Accreditation

Definition
Accreditation is a status granted to an educational institution or program that has been found to meet or exceed stated standards of educational quality. Accreditation is an activity that has long been accepted in the United States but generally unknown in most other countries. The United States has always preferred to keep governmental restrictions on institutions of post secondary education to a minimum and has encouraged the voluntary system of accreditation in promoting quality education without inhibiting innovation. This system of accreditation has helped to ensure that post secondary education in the United States maintains the highest quality both in the field of education and in the field of research.

Purpose
Accreditation has two fundamental purposes: to assure the quality of the program and to assist in the improvement of the institution or program. Accreditation--which is applicable to institutions or programs--should be distinguished from certification and licensure, which apply to individuals.

Accreditation
Requiring each program seeking accreditation to:

1. Define its educational mission, goals, and purposes in writing after consultation with students, faculty, alumni, and the hospitality industry;

2. Translate its mission into educational outcomes that can be objectively and clearly assessed; and

3. Assure the Commissions that the hospitality program has the administrative, financial and academic support to achieve its educational mission.

4. Ascertaining, by sending a team of qualified educators to the program campus the degree to which the program has translated its mission into educationally appropriate outcomes. This team also provides the experience and knowledge of peers to help guide the program towards continuous improvement of program quality.

5. Affirming, through Commission action and annual reviews that the program meets a standard of educational quality and will maintain a programmatic commitment to continually improving that quality.

Accreditation...from the Student's Perspective

"There were many things I took into consideration when I began searching for a university to attend. One of the reasons I chose to study Hospitality and Restaurant Administration at Southwest Missouri State was because of their accreditation. It is much more beneficial for me to receive a degree from an accredited program."
-- Ling-Hua (Sherry) Chien

Accreditation...from an Employer's Perspective

"ARAMARK has supported the accreditation process with both time and with funding because we firmly believe in the value of continuous improvement and in the partnership of industry and education. In industry, this kind of evaluative process is undertaken regularly by the market leaders and at costs which are tens of thousands of dollars higher."
-- Ed Evans, Vice President for Human Resources, ARAMARK

International CHRIE Recommends Accreditation Commissions

International CHRIE recommends two accrediting bodies: the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration™ (ACPHA™) which accredits hospitality administration programs at the baccalaureate level, and the Commission for Accreditation of Hospitality Management Programs (CAHM) which accredits hospitality management programs at the associate's degree or equivalent level.

Both Commissions' membership includes voting representatives from accredited hospitality programs, hospitality industry professionals, international programs, the public at large and ex-officio representatives from International CHRIE.

The Commissions have set up accrediting standards which represent those generalized conditions or characteristics determined to be essential in order for program objectives to be achieved. The standards are expressed qualitatively, applicable to a diversity of programs, and consider educational outcomes (outputs) as well as resources and processes (inputs). The standards for both Commissions cover the following areas: Mission and Objectives; Evaluation and Planning; Administration and Governance; Curriculum; Faculty/Instructional Staff; Student Services and Activities and Resources.

The accreditation process requires three major efforts—a programmatic self-analysis, an evaluation by professional colleagues, and a review and decision by the Commission. Through self study, the applicant program uses the standards to analyze its effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses and to work towards improvement. At completion of the self-study period and submission of a self-study document, the program is visited by a team assembled by the Commission staff. The evaluation team conducts a rigorous review of the program and then prepares a report which is submitted to the Commission. Based on the program's self study, the team report and the program's response to the report, the Commission makes a decision whether or not to grant accreditation. Accreditation is generally granted for not more than seven years.

ACPHA™ consists of 14 Commissioners, including hospitality educators, executives from the lodging, restaurant and hospitality industry and members of the public at large. The Commission members meet twice a year at their own expense to review, assess and evaluate four-year hospitality programs at colleges and universities across the United States.

CAHM consists of 13 Commissioners, including hospitality educators, executives from the lodging, food, service and other allied hospitality members and the members of the public at large meet twice a year at their own expense to review, assess and evaluate two-year hospitality programs at community and junior colleges in the United States and throughout the world.

The current commissioners for ACPHA™ and CAHM are:

ACPHA™
John Mahoney, Ph.D., Chair
Widener University
School of Hospitality Management
One University Place
Chester, PA 19013
Phone: (610) 499-1114
Fax: (610) 499-1106
Email: John.F.Mahoney@widener.edu

CAHM
Ronald Wolf, Chair
Florida Community College at Jacksonville
Hospitality and Culinary Arts
4501 Capper Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32218
Phone: (904) 766-6652
Email: rwolf@fccj.edu

Any program or individual interested in accreditation by either ACPHA™ or CAHM should contact the Commissions' director of evaluation, Dorothy Fenwick. Dr. Fenwick may be reached by fax at (410) 226-0177; by telephone at (410) 226-5527, or by email at aoc@shore.intercom.net.

The Commissions' address is:

Association of Commissions
P.O. Box 400
Oxford, MD 21654
REPRINTED FROM THE CHRIE WEBSITE- January 2005