Streamlining Accreditation Preparation with Program Review

Regional accreditation is a quality assurance process in which most degree-granting institutions participate regularly. The accreditation process is an in-depth one, involving considerable documentation from the institution undergoing accreditation. Whether an institution's upcoming accreditation occurs in the next year or the next several years, it is something for which many in the institution are actively preparing. The UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Education Review streamlines the accreditation process by providing a framework for the collection and analysis of evidence related to an institution's online programs - the same evidence that can be used to support accreditation. Conversely, evidence and the accompanying documentation gathered for accreditation purposes can also be used to support a Hallmarks Review.

The categories and tables below show how the evidence required for UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Education Review overlaps with that required for regional accreditation using the Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education, Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) (2011).

Overlaps of Evidence Required for C-RAC Guidelines and UPCEA Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Education Review

Click on the headings to see a tablular comparison for each category.