There is a Disturbance in the Accrediverse

We have spoken with current clients, past clients, prospective clients, and fellow consultants over the past few months about the disturbance in the accrediverse. SACSCOC is re-writing their standards and the secondhand word from the SACSCOC Principles Review Committee is “radicle”. Last I heard the plan was to vote in December and there are supposedContinue reading “There is a Disturbance in the Accrediverse”

Are Accreditors Failing Students? Part 2

Last time we wrote about the claim that accreditors were failing students due to poor oversight of quality and outcomes. This time we will look at the other claims that accreditors are failing students due to misplaced focus on non-core metrics, the cost of the accreditation process, and permitting institutions to offer failing programs. I’mContinue reading “Are Accreditors Failing Students? Part 2”

Are Accreditors Failing Students?

This seems to be a common claim from today’s USDOE, citing poor oversight of quality and outcomes, misplaced focus on non-core metrics, the cost of the accreditation process, and permitting institutions to offer failing programs. Let’s unpack each of these over the next few posts. First, poor oversight of quality and outcomes. A focus onContinue reading “Are Accreditors Failing Students?”

Let’s Talk About Online Platforms

As a teacher and then as an administrator I had worked with a few online platforms before I started consulting full-time early in 2020. You know these, they help manage the reporting on assessing student attainment of learning outcomes and administrative outcomes, they provide a template for your accreditation reports, and they may help manageContinue reading “Let’s Talk About Online Platforms”

How Difficult is Accreditation?

I was recently having a conversation with an institution President and a member of that institution’s Board and the President indicated that a reaffirmation “brings an institution to its knees.” I have thought about that statement quite a bit since then and, though I did not voice it then, I stick with my first thoughtContinue reading “How Difficult is Accreditation?”

New to the IE Director role? Hah, now you’ve done it!

As I recently shared with a Provost who had just been named the next institutional President, “You’ve got the tiger by the tail now!” But seriously, congratulations on working your way into the role of the IE Director for your institution (especially you Alison!). So, what do you do now? Don’t re-invent the wheel. Look.Continue reading “New to the IE Director role? Hah, now you’ve done it!”

Assessment Academy

Somehow November just snuck on past without a post. Sorry about that. I have been working on a new idea that I am excited to write about. Assessing student attainment of learning outcomes is a common point of pain for institutions and most find themselves on the “non-compliant” side of things at some point asContinue reading “Assessment Academy”

Does online instruction help or hurt your IE metrics?

Inside Higher Ed posted an interesting article about online instruction the other day. You can find it here. Even before the pandemic, students were voting with their class registrations, pushing institutions to increase online offerings, which brought about a decrease in face-to-face instruction. It is not difficult to meet the minimum requirements of your accreditor,Continue reading “Does online instruction help or hurt your IE metrics?”