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!