How do you assess the impact of accreditation on student outcomes and satisfaction?

Accreditation is a process of external evaluation and recognition that ensures the quality and standards of higher education institutions and programs. It can have a significant impact on student outcomes and satisfaction, as well as on the reputation and competitiveness of the institution. But how do you assess this impact and use it to inform your improvement strategies? In this article, you will learn about some of the methods and tools that can help you measure and enhance the effects of accreditation on your students and stakeholders.

1 Benefits of accreditation

Accreditation can bring numerous advantages to your institution and your students, such as enhancing the credibility and validity of degrees and certificates, increasing the employability and mobility of graduates, facilitating the transfer of credits and recognition of prior learning, improving access to funding and resources, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. These benefits can lead to positive outcomes for your students, like higher retention and completion rates, better learning outcomes and competencies, increased satisfaction with the curriculum and the learning environment, and more engagement and feedback opportunities.

Add your perspective

Ashtyn Davis, M.Ed.
Report contribution
Keeping this conversation more student-centric, I would like to comment specifically on the benefits that students receive: 1. Financial Aid Eligibility: Accreditation is often a prerequisite for students to receive federal and state financial aid, scholarships, and grants. 2. Transferability of Credits: Credits earned at accredited institutions are more easily transferable to other accredited schools, facilitating student mobility and flexibility in education. 3. Employment Opportunities: Graduates from accredited programs are more attractive to employers, as accreditation signifies a certain level of educational quality and rigor. Students may see the accreditation and want to attend the institution because "they have a good program."

Like

2 Challenges of accreditation

Accreditation can offer benefits to your institution and students, however, it may also pose some challenges and risks. These could include increased workload and costs for staff and faculty, a compliance-oriented mindset that limits autonomy and diversity, external standards that don't reflect your mission and vision, as well as neglecting the needs of students and other stakeholders. This could lead to decreased motivation and performance, less relevance and responsiveness of the curriculum, more frustration with assessment and feedback processes, and less involvement in quality assurance activities.

Add your perspective

3 Methods of assessment

To assess the impact of accreditation on student outcomes and satisfaction, you need to use a variety of methods and sources of evidence. This includes surveys and interviews with students, alumni, employers, and other stakeholders; data and indicators on enrollment, retention, completion, graduation, and employment rates; portfolios and rubrics that demonstrate student learning outcomes and competencies; reports and feedback from accrediting agencies, peer reviewers, and external evaluators; as well as benchmarking and comparisons with other accredited institutions and programs. This can help you collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to show the strengths and weaknesses of your accreditation processes and outcomes, as well as any gaps or opportunities for improvement.

Add your perspective

Ashtyn Davis, M.Ed.
Report contribution
Many may point to student outcomes, such as graduation rates, employment rates, performance on standardized tests, further education enrollment rates, and licensure exam pass rates. Others may lead one to look at student satisfaction: Overall satisfaction with the educational experience, and satisfaction with specific aspects like teaching quality, curriculum relevance, support services, and campus facilities.

Like

4 Tools of enhancement

To maximize the impact of accreditation on student outcomes and satisfaction, you should align your accreditation standards and criteria with your institutional mission, vision, and goals. Involve students and other stakeholders in the accreditation planning, implementation, and evaluation stages. Create and implement action plans based on the accreditation results and recommendations. Provide training and support to staff and faculty on the requirements and expectations of accreditation. Additionally, communicate and disseminate your accreditation achievements and challenges to internal and external audiences. These tools can help you create a quality culture that values the benefits of accreditation while addressing any challenges, as well as a learning culture that encourages student success and satisfaction.

Add your perspective

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How do you assess the impact of accreditation on student outcomes and satisfaction?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Benefits of accreditation

2 Challenges of accreditation

3 Methods of assessment

4 Tools of enhancement

5 Here’s what else to consider

Higher Education Administration

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Higher Education Administration

More relevant reading