Introduction

Accreditation is often viewed as a compliance exercise, but it can also be a catalyst for improvement. For CAOs, the goal is to shift the focus from meeting requirements to leveraging the process for strategic benefit.

Early preparation is critical. Aligning accreditation standards with institutional priorities can streamline the process and enhance its impact.

Self-study should be more than documentation. It should involve honest reflection on strengths and areas for improvement. Engaging a broad range of stakeholders can enrich this process.

Assessment is another key component. Demonstrating evidence of student learning and institutional effectiveness is central to accreditation. Robust assessment practices can also inform ongoing improvement.

By approaching accreditation as an opportunity rather than an obligation, CAOs can use the process to advance institutional goals and strengthen academic quality.

Here is a 10-point checklist to help you get ready for your next accreditation. This checklist helps reposition accreditation from a periodic burden into a continuous improvement framework—one that strengthens both academic quality and institutional strategy.

1. Start Early—Well Before the Official Timeline

Begin preparations 18–24 months in advance to allow for thoughtful planning, data collection, and campus engagement rather than a rushed compliance exercise.

2. Map Accreditation Standards to Institutional Priorities

Align each accreditation requirement with strategic plan goals to ensure the process advances—not distracts from—core institutional objectives.

3. Establish a Clear Leadership and Governance Structure

Designate a strong accreditation lead and cross-functional steering committee with defined roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority.

4. Engage Faculty and Key Stakeholders Early and Often

Involve faculty, staff, and administrators from the outset to build ownership, reduce resistance, and strengthen the quality of the self-study.

5. Treat the Self-Study as Strategic Analysis, Not Documentation

Go beyond describing current practices—critically evaluate effectiveness, identify gaps, and highlight opportunities for improvement.

6. Strengthen Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

Ensure programs have clear, measurable outcomes and consistent processes for collecting, analyzing, and using assessment data.

7. Integrate Institutional Effectiveness and Data Systems

Confirm that data on retention, completion, equity, and program performance are accurate, accessible, and actively used in decision-making.

8. Identify and Prioritize Areas for Improvement

Use the accreditation process to surface 3–5 high-impact institutional priorities that can be addressed over the next cycle.

9. Communicate Progress Transparently Across Campus

Provide regular updates to campus stakeholders to maintain momentum, clarify expectations, and reinforce shared responsibility.

10. Build a Sustainable Post-Accreditation Action Plan

Translate findings into a concrete implementation roadmap with timelines, accountability, and metrics—ensuring the work continues beyond the site visit.

Although the checklist is general and intended as a reminder, it provides you with information to help ensure institutional compliance and reduce risk. I hope you find the checklist helpful and I welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please be sure to consult with your legal counsel on matters requiring legal advice.  You can reach me at [email protected] 

By: Mary Kennard, Esq.
Senior Consultant, Academic Search.org
© Mary E. Kennard, 2026
Updated March 2026