ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Academic accreditation is no longer a luxury in today’s academic world. It is a guarantee of an excellent quality education that is important for students, faculty members, and employers who utilize the services of an institution’s graduates. For the academic institution, accreditation assures an excellent reputation, attracts potential students, and makes the institution more eligible for grants or sponsorships of various kinds. The road to accreditation or re-accreditation is challenging, exciting, and at times tiresome and confusing. But it is also a wonderful opportunity for schools to assess their strengths and weaknesses, rework their goals and objectives, and redirect their efforts to meet these goals and objectives. This presentation will tackle some of the important components of the educational process that are necessary for obtaining or maintaining accreditation. Specifically, the presentation will pay special attention to the importance of research as a component of a healthy educational institution, as well as the importance of having a balanced curriculum that maintains components of social sciences and general liberal arts education, in whatever major or specialization the student chooses. The paper outlines general steps on the road to acquiring accreditation from the main accrediting bodies, and how best to go about them. Then it will focus on some challenges that face institutions in the Arab world when applying for accreditation or re-accreditation. It will conclude with recommendations on how to make the accreditation process easier and more worthwhile and productive for all involved.
