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| Archives |
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Volume 65 - Winter 1996
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Executive Director's corner
by Olive M. Kimball, EdD, MT(ASCP)
Executive Director |
The world of higher education accreditation is still in transition, as it has been for the past few years. The new successor to the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation (CORPA), which itself was a successor to the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA), was inaugurated this past summer. It is the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This agency's recognition relates only to degree granting bodies and, as such, will have limited influence on some of NAACLS' programs. The NAACLS Board of Directors has not yet determined if it will seek recognition by CHEA because NAACLS is already recognized as an independent specialized accrediting body by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and additional costs required by CHEA may not be warranted.
There is continuing interest in accreditation issues by other distinguished groups. The Pew Health Professions Commission has spawned task forces related to allied health and generated numerous formal reports. Most recently a Task Force on Accreditation of Health Professions Education was formed as a component of the Center for the Health Professions in San Francisco. This group will propose improvements in accreditation systems for health professions education.
In another arena, and as a follow up to meetings with specialized accreditors over the past three years, the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP) will conduct sessions on accreditation at a winter 1997 meeting. One of ASAHP's major thrusts has been studying how the quality of site visits might be improved.
In its transition to independence, NAACLS has been active with a leading group, the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). ASPA monitors and reports on the national accreditation and education scene and provides opportunities for interaction with education leaders on topics of special interest to accreditors. Membership in ASPA requires the support of a Code of Good Practice and the pursuit of principles addressed in it. The NAACLS Board of Directors formally adopted it in September 1996 and, as a member organization, supports the following principles.
CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE
An accrediting organization holding membership in ASPA:
- Pursues its mission, goals and objectives, and conducts its operations in a trustworthy manner.
- Maximizes service, productivity and effectiveness in the accreditation relationship.
- Respects and protects institutional autonomy.
- Maintains a broad perspective as the basis for wise decision making.
- Focuses accreditation reviews on the development of knowledge and competencies.
- Exhibits integrity and professionalism in the conduct of its operations.
- Has mechanisms to ensure that expertise and experience in the application of its standards, procedures and values are present in members of its visiting teams, commissions and staff.
If you would like additional clarification of these principles, we will be happy to send you the complete Code of Good Practice. We hope that eventually you will be able to access it on the World Wide Web.
Just as specialized accreditation of programs stimulates self evaluation, NAACLS' membership in ASPA and recognition by USDE support our own continuing self evaluation. Such evaluation is augmented and reinforced by input from the NAACLS' constituencies. During this time of transition, we encourage you to contribute to our self evaluation. Are we living up to the code which we promote? Let us know.
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