Accreditation: Higher Education’s Michelin Star
You might not readily jump to this comparison, but a restaurant deciding to pursue a Michelin Star is, in many ways, similar to an institution deciding to pursue accreditation. Both are voluntary yet rigorous processes that organizations can undergo to set themselves apart. Neither process is about a single moment of brilliance; instead, they both require a comprehensive, ongoing commitment to quality and improvement. In both cases, the entire team—from chefs to educators, from service staff to administrators—must work cohesively to meet and exceed the high standards set forth by their industry and their evaluators.
From Appetizers to Accreditors: Serving Up Quality
Higher education institutions that see accreditation as an obstacle to innovation or as a necessary means to an end tend to experience more (and, often, avoidable) challenges. Conversely, institutions that embrace the accreditation process as a chance to better serve their students tend to thrive.