There’s a new nerd on the horizon
Believe it or not, there are many different categories of nerds. I actually googled “types of nerds” and discovered a plethora of lists. There are comic book nerds, computer nerds, movie nerds, gaming nerds, book nerds, and (my favorite) math nerds. We could even debate the nerd vs. geek differences until the cows come home. (Side note: As the wife of a hobby farmer with approximately 45 cows, the cows actually do come home – to the barn and corral – every night.)
I would like to add another nerd to the list – an accreditation nerd. Yes, it’s likely a small group of people, but I am one of them. I love the accountability processes that accreditation provides. Whether we are talking about regional accreditation in higher education, or program-level accreditation for specific disciplines, or accreditation processes in the broader educational realm, I love it all.
[I admit “accreditation” rarely lights a fire under people, and some readers have already clicked away to something more exciting, but if you are still with me, please let me explain my reasoning.]
Have you ever completed a task and known it was a success? Maybe you are a teacher, and at the end of a lesson, the students understood the material AND they enjoyed it. Success! Maybe you are in business, and you had a proposal meeting with executives who decided to fund your idea. Success! How about being the director of a non-profit who spoke to a group of prospective supporters that resulted in a few more volunteers and new donors. Success!
Measuring success for a given task is usually straightforward. Measuring success for a department, college, or large organization is much more complex. This requires a clear understanding of mission, vision, and goals, along with the identification of metrics and benchmarks that define success. Some of these metrics may be concrete measurements such as budget margin, turnover rates, or enrollment numbers. Others measure more abstract concepts such as student learning, student satisfaction, and employee perceptions. All of these metrics require a level of interpretation and analysis. Comparing these metrics to the metrics of another institution is even more complicated.
Regional accreditation provides universal criteria while allowing schools to meet those standards in ways consistent with their mission and identity. I have been a part of the accreditation process from within an organization. I have written assurance arguments, collected and organized evidence, led quality initiatives, planned visits, and facilitated change requests. I have also been a part of the accreditation process as a peer reviewer for a regional accrediting body (the Higher Learning Commission). I loved reviewing other schools, and always gained ideas and a greater appreciation for the varied ways in which colleges achieve their missions.
But I am not a fan of accreditation just for the sake of accreditation, and I only want to use the line, “Because [name of accrediting body] says so” if they really do specifically say so.
What I appreciate is that accreditation provides an external “stamp of approval” – third party accountability that examines the work of the University and says, “Success!” It’s simply not enough for a school to say, “we’re excellent at what we do!” Accreditation provides assurance to prospective students and parents as to whether those schools meet the expected standards. In a diverse industry, accreditation provides a way to compare “apples and oranges.”
In summary, let’s be willing to be accountable for our actions and the quality of work we do. Let’s embrace accountability, accreditation, and the road to excellence. I would love to help your organization through an accreditation process or issue. Contact ABL Wise Consulting today.
