Wisdom In Action

Showing posts with label accreditation. Show all posts

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Accreditation

New approach The need for a new approach to higher education was validated by Stanford Business School Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer's widely publicized article, The End of Business Schools. His article, based on 40 years of research, was highly critical of how tenured professors at traditional business schools force students to study obsolete curricula that waste thousands of hours of their students' time on irrelevant courses. In his own words:

"Little of what is taught to students in business school prepares them for the corporate workplace. You have to question what goes on in the two years it takes to get an MBA, if someone can virtually be equivalent in two or three weeks. What that suggests to me is that if you take a smart person, and give them a relatively short course, a mini-MBA, if you will, they basically do as well as the MBAs." "One of the problems is that much of the business school curriculum has remained unchanged since the 1960s. Business schools rely on outmoded teaching methods and do not afford students an opportunity for practical experience." About Accreditation It is very important to understand the meaning of accreditation and the different kinds of accreditation that exist. The verb "accredit" means to accept, approve or recognize a person or organization for a particular purpose. A person or organization that has been accredited for a particular purpose is said to have accreditation in relation to that purpose. There are two kinds of accreditation, self-accreditation and independent accreditation. Self-accreditation Universities and other schools that are self-accredited are members of associations of schools. These schools self-regulate each other by deciding on the minimum standards which each member must meet in terms of faculty qualifications, number of books in the library, and other inputs to the educational process. Through the process of peer-review professors from three member schools will visit a fourth school member school to judge whether or not they meet the associations standards and thus may keep the accreditation they have from the association. The weakness of self-accreditation is that there is virtually no input into the process of accreditation (or of setting the standards for accreditation) by the students and alumni and organizations that support them financially through tuition reimbursement and promotions and raises. The performance of self-accredited schools has been horrible in most respects. In the USA the same large regional associations of schools that accredit colleges and universities also accredit K-12 grade schools. All self-accreditation associations claim that their stamp of approval via their peer-review accreditation guarantees parents and employers a quality product. The truth is that the self-accredited K-12 schools are turning out millions of graduates each year who cannot read, write, calculate, think and who are culturally illiterate. The evidence for this is overwhelming. A simple search of Google using "failure of American education" will reveal hundreds of articles on the subject for K-12 and higher education. Also see books at Amazon.com such as Prof Scam, Inside American Education and Dumbing Down Our Kids. The self-accredited universities for their part have failed to their standards for admissions. This has resulted in little pressure on the K-12 schools to change since the universities still accept their graduates. Many of the self-accredited universities have set up special remedial courses for many of these semi-literate students. Otherwise there has been a lowering of accepted standards in the classrooms so that many of the graduates of the self-accredited schools remain semi-literate with poor reading, writing and thinking skills. For more information on the self-accreditation associations see www.chea.org Of course not all self-accredited schools are failing. The reason the good schools stay in the same association as the bad schools is money. The Federal government grants billions of dollars of grants, scholarships, and loans (to their students) to self-accredited schools and universities. This is the fundamental reason for the existence of the self-accreditation associations. State and local governments also are also directly responsible for the failures of the US education system. The tax funded state and local monopolies finance, own and regulate the schools that 90% of K-12 students attend. As a result parents are deserting the government schools in droves, many turning to private schools and over three million choosing home schooling. The state and local governments also own the universities that over 75% of college students attend and regulate almost all of the other schools who educate the other 25%. Through regulation they prevent entrepreneurs from starting new universities that would challenge the self-accredited universities and eliminate the jobs of retired-on-the-job tenured professors. A problem of a different sort has invaded many university graduate schools, whose tenured professors are forcing students to study irrelevant curricula. The problems this has caused in the business schools are documented by Professor Pfeffer of Stanford. Again it is the self-accredited schools and universities (whose associations claim to uphold quality) who are in fact failing, thus wasting their students' time and money with their poor quality programs. A 56 page report based on a study by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (www.goacta.org), with the title "Can College Accreditation Live Up to Its Promise" was issued. Quoting from their website: "An investigation that finds the system of college accreditation has done more to raise costs than to improve or even maintain educational quality, and that it gives students, parents, and public decision-makers almost no useful information about institutions of higher education." History of Self-Accreditation Associations A little more than 100 years ago American universities, colleges, and secondary schools formed six regional associations: The North Central, the Southern, the Middle States, the Northwest, New England and the Western. Over the years these organizations also accepted as members elementary, secondary and other K-12 schools. Most of the Regional associations were created so that teachers at their member schools could receive pensions from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which was funded by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie in 1905. In order to qualify for these pensions the Regional associations had to adopt the educational standards set by the Carnegie's foundation and force their members to adhere to these same standards. A school that was a full member of these associations was accredited for the purpose of its teacher's receiving pensions from the Carnegie Foundation. In other words these schools were considered to have accreditation. After World War II becoming a full member of these associations brought even more benefits. The GI Bill of Rights passed after the war gave millions of veterans the funds to attend schools that had self-accreditation by being full members of the Regional associations of schools. Almost all colleges and universities that were not members of Regional associations became one as soon as they could. If they did not have this-accreditation through membership they would not be able to attract Veteran's as students. In 1958 the new US Federal College Loan Program became another reason for self-accreditation. By becoming an accredited member of the Regional associations they would qualify their students. This program started small and has been responsible for over 100s of billions of dollars of guaranteed loans to college and university students. Once again self-accreditation by a Regional association became important as Federal law required schools that wanted to participate in the loan program to have self-accreditation. Independent Accreditation EBBS has independent accreditation. Independent accreditation is earned through performance. It is measured by the value a school delivers to their students and the organizations that employ them and pay their tuition fees. The evidence for our accreditation is the success of our students and alumni (including raises, new jobs, promotions and new business startups) and the support of the organizations that financially support them and reward them with raises and promotions. Because of the failures of self-accredited schools and the success of our entrepreneurs/students, EBBS International Business School degrees are likely to be accepted as well or better than degrees from self-accredited universities at almost all organizations in the world. The self-accreditation associations like to claim that degrees from their members have greater acceptance by employers. While this may be true in the areas of health and engineering (which we do not offer) it is not true in the areas of business and most of the social sciences. The fact is that employers very seldom investigate the type of accreditation that a potential employee's school has. Employers are much more concerned with confirming references and work experience. They are aware of the failure of most self-accredited schools and that many award degrees to semi-literate students and force their graduates to study irrelevant curricula. For this reason entrepreneurs/employers do not believe that the kind of accreditation a school has makes a difference in predicting how well an employee will perform. Self-accreditation associations also claim that their students will be able to easily transfer credits to other schools in their association. In practice this happens only to a limited degree for credits at the Master's level and almost not at all at the Doctoral level. For a good understanding of the difference between a job in a 'wage economy' and self-employed entrepreneurs please read about Self-Employment by Muhammad Yunus. EBBS International Business School is part of a network of innovative change agent business schools that together set a new standard for independent accreditation. As strategic advisor and co-developer of new innovative departments for existing schools part of our consultancy is focussed on creating the latest model of accreditation based on evaluating competencies.

