ACCREDITATION AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF PROFESSIONAL-EDUCATION

The postsecondary accreditation process is a unique system that attempts to evaluate and enhance the quality of higher and professional education in the United States. Critics of accreditation see the process as coercive and a deterrent to academic freedom while others call for accreditors to exercise greater authority. The origination of the process was a result of a number of coinciding events involving the development of educational and professional standards and concern over access. The current focus on assessment of educational outcomes has further established the credibility of postsecondary accreditation and its role in protecting the public interest.