D12: An Inside Look at Higher Education Accreditation

Transcription

1 D12: An Inside Look at Higher Education Accreditation Jerry Tomberlin, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON Suzanne Mintz, AACSB International, Tampa, FL Chuck Hickman, ABET, Baltimore, MD

2 Agenda Introduction to accreditation Introduction to AACSB and ABET Role of Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation Rogue accrediting bodies Principles of accreditation Value of Accreditation AACSB and ABET student resources Q&A

3 What is AACSB?

4 AACSB Mission To advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and valueadded services.

5 AACSBaccredited members present AACSB members present No AACSB members present Distribution of schools as of September 3, 2013.

6 AACSB Accreditation 682 AACSB accredited institutions in 45 countries; accounting accreditation held by 182 institutions in 7 countries (~400 volunteers involved) ~220 institutions (75% OUS) are formally seeking AACSB business accreditation and 9 institutions (22% OUS) are seeking accounting accreditation

7 Accreditation Overlap of Triple Crown Accreditors AACSB (682) 37 (4.4%) 21 (2.5%) EQUIS (142) 572 (68.7%) 60 (7.2%) 13 (1.6%) 24 (2.9%) 106 (12.7%) AMBA (203) Source: AACSB analysis of publicly available data as of June 30, 2013.

8 Role of Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and Department of Education (DOE) in Accreditation Oversight bodies for accrediting organizations Charged with assuring the quality of these organizations Provide periodic external reviews Accreditation providers reviewed by CHEA and/or DOE are recognized

9 Role of Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and Department of Education (DOE) in Accreditation CHEA: Scrutinizes accrediting bodies to ensure the academic quality of institutions and programs Institutions can also be members of CHEA DOE: Similar role but focus is on those accrediting bodies that assess institutions/programs that are eligible for federal funding

10 Accreditation Mills Increased emphasis on international quality assurance has opened up opportunities for rogue accreditation providers Students, parents, counselors, etc. need to be aware of warning signs including: - Can accreditation be purchased? - Does the operation claim to be recognized by CHEA/DOE, when in reality they are not? - Are standards/criteria for accreditation published? - Can accreditation be achieved within a short time period? - Is accreditation granted without any subsequent periodic review or without any site-visit?

11 What is ABET?

12 12 ABET Vision Provide world leadership in assuring quality and in stimulating innovation in education for: - Applied Science - Computing - Engineering - Engineering Technology

13 ABET s 33 Member Societies

14 14 What Does ABET Accredit? An academic program leading to a specific degree in a specific discipline. Misconceptions clarified: - Not institutions - Not schools, colleges, or departments - Not facilities, courses, or faculty - Not graduates - Not degrees

15 15 Programs Accredited by ABET 3,278 programs in applied science, computing, engineering and engineering technology at 671 institutions in 24 nations

16 16 Specialized and Professional Accreditation in the United States Accreditation is voluntary Non-governmental organizations Fair and impartial peer review process Requires self-assessment by the program/school Continuous process (reviewed every n years) Failure of single criterion results in loss of accreditation Deficiencies in one area CANNOT be compensated by strengths in other areas Not a ranking

17 17 Specialized and Professional Accreditation in the United States Criteria developed by member schools (AACSB) or societies (ABET), including both educators and practitioners Self-Study Report by the institution and program On-site evaluation by peers from education, government, and industry Publication of lists of accredited programs

18 18 Accreditation Standards (AACSB) or Criteria (ABET) are Outcomes Based Students Program Educational Objectives Student Outcomes Continuous Improvement Curriculum Faculty Facilities Institutional Support

19 19 Value of Accreditation: Students Provides quality assurance and distinction May allow students to narrow set of schools Focus on excellence ensures high quality academic programs which can in turn enhance future employment opportunities

20 20 Value of Accreditation: Employers Employers want to recruit the best talent that will make a positive difference in the company Allows employers to narrow the set of schools Provides external validation of quality AACSB/ABET accredited schools represent an excellent source of highly qualified talent

21 AACSB Student Resources 21

22 AACSB Student Resources 22

23 Questions? 23

24 Thank You! 24