Accreditation review approaching? A timeline can be your best tool

Madison, Wis.—Janury 21, 2008 — In a seminar on January 21, Dr. Belle Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools offered expert advice to an audience of community college leaders on how to successfully navigate the accreditation review process through a detailed timeline.

Wheelan said that too often institutions stumble through the process of preparing for an accreditation review without truly understanding it. This adds to the cost and anxiety of an already resource-draining process. But, says Wheelan, if you understand the ins and outs of the accreditation process, it’s easier to ace your review relatively painlessly.

The process starts two years out from the date of the review. The first steps involve becoming familiar with accreditation compliance issues and standards, forming a steering committee, selecting strategies to develop and assess student learning outcomes, and identifying consultants to assist if needed.

Between two years and one year out is a time for assessment, documentation, fine-tuning policies, and working on your compliance certification. At one year out, it’s time to finalize policy changes, complete your compliance certification/self-study, and begin to plan for the onsite committee visit. At six months and less, it’s time to attend to details—hotel, travel, and work space on-site for the committee. Dr. Wheelan urged participants to have back up plans for everything.

Dr. Wheelan suggested that administrators start by looking at the process not as an ordeal to get through, but “an opportunity to advance your school’s teaching mission.”

She discussed methods to help participants:

  • Understand the components of the accreditation process and what they involve
  • Discuss this process clearly and knowledgably with a variety of constituents
  • Develop a realistic timeline for successfully implementing the process on campus
  • View an institution through the eyes of the accrediting agency
  • Ask intelligent questions of staff to ensure accurate information is provided to the accrediting body
  • Explain the outcome of the accreditation process —whether positive or negative— to the general public

If you missed the seminar and would like to purchase it for your institution, you can order the program in CD or print transcript format, both of which include the presenter's handouts.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.