Our Services
Supporting Institutional Quality, Accreditation and Educational Development
ACISC provides services designed to support educational institutions in strengthening quality assurance, preparing for accreditation, developing institutional capacity and sustaining continuous improvement.
Our work connects institutional accreditation with evidence, educational quality, professional development and responsible institutional practice.
Services are designed for institutions operating across diverse educational environments and are delivered within the appropriate scope and purpose of each ACISC activity.
Services Connected to Institutional Quality
Educational quality is created through institutional systems, people and practice. Effective external support should therefore strengthen institutional capacity rather than substitute for institutional responsibility.
ACISC services are structured around this principle. Institutions remain responsible for their governance, educational provision, evidence, compliance, decisions and outcomes.
ACISC provides accreditation, quality-assurance frameworks, professional-development opportunities and related services that can help institutions evaluate and strengthen those responsibilities.
Quality Through Evidence and Improvement
Institutional accreditation
External quality assurance
Accreditation guidance
Professional development
Training and workshops
Institutional capacity development
International educational engagement
Explore Our Core Areas of Work
ACISC services connect accreditation, institutional quality and professional development across the educational quality lifecycle.
International Institutional Accreditation
Independent institutional accreditation structured around applicable ACISC criteria, institutional evidence, evaluation and formal accreditation decision-making.
Institutional Quality Frameworks
Resources and frameworks supporting governance, academic quality, evidence, institutional effectiveness, accountability and continuous improvement.
Professional Development & Networking
Learning and engagement opportunities supporting institutional leaders, academic personnel, quality professionals and other education stakeholders.
Accreditation Training
Training designed to strengthen understanding of accreditation, institutional evidence, evaluation and quality-assurance responsibilities.
Quality & Accreditation Workshops
Focused workshops addressing practical areas of institutional quality, accreditation preparation, evidence and educational improvement.
Educational Engagement
Activities supporting responsible international engagement, institutional development and connections across educational communities.
Independent Evaluation of Institutional Quality
Institutional accreditation is a central area of ACISC’s work.
The accreditation process evaluates an institution against applicable ACISC criteria through institutional information, self-study, supporting evidence, external evaluation and formal decision-making.
The objective is to determine whether the institution demonstrates the systems, practices and evidence required under the applicable accreditation framework.
Accreditation is not awarded simply because an institution submits an application. Applicant status and accreditation status are distinct, and accreditation follows the applicable evaluation and decision process.
Accreditation Framework
Institutional eligibility
Application
Institutional self-study
Documentary evidence
External evaluation
Accreditation decision
Continuing monitoring
Reaccreditation
Strengthening Institutional Quality Systems
Accreditation works most effectively when quality assurance is already integrated into normal institutional practice.
Institutions should be able to demonstrate how governance, educational provision, student support, resources, assessment and institutional effectiveness are monitored and improved.
ACISC quality resources help institutions consider these relationships and move from policy statements toward demonstrable implementation, evidence and outcomes.
Institutional Quality Areas
Mission & strategy
Governance & leadership
Academic quality
Programs & curricula
Teaching & learning
Assessment
Student support
Personnel
Resources
Institutional effectiveness
Connect Institutional Claims With Evidence
Credible quality assurance requires more than describing institutional intentions.
Institutions should maintain evidence showing how important systems operate and should evaluate whether those systems are producing intended results.
This evidence-based approach is relevant both to accreditation evaluation and to the institution’s own continuing quality-assurance responsibilities.
Evidence Cycle
Define expectations
Implement institutional practice
Collect relevant evidence
Evaluate results
Identify findings
Take action
Evaluate improvement
Developing People Strengthens Institutions
Institutional quality depends substantially on the knowledge and capability of the people responsible for governance, leadership, academic provision, administration and quality assurance.
ACISC professional-development activities are intended to support learning, exchange and institutional capacity across relevant areas of educational quality.
