Recognition Purposes and Requirements
IACUE recognition of accrediting organizations has three basic
purposes:
(1)
To confirm that accrediting organizations have standards that
advance academic quality in higher education; that those standards
emphasize student achievement and high expectations of teaching and
learning, research, and service; and that those standards are
developed within the framework of institutional mission.
(2)
To confirm that accrediting organizations have standards that ensure
accountability through consistent, clear, and coherent communication
to the public and the higher education community about the results
of educational efforts. Accountability also includes a commitment by
the accrediting organization to involve the public in accreditation
decision-making.
(3)
To confirm that accrediting organizations have standards that
encourage institutions to plan, where needed, for purposeful change
and improvement; to develop and sustain activities that anticipate
and address needed change; to stress student achievement; and to
ensure long-range institutional viability.
IACUE acknowledges, respects, and is committed to the enhancement of
the mission of accrediting organizations. IACUE has responsibility
to advance, through the recognition process, the quality and public
understanding of accreditation and of recognized accrediting
organizations.
IACUE’s primary responsibility is quality assurance. Accrediting
organizations that seek IACUE recognition must demonstrate the
quality of their activities and the pertinence and value of their
activities to higher education and the public interest.
Applicants for recognition shall supply information to enable IACUE
to determine whether recognition is warranted and what the scope of
recognition shall be, including:
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a
clear statement of proposed scope of accreditation activity
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a
clear statement of the accrediting organization’s purposes and why
those purposes are in the public interest
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a
description of the accrediting organization and its activities; the
quality, pertinence and value of those activities; and the ways in
which those activities serve higher education and the public
interest.
Accrediting organizations that seek recognition by IACUE must
demonstrate that they meet IACUE eligibility requirements and
recognition standards.
To
be eligible for IACUE recognition, the accreditation organization
must:
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demonstrate that the organization’s mission and scope are consistent
with the IACUE institutional eligibility and recognition policy,
including that a majority of the institutions and programs
accredited by the organization grant higher education degrees. The
Policy provides, in part, that the recognition process will place
increasing emphasis on the effectiveness of accrediting
organizations in assuring academic quality of institutions;
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accredit institutions that have legal authority to confer higher
education degrees;
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have written procedures that describe, officially and publicly,
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the
organization’s decision-making processes, policies, and procedures,
that lead to accreditation actions, and
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the
scope of accreditation that may be granted, evaluative criteria
(standards or characteristics) used, and levels of accreditation
status conferred;
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have procedures that include a self-evaluation by the institution
and on-site review by a visiting team, or have alternative processes
that IACUE considers to be valid;
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demonstrate independence from any parent entity or sponsoring entity
for making judgments related to accreditation status; and
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have a specified and fair appeals process that authorizes
continuation of current accreditation status of the institution
until an appeal decision is rendered.
When seeking recognition, the accrediting organization must address
five IACUE standards that correspond to IACUE purposes:
Advances academic quality;
Demonstrates accountability;
Encourages purposeful change and needed improvement;
Employs appropriate and fair procedures in decision-making; and
Continually reassesses accreditation practices.
Advancing academic quality is at the core of voluntary
accreditation. "Academic quality" refers to results associated with
teaching, learning, research, and service, within the framework of
institutional mission. To be recognized, the accrediting
organization must provide evidence that it has:
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a
clear definition of academic quality in the context of its mission;
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clear expectations that the institutions have processes to determine
whether quality standards are being met;
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processes that encourage institutions to relate quality indicators
to planning, assessment, and improvement strategies; and
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expectations of institutional academic quality that are consistent
with institutional mission.
The
accrediting organization must demonstrate public accountability in
two ways. It must have standards that call for institutions to
provide consistent, reliable information about academic quality and
student achievement and thus to foster continuing public confidence
and investment. Second, the accrediting organization itself must
maintain and encourage public involvement in its decision-making
related to quality and accountability. Representatives of the public
may include students, parents, persons from businesses and the
professions, elected and appointed officials, and others. To be
recognized, the accrediting organization must provide evidence that
it has:
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expectations that institutions routinely provide reliable data and
information to the public on their performance;
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policies and procedures that include representatives of the public
in decision-making and policy setting;
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implemented procedures that inform the public of accreditation
decisions; and
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appropriate processes to respond to legitimate public concerns and
complaints.
The
accrediting organization must encourage, within its institutions,
planning for purposeful change, and scrutiny for needed improvement
through ongoing self-examination. Such planning and self-scrutiny
shall entail thoughtful assessment of quality (especially student
achievement) in the context of the institution’s mission.
Encouragement of such planning and self-scrutiny should not be
confused with a demand for additional resources. Such planning and
self-scrutiny are means to enhance the usefulness of accreditation,
notably for institutions with a long history of successful
accreditation that wish to use the review to help address specific
institutional changes and improvement goals they have identified. To
be recognized, the accrediting organization must provide evidence
that it has:
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policies and procedures that stress self-examination and
self-analysis by institutions;
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policies and procedures that stress planning and implementing
strategies for change, and that call for scrutiny for needed
improvement in the context of institutional mission and resources;
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expectations that encourage responsible institutional innovation and
experimentation; and
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policies and procedures that clearly distinguish between actions
required for accreditation and actions that are considerations for
improvement.
The
accrediting organization must maintain appropriate and fair policies
and procedures that include effective checks and balances. The
accreditation process shall include ongoing participation by higher
education professionals and the public in decision-making about
accreditation policies and procedures. To be recognized, the
accrediting organization must provide evidence that it has:
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policies and procedures for its decision-making that are not subject
to interference from professional organizations and special interest
groups;
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policies and procedures that require participation by higher
education professionals and the public; and
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policies and procedures that foster reasonable consistency in
accreditation reviews of varying institutions.
Even as higher education institutions undertake self-assessment to
maintain and improve quality, accrediting organizations need
self-scrutiny of their accrediting activities, including review to
determine if resources are adequate to accomplish the accreditor’s
mission. Such review should also include examination of the
accreditor’s impact on institutions and responsiveness to the
broader accreditation community, including its willingness to
conduct cooperative institutional reviews with accreditation
colleagues. To be recognized, the accrediting organization must
provide evidence that it has:
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sufficient staff and financial resources to implement and sustain
effective accrediting procedures;
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ongoing critical self-review that encourages responsiveness,
flexibility, and accountability when the accrediting organization
works with institutions and the public;
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working relationships, where appropriate, with other accrediting
organizations to encourage cooperative reviews;
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ongoing review of its value to institutions and the higher education
community; and
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assessed, within its resources, the impact of its criteria and
procedures on institutions.
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