Accreditation Resources

Accreditation bodies require expanded demonstration of improved student learning outcomes on critical program goals. The Spelling Report has increased the pressure to demonstrate student learning. Program assessment is a complex and time-consuming process (see process diagram in Why STEPS) involving large numbers of students, faculty and administrators. Implementing program assessment generates huge amounts of data over time. STEPS is designed to support each step of the process, thus easing the assessment burden significantly (see Why STEPS). 

Accreditation bodies are placing increasing emphasis on program assessment using direct measures such as course-embedded and exit assessments, rather than surveys and constituent satisfaction measures. There also is increased pressure to track individual student progress. STEPS is explicitly designed to support the implementation and collection of direct assessments.

Below are links to assessment standards for selected accreditation bodies.

Professional Program Accreditation Organizations

Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business – International (AACSB)

Course-embedded assessment is mentioned 9 times in the AACSB Assurance of Learning standards. STEPS supports the AACSB Assurance of Learning standards as illustrated in the CSU, Chico Case Study.

ABET

Criterion 3 requires engineering programs to develop program outcomes that demonstrate 11 specific outcomes plus any additional program-specific ones. ALL ABET outcomes can be loaded into STEPS, with all assessment data collected and analyzed. STEPS then provides the repository of required “evidence that the results of this assessment process are applied to further development of the program.” 

Regional Accreditation Organizations

Regional accreditation organizations also require the establishment of learning outcomes, the collection of data on student learning, and demonstration that the assessment results have been used to improve learning. STEPS supports all aspect of this process (see Why STEPS). In addition, the Provost office needs to monitor all programs on campus and should be able to roll up results for reporting purposes. STEPS’ hierarchical structure facilitates management and campus-wide reporting for regional accreditation.

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

North Central Association

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Southern Association of

Western Association of Schools and Colleges