College Accreditation

College Accreditation

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College Accreditation: Managing Internal Revitalization and Public Respect Jeffrey W. Alstete

College Accreditation: Managing Internal Revitalization and Public Respect Copyright Jeffrey W. Alstete, 2007. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2007 978-1-4039-7420-4 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published in 2007 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 and Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England RG21 6XS. Companies and representatives throughout the world. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-53479-1 DOI 10.1057/9780230601932 ISBN 978-0-230-60193-2 (ebook) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Alstete, Jeffrey W. College accreditation: managing internal revitalization and public respect/ Jeffrey W. Alstete. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Universities and college Accreditation United States. I. Title. LB2331.615.U6A45 2007 379.1 58 dc22 2006049472 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Design by Macmillan India Ltd. First edition: January 2007 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to my wife, Marta, and our daughter, Jessica

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Contents List of Tables and Figures Preface Acknowledgments ix xi xv 1. Introduction 1 Part One: A Look at College Accreditation 9 2. A Brief History of College Accreditation 11 3. New Techniques for Accreditation Today 23 4. Accreditation under Fire 29 5. The Need for Accreditation Management 39 Part Two: The Accreditation Process 45 6. Getting Started on Accreditation 47 7. The Application for Accreditation 53 8. The Self-Evaluation Analysis 57 9. The Peer-Review Visit 67 10. Publication of the Evaluation 71 11. Following the Accreditation On-Site Evaluation 75 Part Three: Managing Accreditation at Colleges and Universities 79 12. Accreditation Management 81 13. Planning Accreditation 93 14. Organizational and Staffing Issues in Managing Accreditation 109 15. Controlling and Directing Accreditation 115 16. Writing the Self-Study Report 121 17. Budgeting for Accreditation Management 129

viii Contents Part Four: New Strategies for Accreditation 131 18. Using Management Quality Techniques for Accreditation 133 19. New Electronic Tools to Support Accreditation Strategies 145 20. Accreditation of Distance Education 159 21. Conclusion 171 Appendix A Recognized Accrediting Organizations 179 Appendix B Nonrecognized College Accreditation Agencies 187 Appendix C Accreditation Eligibility Requirements 199 Appendix D Institutional Newsletter Content Prior to Accreditation Visit 203 Appendix E Accreditation in the United States 205 Appendix F Sample Guidelines for a Regional Accreditation Self-Study Report 221 References 231 Index 245

List of Tables and Figures Tables 1. Historical Periods of U.S. Higher Education Accreditation 14 2. New Mexico Tech Self-Study Timeline 64 3. Connection of Regional Accreditation Criteria and College Strategic Planning 101 4. Linkage between Self-Study Challenge Areas and Strategic Planning 102 5. Stakeholder Groups for Baldrige Criteria 137 6. Baldrige Criteria Compared to NCA Criteria 138 Figures 1. Accreditation Turning Point in 2005 34 2. Need for Accreditation Management 42 3. Self-Study SWOT Analysis 59 4. Accreditation Management Framework for a Self-Study Planning Timeline 65 5. Accreditation Management and Institutional Goals 91 6. Unplanned Accreditation Time Schedule 95 7. Planned Accreditation Time Schedule Linked to Strategic Plans 96 8. Internet Support of Accreditation Management 154

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Preface New opportunities for students to continue learning beyond secondary school, increasing expectations, higher costs, and changing demographics are just some of the issues that are challenging higher education in the early part of the twenty-first century. The announcement that an institution is accredited is an important and worthy statement that a college or university is meeting the challenges that society presents today, and students are supposed to be encouraged that the years of effort and money spent on their education will be of value. Accreditation involves not only higher education, but also research institutions and elementary/secondary schools, which are also frequently undergoing accreditation reviews by a variety of associations, organizations, and government agencies today. It is a common complaint of faculty, administrators, staff, and trustees at these institutions that too much time, money, and organizational resources are spent on achieving and maintaining accreditation. One typical medium-sized institution recently reported that they have 17 accrediting agencies to comply with, and are continually under review by one or more such organizations every year. Faculty, administrators, students, staff, and other stakeholders are significantly involved in these important efforts when they serve on committees and task forces, or are appointed directors of accreditation. While several of the individual accrediting agencies do offer some printed guidelines, there is no comprehensive guidance available in the literature market today that offers strategic and operational strategies for managing accreditation processes in an effective manner. This book seeks to address this need by offering an informative resource on college accreditation in contemporary times, suggesting techniques for managing the accreditation process, and examining some models of best practices in accreditation management. It should be noted that there is one book on accreditation by the author (Alstete, 2004) that approaches accreditation using interpretive strategies with management of meaning and symbolic actions. The overall approach in this new book is focused on the more traditional linear aspects of accreditation management strategies. In addition to a different core approach, this book is updated and more comprehensive, including aspects of new technology implementation. How can educational institutions manage internal revitalization and public respect of their activities? This book shows how management of academic accreditation through effective planning and implementation is part of the answer. Accreditation is examined and discussed by exploring the history, processes, current status, and potential future models of educational accreditation along with examples of successful management of accreditation at many postsecondary educational institutions. The management functions that are effectively being applied to accreditation oversight and implementation are organized into a taxonomy of lower elements such as controlling, operating, reporting, and budgeting, along with higher elements of planning, organizing, staffing, and developing the accreditation strategies for

