Getting university accreditation is not an easy task. Many universities go through getting accredited to be considered for state funding and for students who enroll at said institutions to apply for financial aid. Getting accreditation, however, does not come cheap. Universities must meet certain requirements that are necessary to acquire this distinction. These mandates can cost universities time and money, but they ensure that the education offered at the school is legitimate.
The following will highlight some of these prerequisites/requirements.
Have Accreditation Boards
Institutions should have selection criteria that allow students’ evaluation and final accreditation decisions to be carried out by an independent body of academics. The body should be unaffiliated to governmental or religious institutions, business interests, and special interest groups. Such bodies may include an Academic Board responsible for maintaining academic standards and integrity at universities.
Maintaining a Learning Environment Conducive to Academic Freedom and Free Inquiry
According to Grand Canyon University accreditation professionals, universities should maintain certain standards to ensure the quality of education. This includes upholding principles such as imposing restrictions on staff or students carrying out specific activities, such as active recruitment by sectarian groups, political organizations, and so forth.
Minimum Student-Staff Ratio
Institutional accreditation, such as Grand Canyon University accreditation, requires self-evaluation by individual institutions to assess their level of compliance with the association’s standards before being granted full membership status.
There must be an appropriate range between staff numbers and university student enrollment. This is because smaller class sizes can provide more interactions with supervisors. As a result, it will improve the educational experience and allow for more individual attention to each student’s needs.
Availability of Adequate Resources
Universities must provide appropriate educational resources to be made available to students, including allied health care, travel facilities, sports, and recreational activities, counseling services, etc. To ensure good standards throughout all universities within its region or jurisdiction, an association will have representatives from each participating institution’s governing body. This is often termed institutional accreditation.
At Least Half of Full-Time Faculty and Part-Time Faculty Members Are Employed Full-Time.
Another requirement for university accreditation is that at least half of full-time faculty and part-time faculty members are employed full-time. Also required is that non-faculty members can offer no more than 1/3 of the courses taught. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that instructors teaching online courses must be supervised by physical classroom instructors available for consultation, employed full time by the school, and at least half of them must hold terminal degrees in their fields.
Accurate Records of Student Performance
The other requirement for university accreditation is that instructors keep accurate records of student performance. Transcripts are required to provide separate course descriptions for each grading period. Students who meet certain requirements may receive credit, including transferable courses from other schools or previous learning experiences through exams or prior documentation. A university’s academic catalog should have information on these different types of credits and departmental policies about what can be counted toward graduation requirements.
Provide an Ideal Academic Framework
To qualify for university accreditation, the institution must provide an academic framework that encourages students to understand what they are learning and the overall scope of their curriculum. This helps students connect different disciplines, such as sociology and chemistry or political science and economics. The school should also disclose information about the number of students taking each course and the faculty-to-student ratio. An institution needs to establish a program that encourages students to explore academic interests early in their education with elective courses. Many institutions allow students to select various courses that interest them and then credit the classes toward graduation requirements.
Offer Professional Development Programs
Finally, a university needs to demonstrate that it provides career opportunities for its alumni by providing several types of professional development programs, including internships and independent study projects., schools should maintain records on the employment of their graduates as well as hold career development workshops for employers to encourage them to hire from the university.
Universities should meet all the above requirements set forth for official designation as accredited schools. As a result, the institutions ensure that students receive a quality education and guarantee employment after graduation.
