Accreditation Criteria

Criterion I – Mission

An institution’s mission and the quality of education it delivers must be clearly defined and accessible to the public. Its scope and focus on research, scholarship, teaching, and academic programs should be publicly communicated in detail. The institution maintains a widely disseminated mission statement, approved by its governing board, that reflects a purpose appropriate for higher education, provides strategic direction, and is understood by its community.

The institution measures mission fulfillment relative to its purpose, characteristics, and expectations. Based on this framework, it identifies accomplishments or outcomes that constitute an acceptable level of mission achievement, demonstrating alignment with its stated objectives.

Criterion II – Integrity

The institution functions with integrity to ensure its mission is achieved through comprehensive structures and processes encompassing the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.

Governance and administrative frameworks foster effective leadership and encourage collaborative practices that enable the institution to realize its mission.

The institution consistently upholds and safeguards its integrity in all operations and decision-making processes.

Criterion III: Student Learning and Effective Instruction

The institution provides clear evidence of student learning outcomes and instructional effectiveness, demonstrating that its educational goals are being met.

Learning outcomes for each program are explicitly defined, enabling thorough assessment of student achievement.

The institution prioritizes and supports effective teaching practices, creates enriching learning environments, and ensures that educational resources enhance both student learning and instructional quality.

Criterion IV: Application of Knowledge

Through fostering inquiry, creativity, practical engagement, and social responsibility aligned with its mission, the institution enables faculty, administrators, staff, and students to lead lives centered on continuous learning.

The institution demonstrates, through the actions of all its stakeholders, a commitment to a culture of learning.

It emphasizes the acquisition of broad knowledge, the practice of intellectual inquiry, and the integration of these principles into its academic programs.
Curricula are evaluated for relevance to students’ roles in a global, diverse, and technologically advanced society.
Support is provided to ensure faculty, students, and staff acquire, apply, and responsibly use knowledge in their professional and personal lives.

Criterion V – Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness

The institution possesses sufficient structures, processes, and resources to achieve its objectives, enhance program quality, and respond to emerging opportunities and challenges. Strategic planning guides future development.

Preparations are made with a realistic understanding of societal and economic trends shaping the institution’s future.
The resource base sustains educational programs and supports initiatives to maintain and strengthen quality over time.
Ongoing evaluation and assessment produce reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness, guiding strategies for continuous improvement.
Planning at all levels aligns with the institution’s mission, enhancing its ability to fulfill core objectives.