xii Preface institutions. This classification of accreditation tools, concepts, approaches, and methods presents a unique viewpoint on accreditation today and offers practical guidance to both accreditation newcomers and experienced practitioners. Audience Readers familiar with the literature of higher education administration will recognize that this book follows the format of detailing the history, literature, and ideas behind the subject, followed by case studies of best practices, a model for implementation, and, finally, recommendations for institutions and educational leaders. The intended audience for this work includes college and university administrators at various levels, trustees, faculty involved in governance and accreditation matters, as well as faculty and students of higher education administration and leadership. Individuals in regional and specialized accreditation agencies, elementary and secondary school systems, and research institutions will also find this information helpful. In addition, anyone in the general public who is interested in learning about the important systems and methods in education oversight and improvement will find this book informative. Overview of the Contents This book is divided into four parts. Part one examines the background and history of accreditation in the United States, and how it is affecting the public perception about higher education and accreditation today. The needs and purpose of this book are also explored by briefly examining changes in accreditation that have taken place in recent years, along with the potential impact of issues affecting higher education, such as funding, changes in student/faculty demographics and priorities, distance learning, new instructional technology, and public perceptions. The evolution, common elements, and increasing criticisms by leaders in higher education and the public are also examined. Part two inspects the process of accreditation itself, and seeks to understand the steps involved in specialized and regional accreditation. The impact of accreditation on the institution and the related aspects of accountability and trust are explored with the purpose of creating a responsive and meaningful experience for the institution. The third part offers important guidance on the management of accreditation, along with examples of model programs at various colleges and universities. Issues such as the organizational structure at the institution, strategic planning, financial support, faculty leadership, use of information technology, team visit preparation, and overall guidance of the accreditation programs are discussed with the goal of providing thorough strategies for effectively managing the accreditation process. Other elements of accreditation management, such as planning, staffing, reporting, and budgeting are also studied. The recent implementation of distance-learning courses and programs and their inclusion in accreditation management processes are also examined. Finally, the fourth part offers a look at the new approaches to higher education, including quality-improvement strategies such as the Baldrige Award criteria, the impact of distance learning on accreditation processes, effective leadership strategies, and conclusions regarding the challenges that face the future of accreditation. These

Preface xiii include potential reforms, academic audits, internal reviews, public accountability, and recommendations for process improvements both within institutions and accrediting organizations. About the Author Jeffrey W. Alstete is currently a full-time faculty member in the department of management and business administration in the Hagan School of Business at Iona College, New Rochelle, New York. Dr. Alstete earned a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Seton Hall University (1994), and holds a Master of Business Administration (1987) and an MS in Computer Science (1990) from Iona College, as well as a BS in Business Administration from St. Thomas Aquinas College (1985). Dr. Alstete has held several administrative positions at a number of institutions, including Associate Dean at Iona College, Director of Continuing Education at St. Thomas Aquinas College, and Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs at the W. Paul Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University. In these positions, he served on and chaired regional and specialized accreditation task forces and committees, including a recent regional accreditation periodic review by the Middle States Association, and was appointed as Director of Accreditation at Iona College s Hagan School of Business during the final phase of their successful pursuit of initial accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. He is the author of three books: Benchmarking in Higher Education: Adapting Best Practices to Improve Quality for the ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report series (Jossey-Bass, 1995); Post-tenure Faculty Development: Building a System of Improvement and Appreciation, for ASHE-ERIC Reports (Jossey-Bass, 2000); and Accreditation Matters: Achieving Academic Recognition and Renewal, also for the ASHE-ERIC Reports (Jossey-Bass, 2004). This is a prestigious peer-reviewed issue analysis book series in higher education. He is also an award-winning author of journal articles related to higher education and business that have been published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Education for Business; Journal of Continuing Higher Education; Benchmarking: An International Journal; Team Performance Management; and the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research. He is also the Book Review Editor for Benchmarking: An International Journal, and a reviewer for several other journals in higher education and business. Dr. Alstete s primary areas of scholarly research and consulting include administration effectiveness, accreditation, benchmarking, faculty development, distance learning, entrepreneurship, virtual teams, knowledge management, strategic management, and organizational improvement.

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Acknowledgments Just as an accreditation self-evaluation is a long process supported by many individuals with someone leading the effort, the work in this book had the support of several people and organizations. I want to acknowledge my colleague and former supervisor, Dr. Nicholas J. Beutell, for the many years of discussions we had together regarding the topic of accreditation. His experience as an accreditation consultantevaluator for various colleges and universities provided a valuable perspective, and his insights about organizational challenges and model of integrity in educational endeavors were important to me in the creation of this book. I also want to acknowledge the thorough and very responsive services of the staff at the Ryan Library of Iona College. Several years of remote requesting of materials included many latenight e-mails, completing online request forms, telephone calls to the Reference Desk, and notifications of deliveries received from the library, which made the research portion of this book easier and more complete. In addition, I want to acknowledge several of the college accreditation associations and their directors for granting permission to use sections of their policies and documents as useful examples to readers. Finally, the editor of this book, Amanda Johnson Moon and her editorial assistant, Emily Leithauser, were very professional in their support of the work on this book and deserve acknowledgment for their excellent service on behalf of their company, Palgrave Macmillan.