Accreditation system element and definition | |
---|---|
1. Mandate: The role and purpose of the accrediting body in reviewing the quality of educational programs, institutions, or systems. | |
2. Accreditation standards (Criteria, Requirements): Measures or generally accepted benchmarks used in making decisions about the quality of a program, institution, or system. | |
3. Application for accreditation: The process of reviewing an initial request for accreditation by a program seeking to demonstrate compliance with established standards, and which results in a decision about whether to grant new (first-time) accreditation. | |
4. Self-study (self-evaluation, self-assessment): The internal process of reflection undertaken by a program, institution, or system to evaluate compliance with externally established standards. | |
5. External assessment of standards: The process of determining the level of compliance of a program, institution, or system with established accreditation standards, undertaken by individuals external to the program, institution, or system. | |
6. Accreditation reports: The final report by external evaluators regarding the level of compliance of the program, institution, or system with established standards. | |
7. Accreditation decision: The final decision on accreditation status, and its associated follow-up, as determined by the accrediting body. | |
8. Accreditation cycle: The phases of an accreditation process dictating how often each program, institution, or system is re-evaluated for compliance with the standards, including the types of phases and activities in the process and any follow-up activities that must occur between external assessments. | |
9. Site review model: The approach used by the accrediting body in determining the composition of its external site review team, as well as processes for recruiting, assigning, training, and assessing team members. | |
10. Accreditation system administration: The approaches used by the accrediting body to support the administration and operationalization of the accreditation process; this component includes the business model, the technology used (if any), system review and improvement (including research and scholarship), and oversight and risk management. |