The IACHE and Advisory Board for Accreditation

The Council is comprised of ten members. Five members are from IACHE-accredited institutions and are elected by institutions that hold IACHE accreditation status. Five members are appointed by the Council to represent the public. At least two public members of the Commission must be academics, defined by IACHE as an individual who works full time at an educational institution and who actively teaches, delivers educational content to students and/or engages in educational research related to the institution’s mission. Currently, one institution representative position on the Council is vacant until nominations are finalized and an election is held to fill the vacancy.

The Council is primarily responsible for making final decisions as to whether an institution should be granted accreditation or reaccreditation or should have its accreditation withdrawn. The Council is also responsible for making all material decisions relating to an institution’s accreditation, including, by way of example, (1) the implementation of enforcement actions with respect to institutions which appear to have fallen out of compliance with IACHE standards, and (2) the approval or withholding of approval of substantive changes which may be requested by an institution. It applies its standards and policies in a manner that respects the mission of an institution, including those with faith-based or religious missions, to ensure and advance the aim of institutional improvement and effectiveness.

 The IACHE Advisory Board for Accreditation (IABA) is responsible for our governance, preserving the autonomy and impartiality of our operation. The members of the  IACHE International Advisory Council (IIAC) advise  IACHE on global best-practice, local conditions, and the accreditation process. 

 The Fellowship and Accreditation Expert Advisory Group will provide expert advice and guidance to Advance HE staff, our Peer Review Quality Committee and ultimately the Advance HE Board on matters relating to the Fellowship and Accreditation services.  

Many methods for quality control and accreditation in higher education are in use. Due to the great diversity of educational institutions and their missions, the same set of standards cannot fit all institutions. However, an institution or program can show (in more ways than one) that it has established sound goals and objectives, developed an effective strategy for achieving them, provided adequate educational resources for the task, and it possesses the means of measuring the success of educational outcomes. Quality Assurance and Quality Control involve a set of procedures conducted by an academic institution or department to ensure that programs meet their prescribed criteria and the needs of its stakeholders, including current and prospective students, parents, teachers, and employers. These are usually internal processes that are conducted on a regular basis. Some tasks include deciding which specific standards the educational programs or service must meet, determining the extent of quality control actions, collecting real-world data, and conducting periodic evaluations of outcomes against the objectives and goals of the program.