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Accreditation and Academic Quality

Join the Commission for Academic Accreditation in a workshop on the importance of accreditation and its role in ensuring quality education. Learn about the accreditation process and how it contributes to continuous improvement in higher education.

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Accreditation and Academic Quality

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  1. Accreditation and Academic Quality King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Faculty Workshop Accreditation, Assessment and Quality January 5, 2004 Commission for Academic Accreditation

  2. Greetings from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the United Arab Emirates His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister Commission for Academic Accreditation

  3. And greetings from . . . The Commission for Academic Accreditation Michael Smith, Director Michael.Smith@zu.ac.ae www.caa.ae Commission for Academic Accreditation

  4. The CAA makes assessments and recommendations based on • Applying internationally recognized standards of quality • To institutions for their licensure • And to academic programs for their accreditation Commission for Academic Accreditation

  5. Topics • Importance of Accreditation • Its Role in Ensuring Quality • Experience in the UAE • The Interface of Accreditation and Program Quality Commission for Academic Accreditation

  6. What is accreditation? • External review • Assessment of higher education institutions and/or programs • For quality assurance and continuous improvement Commission for Academic Accreditation

  7. What Is Clear? • Strong higher education system is essential in a global, information-based economy • Some form of national accreditation/licensure, based on international standards of quality, is necessary if countries are to achieve their higher education goals Commission for Academic Accreditation

  8. . . . because national systems • Provide an external review • Based on agreed upon standards • With an agreed upon process • That can encourage institutions to enhance their own internal quality assurances processes • So that they meet national and international quality standards Commission for Academic Accreditation

  9. Why is external review so important? • Expertise • Broad experience • International standards • Fresh perspective Commission for Academic Accreditation

  10. And external reviews cause. . . • Institutions to look at themselves • Faculty to look at their programs • Institutions, colleges, schools, and faculties to “sharpen” their own assessment methodologies Commission for Academic Accreditation

  11. What can the review do for an institution? • Periodic (cause faculty and staff to re-examine what they do, how they do it, what they achieve) • On-Going (cause the institution to develop its own continuous improvement processes) Commission for Academic Accreditation

  12. Experience in the UAE • Rapid growth in “private” colleges and universities • Goal for the country of meeting or exceeding international standards of quality Commission for Academic Accreditation

  13. Commission for Academic Accreditation • Formed in 2000 • Developed the Standards for Licensure and Accreditation in 2001 and . . . • Substantially revised the Stabdards in 2003 Commission for Academic Accreditation

  14. The CAA both • Licenses Institutions • Accredits individual degree programs Commission for Academic Accreditation

  15. Both processes are • Closely interlinked . . . so that . . . • All the programs of licensed institutions must be individually accredited Commission for Academic Accreditation

  16. Processes for Licensure and Accreditation Institutional Licensure Official Candidacy Initial Accreditation Accreditation Eligible Full licensure Renewable 3 years Full accreditation Renewable every 5 years Commission for Academic Accreditation

  17. Types of higher education programs: • Accredited and licensed in UAE • Accredited in another country and “franchised” in UAE • Unaccredited outside and inside of UAE and franchised in UAE • Paper Mills Commission for Academic Accreditation

  18. The Ministry’s response • All programs offering instruction in the UAE must be licensed and accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation

  19. The CAA accredits based on • The institution’s meeting quality standards for programs, faculty, academic support, and administration and • Its having a well-developed system of institutional effectiveness to assess its own quality and contribute to continuous improvement Commission for Academic Accreditation

  20. The elements included in the review • Institutional purpose and effectiveness Goals On-going quality assurance Institutional research Mission Commission for Academic Accreditation

  21. Educational Program Admissions Completion Curriculum Internships Readiness Commission for Academic Accreditation

  22. Instruction Advising Publications Distance learning Continuing education Student records Faculty Commission for Academic Accreditation

  23. Selection of faculty Preparation Compensation Appointment Professional development Role Loads Commission for Academic Accreditation

  24. Evaluation Grievance Agreements Contracts Commission for Academic Accreditation

  25. Educational Support Services Library Library staff Instructional support IT Students development Career planning Financial aid Student activities Health services Commission for Academic Accreditation

