Higher Ed Accreditation Moves Toward More Systematic Approach, SC&I Expert Writes
A growing segment of the higher education community is embracing a more "evidence-based, systematic, and transparent" approach to assessment, evaluation, and accreditation, according to SC&I Professor Brent Ruben writing for Inside Higher Ed, a leading online news source in the world of higher education.
 Accreditation has been under a pointed spotlight for several years since the Bush Administration's Spelling Commission produced a report calling for more measurement, baseline standards, and systematic accountability at the country's institutions of higher education. The numerous accrediting agencies that conduct regular reviews of colleges and universities are responsible for the stamp of approval that makes these institutions eligible for federal funding, including financial aid.
Ruben, who is also executive director of the Center for Organization Development and Leadership at Rutgers, is a well-known expert in the field of higher education assessment and planning. His books on the topic include Pursuing Excellence in Higher Education: Eight Fundamental Challenges (Jossey-Bass, 2003); Strategic Planning in Higher Education: A Guide for Leaders (with Sherrie Tromp), (NACUBO, 2004); Excellence in Higher Education 2003-2004: A Baldrige-Based Guide to Organizational Assessment, Planning and Improvement (NACUBO, 2001); and Quality in Higher Education (Transaction Books, 1995).
Ruben also served on the Executive Working Group at Rutgers that oversaw the university's highly successful reaccreditation process in 2008 conducted by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
"The assumption that pressures for change and accountability were motivated solely by partisan politics and would quickly fade with a new party coming to power has proved a very oversimplified view," Ruben wrote. He was one of a dozen experts in accreditation policy and practice consulted for the Inside Higher Ed article.
The article examines the potential influence and makeup of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). Under a recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the body will go from a 12- to an 18-member composition with members appointed by the education secretary and the United States Congress. The Education Department is seeking nominations to NACIQI.
Potential members, Ruben said, "would hopefully recognize the value of accreditation for assuring compliance with baseline standards, but also for fostering, documenting, and encouraging continuous improvement and innovation at all levels."
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