Monday, September 27, 2010

What is accreditation?

What is accreditation? Accreditation is the process for evaluating and assuring the quality of education used by the American higher education community. It is a uniquely American quality assurance process through which institutions collectively set standards for good practice, conduct peer-based evaluations of institutions on a regular basis, confer accredited status on institutions, and make the results of accreditation review of institutions known to

the public. Through accreditation, the higher education community shoulders the responsibility for monitoring the quality of the programs and services of member institutions. Agencies that develop and apply standards are often called accrediting commissions. Accrediting commissions were created by the collective group of institutions that wished to engage in the quality review and assurance process, and those institutions were and are referred to as the member institutions of a commission. item1 What are the different kinds of accreditation? There are three types of accrediting agencies or commissions used in the United States. Regional Accreditation: The most highly regarded form of institutional accreditation, and that sought by most academic institutions with comprehensive missions, is conducted by accrediting agencies that have chosen to organize themselves into six broad geographic regions of the country. These are referred to as the regional accrediting commissions and operate in the New England states, the mid-Atlantic states, the southern states, the middle or north central states, the northwestern states, and the western states and U.S. territories of the Pacific. The commissions in these six regions, which have standards that cover the entire institution, require that a component of general education be included in all degree programs. These commissions issue a periodic report on the quality of the entire institution according to processes and procedures established by each commission. The regional accrediting commissions set a very high standard for the performance of the entire institution. Not all higher education institutions can meet these standards. Programmatic Accreditation: Programmatic accrediting agencies provide quality assurance for individual degree programs that may be offered within accredited institutions but that require special review because their graduates become licensed practitioners (for example, nursing, medical, culinary programs or law schools). The programmatic accrediting agencies assure that the quality of the educational program meets the national and state standards and that graduates are prepared to pass licensure examinations. National Accreditation: National accrediting agencies accredit institutions with specialized missions (for example, businesses colleges or colleges of art and design). These are referred to as the specialized or national accrediting commissions. item1b What is ACCJC? The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) accredits associate degree granting institutions in California, Hawaii, the Territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. ACCJC is one of three commissions under the corporate entity known as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). item1b1 What is WASC? The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the corporate entity that consists of three separately organized commissions within the western region. WASC separates the two kinds of higher education institutions (two-year and four-year) into separate commissions. The three commissions that make up WASC are: • The Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (ACSCU), which accredits public and private senior colleges and universities; • The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), which evaluates and accredits public and private postsecondary institutions that offer two-year education programs and award the associate degree; • The Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS), which has the responsibility for the accreditation of all schools below the college level. Included are elementary, junior high, middle, high and adult schools, whether public, private or church-related. item1b2 What are the purposes of ACCJC? The purposes of ACCJC are to evaluate member institutions to assure the educational community, the general public, and other organizations and agencies that an institution has clearly defined objectives appropriate to higher education; has established conditions under which their achievement can reasonably be expected; appears in fact to be accomplishing them substantially; is so organized, staffed, and supported that it can be expected to continue to do so; and demonstrates that it meets commission standards. The commission encourages and supports institutional development and improvement through self study and periodic evaluation by qualified peer professionals. item1b3 How does ACCJC evaluate colleges? Process for becoming accredited Prior to making a formal application, an institution wishing to become a candidate for accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges must begin by assessing itself in relation to the basic criteria for institutional eligibility through an eligibility application and supporting documentation. The institution should also review the standards of accreditation and commission policies, which provide a clear statement of ultimate commission expectations of institutional performance and quality and give further definition to the eligibility criteria. The eligibility process is designed to screen institutions prior to a period of formal and extensive institutional self study