  26. Administrative Process Organization Titles and terms Governance Policies Alumni Financial resources Budget Commission for Academic Accreditation

  27. Accounting Auditing Purchasing Refunds Physical resources Space management Master plan Commission for Academic Accreditation

  28. The CAA’s reviews include • Review of documentation submitted by the institution as part of its self-assessment • Review by a visiting committee of experts from the international community who know the discipline and know accreditation and quality Commission for Academic Accreditation

  29. The external review • Is conducted by experts in the discipline • Takes place on-site • Results in a detailed report and a series of recommendations • Requires the institution to respond to each recommendation Commission for Academic Accreditation

  30. The Ministry only grants accreditation to institutions that • meet the requirements of the Standards for Licensure and Accreditation, • respond satisfactorily to visiting committee recommendations, and • have in place a system of quality control Commission for Academic Accreditation

  31. Results to date • 24 institutions licensed and 10 more in process • 150 programs accredited and 30 more in process • Significant improvements at many institutions—including faculty credentials, faculty development, curricula, IT and library support, and program assessment Commission for Academic Accreditation

  32. What the UAE example shows • The US model can be adapted to the requirements of countries in the Arab world • Even smaller countries can establish strong quality standards and enforce them • Rapid improvement in higher education institutions is possible • External reviewers are willing to bring their expertise to assist Commission for Academic Accreditation

  33. The CAA accredits based on • The institution’s meeting quality standards for programs, faculty, academic support, and administration and • Its having a well-developed system of institutional program effectiveness to assess its own quality and contribute to continuous improvement Commission for Academic Accreditation

  34. The institution’s quality system must • Be central to all operations • Derive from its purpose, goals, and objectives • Be broadly based • Employ a variety of assessment methods • Demonstrate how planning and evaluation are used for continuous improvement Commission for Academic Accreditation

  35. In assessing its academic programs, the institution must • Evaluate the quality of student learning, research, and service • Ensure that planning and evaluation are systematic and interrelated • Develop academic program goals consistent with institutional purpose • Evaluate the extent to which academic goals are achieved • Use the results of assessment to improve the program Commission for Academic Accreditation

  36. Measures for academic program quality must include • Evaluation of instructional delivery • Results of standardized tests • Analysis of student papers, portfolios, and other student work • Data on admissions tests, program completion rates, and job placement • Results of student licensure exams Commission for Academic Accreditation

  37. And . . . • Feedback from employers • Performance of students who transfer to other institutions • Performance of students who continue their education at a higher level • Assessments by alumni Commission for Academic Accreditation

  38. Institution therefore must • Develop the capacity to collect and analyze data • Incorporate IR as an integral part of planning and evaluation • Assign administrative responsibility for IR functions • Allocate adequate resources to support this function Commission for Academic Accreditation

  39. Institutional research must • Be timely and on-going • Disseminate results of its analysis • Design studies to meet institutional and program needs • Develop databases that support longitudinal studies • Include external environmental analysis Commission for Academic Accreditation

  40. Thus, the assessment of effectiveness includes • Inputs • Processes • Outputs • Outcomes Commission for Academic Accreditation

  41. Relying on • Multiple internal assessments • Multiple external assessments Commission for Academic Accreditation

  42. In order to assess the extent that • The institution fulfills its purpose • The program meets its goals and objectives consistent with the institution’s purpose Commission for Academic Accreditation

  43. The review process offers faculty an opportunity to • Examine their own programs • Consider their own assessment data • See their own programs from an “outside” perspective • Identify needs for the future • Consider data on outcomes • Make a case for improvements Commission for Academic Accreditation

  44. And accreditation should be seen as . . . • Linked to quality improvement • In an examination of a variety of data • In the tradition of academic study Commission for Academic Accreditation

  45. In service to . . . Academic Excellence Continuous Improvement Better Outcomes Commission for Academic Accreditation

  46. I would be pleased to have discussion and questions . . . Thank you, Michael Smith Commission for Academic Accreditation

  47. ForThe Commission for Academic Accreditation Thank you www.caa.ae Michael Smith, Director Michael.Smith@zu.ac.ae Commission for Academic Accreditation

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