No Love, But No Alternative
September 1, 2015
published in "Inside Higher Ed"
(Extract) As recently as three years ago, it seemed unlikely that the existing system of accreditation would survive the next renewal of the Higher Education Act in anything remotely resembling its current form.
From across the political spectrum (right and left) and from various segments of higher education itself (particularly community colleges in California and elite universities across the country), many asserted that the system of peer-reviewed quality control was irretrievably broken and in need of replacement.
In some ways little has changed today. Accreditors still have enemies aplenty, and the twin (and in many ways conflicting) critiques that accreditors go too easy on poorly performing institutions (as asserted by foes of for-profit colleges and in a recent takedown in The Wall Street Journal) and that accreditation is a barrier to innovation (an argument made by President Obama and candidates on the 2016 presidential campaign trail) are not going away.
For all the protestations about accreditation’s limitations, though, a new consensus has emerged, even from tough critics of the system like Kevin Carey of New America Foundation, who sums up the view this way: “No one really likes accreditation but no one knows what else to do.”
That’s hardly a ringing endorsement.
Comment:
Maybe it is time to do some serious cost-benefit analysis of accreditation. Maybe the cost of accrediting a course is simply not worth the benefit derived. People often say we don't have any other option; but there are always options. Maybe an imperfect accreditation system that is a lot less costly for colleges and governments alike may have more up sides than down sides.
Accreditation is a solution to a problem that relies on using a big stick. How much better does this really make our education outcomes?
This is yet another symptom of a rapidly changing world; and mainstream management having too much "baggage" to be able to think freely and see the other options.
There are always options; but maybe the wrong people are in charge.
