As we continue focusing on helping accreditors worldwide advance their missions, we wanted to take a step back and ask a question – why do we even need accreditors? We discovered that our answers are the guiding principles for our work!
Starting with the definition, accreditation is a process by which a third-party organization evaluates and recognizes the quality and credibility of institutions, programs, or professional certification bodies in education, healthcare, and many other industries, including summer camps, parks, and zoos. Accreditation is intended to ensure that the institutions and programs meet certain standards of quality and that the degrees or certifications they award are credible and valuable.
The value of accreditation can be summarized as follows:
1. Quality assurance. Accreditation provides a means of evaluating and verifying the quality of educational institutions and programs, helping students and employers to identify those that meet high standards of academic excellence.
2. Credibility. Accreditation gives credibility to institutions, programs, and certifications, and signals to employers, clients, and the public that these have been evaluated and recognized as meeting high standards of quality.
3. Improved reputation. Accreditation can enhance the reputation of institutions, programs, and certifications, making them more attractive to students, clients, and employers.
4. Access to resources. Accreditation can open up access to resources, such as student financial aid, healthcare reimbursements, or government grants, and opportunities for collaboration with other accredited institutions and programs.
5. Better career outcomes. Accreditation can lead to better career outcomes for graduates, as employers often prefer to hire individuals who have received degrees or certifications from accredited institutions and programs.
In summary, accreditation provides assurance of quality, credibility, and value, and can play a key role in ensuring continued improvement of service outcomes.