so that only institutions that meet the basic criteria for eligibility may proceed. Following review, the institution may be granted or denied eligibility. If eligibility is granted, the institution may apply for candidacy status by completing and submitting a "Self Study Report" using the standards of accreditation, the Self Study Manual, and other commission policies and resources. This report is supported by evidence that is retained at the college for review by the accreditation team. The report is submitted to the commission, which sends a team to visit the college for the purpose of determining if the institution meets the standards, policies and eligibility criteria of the commission. Following the review, the institution may be granted candidacy or extension, deferral, denial or termination of candidacy by the commission. If the commission grants candidacy, which is generally awarded for a period of two years, the institution next applies for initial accreditation. This is accomplished by submitting the Self Study Report using the standards of accreditation, the Self Study Manual, and other commission policies and resources. This Self Study Report is supported by evidence that the institution continues to meet the eligibility requirements, as well as the standards and policies. Following submission of the report, a team visits the institution for the purpose of ensuring the college meets all standards of the commission. Following the review of the self study and team reports, the institution may be granted initial accreditation, extension or denial of initial accreditation. If initial accreditation is granted, the institution then begins a six-year cycle of periodic review for reaffirmation of accreditation, which has several parts. These include a six-year comprehensive evaluation, a mid-term evaluation in the third year, annual reports and annual fiscal reports to the commission, and other progress and substantive change reports and visits as deemed necessary by the commission. Sources: Policy on Commission Actions on Institutions, 2005 Accreditation Reference Handbook, page 50; 2004 Eligibility, Candidacy and Initial Accreditation Manual. Procedures The entire process described above is characterized and driven by peer review. An institution at any stage in the process (eligibility, candidacy, initial accreditation and reaffirmation of accreditation) begins its self study by examining itself and preparing a report detailing how well and to what degree it continues to meet the eligibility criteria, standards and policies of the commission. During that period of self evaluation, the institution is encouraged to seek broad input from the various constituent groups on campus and provide for periodic and open dialog and contribution. The resultant Self Study Report represents the institution’s honest appraisal of how it continues to meet all commission expectations. Peer review is also characteristic of the subsequent levels of evaluation of an institution. A team is selected from a pool of peer evaluators that has been recommended by the ACCJC member institutions themselves and scrutinized by commission staff. Team members are trained by commission staff in their roles and responsibilities as representatives of the commission while conducting the evaluation visits. Under the direction of a team leader, the team evaluates the quality of the institution by assessing the degree to which it meets standards and adheres to policies. The resultant team report and confidential recommendation are submitted to the commission for consideration. Following submission of the report, the commission (itself made up of 19 individuals, of whom 14 are institutional representatives) acts on the accredited status of the institution and decides on a course of follow-up to cover the six years leading to the next comprehensive review. Sources: 2005, Self Study Manual; 2005 Team Evaluator Manual; Policy on Commission Actions on Institutions – 2005 Accreditation Reference Handbook (ARH), page 50; Code of Commission Good Practice in Relations with Member Institutions – 2005 ARH, page 47; Disclosure and Confidentiality of Information – 2005 ARH, page 65; Policy and Procedures for the Evaluation of Institutions in Multi-College/Multi-Unit Districts or Systems – 2005 ARH, page 70; Policy on the Rights and Responsibilities of ACCJC and Member Institutions in the Accrediting Process – 2005 ARH, page 104; Representation of Accredited Status – 2005 ARH, page 108; Review of Commission Actions – 2005 ARH, page 110; Substantive Change Policy – 2005 ARH, page 127. item1b4 Who oversees the accreditors? The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) provides oversight to the American system of accreditation. It conducts a review of each legitimate accrediting commission every five years and confers, on accrediting bodies that qualify, the status of recognition. All institutions wishing to provide students with federal financial aid must seek accreditation from a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting body. The Higher Education Act, periodically reviewed and renewed by the Congress of the United States, contains the criteria that accrediting commissions must meet if they are to obtain recognition from the US DOE. In addition, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has established criteria of excellence and a quality review system that define quality for accrediting bodies. Although accrediting commissions are not compelled to seek CHEA recognition, many accrediting agencies voluntarily participate in the CHEA quality review process as part of their own efforts to establish and maintain quality in accreditation practices.