Accrediting Associations and Faculty Development

In the last few years, many of the professional accrediting associations and most of the six major regional accrediting associations in the United States have created new standards for successful accreditation.

This web page offers a summary of changes made by the regional associations that accredit institutions of high learning.

In general, the new standards call for evidence of:

• Student learning outcomes
• Faculty learning about teaching

Some are doing this with stronger language than others at the present time, but all are doing something along these lines.

The table below offers a quick summary of the current criteria related to student learning and faculty development. The name of each region is linked to a fuller description of the relevant criteria which is located below the table.

Key Quotes from Accrediting Principles and Standards

NOTE: This section offers a description of the accreditation criteria in each region that are related to student learning and faculty development. There is also a url for each region that links to the web site containing their full criteria. Click on the highlighted link to go directly to their web page.

NEW ENGLAND

(http://www.neasc.org/cihe/cihe.htm)

Standard Four: PROGRAMS AND INSTRUCTION

Undergraduate Degree Programs:

4.19 Graduates successfully completing an undergraduate program demonstrate competence in:

• Written and oral communication in English
• The ability for scientific and quantitative reasoning, for critical analysis and logical thinking
• The capability for continuing learning.

  They also demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific, historical, and social phenomena, and a knowledge and appreciation of the aesthetic and ethical dimensions of humankind.

  In addition, graduates demonstrate an in-depth understanding of an area of knowledge or practice and of its interrelatedness with other areas.

Instruction:

4.30 The institution endeavors to enhance the quality of teaching.
4.31 The institution provides support for faulty development opportunities directed toward enhancing the quality of teaching. Faculty take advantage of such opportunities…

MIDDLE STATES

(http://www.msche.org/ (Click on "Publications," "Eligibility Requirements and Standards for Accreditation," "Characteristics of Excellence")

Standard 10: FACULTY

An accredited institution is characterized by:

• Faculty…who demonstrate continued professional growth

Optional analysis and evidence:

• …faculty productivity in the scholarship of teaching

Standard 11: EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS

An accredited institution is characterized by:

• program goals that are stated in terms of student learning outcomes;
• programs that promote student use of information and learning resources;
• assessment of student learning…

  Optional analysis and evidence:

• opportunity for active student engagement…
• opportunity for collaborative learning

Standard 14: Assessment of Student Learning

• "Assessment of student learning demonstrates that the institution's students have knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with institutional goals and that students at graduation have achieved appropriate higher education goals."

  Optional Analysis and Evidence:

• Although not required, the following may facilitate the institution's own analysis relative to this accreditation standard:
• evidence of assessment approaches that derives from the institution's mission and which might incorporate such outcomes as cumulative learning, analytical and information skills, specific competencies, knowledge and cognitive abilities, student attitude development and growth, life skills, student activity involvement, and physical skills an techniques
• analysis of assessment results including where applicable:
  • basic skills development programs
  • subject area knowledge
  • development of general education and lifelong learning skills
  • attitudes and values that relate to the mission of the institution and to the programs of study

  
  

SOUTHERN

http://www.sacscoc.org/principles.asp

Principles of Accreditation (Approved 12/11/01), Section III: COMPREHENSIVE STANDARDS

PROGRAMS:

1. The institution...establishes and evaluates program and learning outcomes.
15. The institution identifies competencies within the general education core and provides evidence that graduates have attained those college-level competencies.

FACULTY:

22. The institution provides evidence of ongoing professional development of faculty as teachers…

NORTH CENTRAL

http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=83&Itemid=111

Criterion Three: Student Learning and Effective Teaching

The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.

3A. The organization's goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible.

3B. The organization values and supports effective teaching.

• The organization evaluates teaching, recognizes effective teaching, and provides services to support improved pedagogies.
• The organization demonstrates openness to innovative practices that enhance learning.
• The organization supports faculty in keeping abreast of the research on teaching and learning…

WESTERN

http://www.wascsenior.org/wasc/ (Click on "Accreditation," "Process," "2001 Handbook of Accreditation")

Standard 3: Developing and Applying Resources and Organizational Structures to Ensure Sustainability

3.4 The institution maintains appropriate and sufficiently supported faculty development activities to improve teaching and learning consistent with its educational objectives and institutional purposes.

Standard 4: Creating an Organization Committed to Learning and Improvement

4.3 Planning processes are informed by…evidence of educational effectiveness, including student learning.

4.7 The institution, with significant faculty involvement, engages in ongoing inquiry into the processes of teaching and learning….The outcomes of such inquiries are applied to the design of curricula.

NORTHWEST*

(http://www.nwccu.org/Standards%20and%20Policies/Accreditation%20Standards/Accreditation%20Standards.htm)

Standard Two: EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND Its Effectiveness

2.2 Policy on Educational Assessment - …the accreditation enterprise [has] come to appreciate the validity and usefulness of using output evaluations and assessment as well as input measures.

Standard Four: FACULTY

4.A.3 - Faculty workloads… [allow] sufficient time and support for professional growth and renewal.

* Note: While the other accrediting associations have changed their criteria (or in one case, changed the way they implement their criteria), the Northwest Association has not changed its criteria or procedures. But their criteria nonetheless point in the same direction, of attending to learning outcomes and faculty learning about teaching.