Higher Education

Undoubtedly, there are many excellent private schools across the country. However, not all these schools need to be recognized or accredited.

What is Accreditation

Accreditation is an extensive and exhaustive exercise under which a private school is carefully inspected through proper procedures. Accreditation involves an in-depth evaluation of a private school, ranging from its management to its academics, by national or state authorities. Accreditation is a dynamic process, and all accredited institutes are required to ensure that they maintain the integrity of their processes to preserve their accreditation. Accreditation is termed as the most authentic source to gauge the quality of a private school. Its seal of approval guarantees and provides the surety that the school offers students a quality education.

Earning and Preserving of Accreditation

Accreditation is a multifaceted process spread over several years. Further, it is essential to understand that the seal of approval is not necessarily granted to all schools applying and paying for accreditation. Accreditation is a lengthy process entailing the following steps:

Self-study

Self-study is essentially the first step towards accreditation, which examines the strengths and weaknesses of the institute. After that, the institute’s compliance with local or international standards is assessed, and areas for improvement are highlighted. This step ensures that the institute’s admission policies, academics, and other aspects of student life align with its vision. The self-study should be realistic, aptly identifying any room for improvement.

Reporting to Review Committee

After self-study, the next step involves reporting to the review committee. This step involves the submission of the self-study report with references documented for the review committee. The review committee reviews and analyzes the institute according to set metrics, after which the results are discussed.

Review Committee Campus Visit

After the evaluation, the review committee plans its visit to the school. During their visit, the review committee assesses the institute’s infrastructure, resources, and environment. On their final visit, the review committee meets with the school’s administration about their views and findings.

After that, the review committee makes a detailed report regarding their assessment and recommendations for the school. The detailed report usually contains short term goals and long term goals. The short-term goals must be accomplished within the initial years before the next check-in, whereas the long-term goals are required to be attained before the reaccreditation, preferably within 7 to 10 years.

The Importance of Accreditation

Accreditation is of paramount importance and must be considered as such by the schools. The schools, instead of merely maintaining their present status, must demonstrate growth between check-ins. It is to be noted that the review committee has the right to revoke the accreditation of a private school if it is convinced that a school is not providing quality education or not complying with the committee’s recommendations. Regional accreditation associations have their own criteria and standards for accredited schools and those seeking first-time accreditation.

What did we miss?

In order for college campuses to meet the needs of a changing society in the midst of countless concurrent technological revolutions, it is imperative that the universities of tomorrow boast “smart” campuses. A “smart” college campus needs to put students first and their interconnected learning experiences at the forefront.

In order for a “smart” college campus to stay relevant for upcoming decades and through a host of technological and learning paradigm shifts, the institutional norms of past universities must be left in the past. In their wake, a new type of campus that embraces community and immersive learning spaces will serve a student populace headed into a job market where soft skills are valued first and foremost.

Ending The Classroom In Favor Of More Adept Learning Spaces

The age of the traditional lecture hall has come and passed. The primary heartbeat of a “smart” college campus needs to eschew such an archaic model in favor of learning studios that facilitate group work and a sense of a learning community. 

To complement these learning spaces, comfortable furniture and teachers with adaptable teaching styles are imperative for making it work. We need to make the college of tomorrow inviting to students. In doing so, we can break down the walls that traditional education has built by giving students a safe space to really stretch their intellects.

Furthermore, all of the learning spaces and connected spaces within a “smart” college campus must be networked and connected to the Internet of Things. There is no use shying away from technology and the impact it has and will have on a changing student populace. 

Connecting Your Campus To Connect With Your Students

Every space on a “smart” college campus needs to be an intuitive rethink of the traditional spaces on a college campus. The library can’t simply be a place to check out books anymore.

Rather, a “smart” college campus will have a library that brings all the best elements of a traditional one and adds an interconnected element. Curating infographics, multimedia sources, and even providing a virtual study environment for students to immerse themselves in will be crucial in reimagining what a library could and should be for students of the future.

Even academic offices will need to be rethought in hopes of bringing professors closer to students by cutting down on the red tape that causes dissonance on traditional college campuses. A “smart” college campus will be an empathetic one. It will foster a sense of community among its professors, administrators, and students.

Rather than relying on office buildings, a “smart” college campus will have collaborative workspaces that serve to encourage free thought and discourse.

Concluding Thoughts

The blueprint for a “smart” college campus needs to put away traditional administrative ideals in favor of embracing the changing needs of society. For a college campus to survive and thrive in this new age, we must put archaic structures aside in favor of spaces that encourage active and interconnected modes of learning.