Institutional Leaders
Development relevant to governance, leadership, strategy, accountability and institutional effectiveness.
Academic Personnel
Learning relevant to academic quality, curriculum, teaching, assessment and educational effectiveness.
Quality Professionals
Development addressing accreditation, evidence, quality assurance, evaluation and continuous improvement.
Build Institutional Understanding of Accreditation
Accreditation preparation should not depend on one individual understanding the process while the wider institution remains disconnected from it.
Relevant institutional teams should understand accreditation expectations, their responsibilities, the evidence associated with their functions and the role of evaluation in demonstrating institutional effectiveness.
ACISC accreditation training supports the development of this institutional understanding.
Training Themes
Accreditation fundamentals
Institutional responsibilities
Accreditation criteria
Self-study
Institutional evidence
Evaluation readiness
Continuous improvement
Focused Learning for Institutional Quality
Workshops provide an opportunity to examine specific quality and accreditation topics in a focused format.
Topics may address accreditation preparation, institutional evidence, self-study, academic quality, assessment, governance, institutional effectiveness and other areas relevant to educational quality assurance.
Workshop availability and format may vary according to the applicable ACISC program or activity.
Potential Areas of Focus
Accreditation readiness
Self-study development
Evidence management
Academic quality
Assessment
Governance
Institutional effectiveness
Continuous improvement
Supporting Quality Across Diverse Educational Environments
Educational institutions operate within different regulatory, cultural, academic and professional contexts.
International quality assurance should recognize legitimate contextual differences while maintaining clear expectations concerning institutional integrity, educational quality, evidence and accountability.
ACISC’s approach combines institutional evaluation with attention to the actual mission, educational provision and operating environment of the institution.
Across Educational Fields
Higher education
Professional education
Healthcare education
Business & management
Engineering & technology
Technical & vocational education
Continuing education
Professional development
Services for Institutions and Education Professionals
Different ACISC services are designed for different institutional and professional needs.
Institutions
Educational institutions seeking accreditation, quality development or relevant ACISC institutional services.
Leadership
Institutional leaders responsible for strategy, governance, quality and organizational effectiveness.
Academic Teams
Personnel responsible for educational provision, curriculum, teaching, assessment and academic quality.
Quality Professionals
Personnel working with accreditation, quality assurance, institutional evidence and improvement.
Accreditation Decisions Remain Independent
Professional development, training, workshops or other ACISC services should not be interpreted as accreditation approval, a guarantee of accreditation or a substitute for the applicable accreditation evaluation process.
Accreditation decisions are based on the applicable criteria, institutional evidence, evaluation and ACISC decision-making procedures.
Participation in a separate ACISC service does not by itself establish that an institution satisfies accreditation requirements.
Find the ACISC Resource Relevant to Your Goal
Seeking Accreditation?
Start with eligibility, accreditation criteria and the initial applicant pathway.
Preparing Your Institution?
Review university guidance, accreditation criteria, evidence expectations and the accreditation process.
Already Accredited?
Review continuing responsibilities for monitoring, evidence, institutional change and improvement.
Seeking Professional Development?
Explore ACISC professional-development, networking and training opportunities.
Looking for Workshops?
Explore focused learning opportunities addressing accreditation and institutional quality.
Need Clarification?
Contact ACISC regarding the appropriate pathway or service for your institution.
Discuss Your Institution’s Needs
Institutions and education professionals can contact ACISC for information concerning accreditation, professional development, training, workshops and other applicable services.
When contacting ACISC about institutional accreditation, provide sufficient information about the institution and the nature of your enquiry so that it can be directed appropriately.
United States Office
ACISC
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York City, NY 10036
USA
Email:
info@acisc.org
Services Supporting Stronger Educational Institutions
ACISC brings together accreditation, quality assurance, professional development and institutional learning within a framework centered on evidence, accountability and continuous improvement.
Explore the service pathway relevant to your institution or contact ACISC for further information.