’s difficulty in understanding an institution’s

accreditation status, because accreditation does not

provide numerical ratings or rankings

Analysis of U.S. Accreditation cont’d

• Open Questions in U.S. Higher Education– Should accreditation be national?

– Should accreditation be federal?

– Should there be standardized tests for the learning of every

college graduate?

– Are measures such as graduation and job placement rates

appropriate indicators of student learning?

– Should institutions be ranked?

– Should the completed text of self-studies by institutions and

reports prepared by teams be publicly available?