Peregrine Academic Services Olin O. Oedekoven, Ph.D. & Anthony Negbenebor, Ph.D.

Peregrine Academic Services

Creating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons LearnedOlin O. Oedekoven, Ph.D. & Anthony Negbenebor,

Ph.D.


Abstract Effectively harmonizing the lessons

learned from outside of Africa with the

specific needs of Africa that consider

the culture, history, and governance

frameworks is essential towards

building capacity with African Higher

Education.

In this presentation, we will focus on

not only the lessons learned, but more

importantly, how these lessons learned

can be truly harmonized for African

Higher Education in order to obtain

independence and harmonization with

the global higher education community.


Agenda

Issues and Trends with Higher

Education Quality Assurance Agencies

Issues and Trends with Institutional

Accreditation

Issues and Trends in Programmatic

Accreditation

Observations and Perspectives

Harmonizing Lessons Learned for

Africa


Olin O. Oedekoven, Ph.D.

President & CEO, Peregrine

Academic Services and Peregrine

Leadership Institute

PO Box 741

Gillette, Wyoming, USA

Oedekoven@PeregrineAcademics.

com


Anthony Negbenebor, Ph.D.

Dean, Gardner-Webb University Godbold

School of Business

Past President of the Accreditation

Council of Business Schools and

Programs (ACBSP)

PO Box 7303

Boiling Springs, NC 28017

[email protected]

Issues and Trends with Higher Education Quality Assurance AgenciesCreating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons Learned


Themes from the 2015 Worldwide Conference

included:

Need to standardize practices to allow for the

movement of students across borders

Emphasis on quality in higher education

Emphasis on measuring teaching effectiveness

The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)


The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)


Current and emerging trends

include:

Greater emphasis on outcomes

assessment and assurance of

learning – STUDENT FOCUS

Having academic and

accreditation information more

publically available

(transparency)

Continuous improvement of

processes

The recently published European

Standards and Guidelines for Quality

Assurance (ESG, May 2015) point

towards a holistic approach to quality

assurance that includes assessment,

review, and application of the results

for embedded continuous

improvement.

Public accountability of higher

education through the new ESG is

expressed with specific standards

aimed at making the results of

student academic matriculation

public information.

European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA)


Current and emerging trends and

issues include:

Transnational accreditation

Quality improvement in higher

education

Ability for students to continue

education across borders

Need to align with the European and

the US higher education standards

Need to develop talent for Africa

The African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN)


Trends and Issues with Institutional AccreditationCreating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons Learned


US Regional Accreditation organizations include:

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western

Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC-WASC

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on

Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE)

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) Commission

on Colleges

WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NCCU)

Current and emerging issues and trends include:

Creating and improving Pedagogical Improvement Record

(PIR)

Creating and improving General Education Learning

Objectives (GELO)

Measurement of learning and accountability in higher

education

US Regional Accreditation Organizations


Accreditation Council for Independent Colleges

and Schools (ACICS)

Distance Education Accrediting Commission

(DEAC) (formally Distance Education Training

Council)

Current and emerging trends and issues include:

Extending beyond the US into other regions of

the world with their accreditation

Assurance of learning, outcomes assessment,

transparency, and continuous improvement

US National (Institutional) Accreditation Agencies


Registered in Vienna, Austria in 2015 as a

not-for-profit, membership-based association

governed by a Board of Directors. Seeks to

provide institutional (transnational)

accreditation primarily for privately-owned

institutions, but also for state-owned

universities.

Global (Transnational) Accreditation Agencies


Building its accreditation based on the 2015 ESG to include the 10

Accreditation Standards.

THEA (Transnational Higher Education Accreditation) is the

accreditation service provided by the association, conducted by the

THEA Board of Commissioners.

Envision a global accreditation association, to include Africa, that

enables universities to seek programmatic accreditation.

Trends and Issues with Programmatic AccreditationCreating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons Learned


Current trends and emerging areas of

interest include:

Measurement of student learning

Baldrige-based accreditation

processes

Continuous improvement

Assurance of learning

Teaching Excellence

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)


Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)


Current trends and emerging areas of interest

include:

New standards and guidelines outline

specific requirements related to the direct

measurement of student learning and

programmatic outcomes.

More internationalization of its accreditation

Emphasis on teacher quality and

institutional research

African Association of Business Schools (AABS)


Current trends and emerging areas

of interest include:

Accreditation focus starting in

2015

Globalization of the accreditation

processes

Resource center of best practices

Latin American Council for Management Schools (CLADEA)


Current trends and emerging

areas of interest include:

Formed an accreditation entity

(Education Quality Accreditation

Agency, EQUAA that is

separate, but a part of CLADEA

Focus is on business program

accreditation for the Latin

American region

Emphasis on quality,

assurance of learning, teaching

excellence, and accountability

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)


Current trends and emerging areas of interest include:

Combined separate education accreditation

organizations into one accreditation organization in 2013

Greater emphasis on student learning, demonstrating

outcomes achievement, and quality development

Linkage with US state Department of Education

agencies and licensing requirements

Student teaching and practical experience in

conjunction with formal education

Observations and PerspectivesCreating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons Learned


Accreditation Transparency and Trust between

Nations

Public reporting of accreditation and quality

results

Measurement of student learning

Need to develop staff and faculty around

higher education quality principles

Globalization of the higher education standards

facilitates mobility of both faculty and students

Observations (1 of 2)


Strategic Planning is Essential

Shift from an inputs-based accreditation

towards an outcomes-based accreditation

Student centric

Teaching excellence

Getting accredited is not the destination;

rather, it is just the beginning of the quality

and continuous improvement journey

Observations (2 of 2)


The public demands more accountability and financial

transparency in higher education.

Need to integrate higher education into society to help

solve society’s problems.

Internationally recognized accreditation helps, but must

include training and development for staff and faculty in

order to implement more effectively the accreditation

requirements.

It is not enough to become accredited; must do something

with the accreditation and institutionalize the cultural of

continuous improvement in order to grow strategic

capacity.

Perspectives


Harmonizing Lessons Learned for AfricaCreating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons Learned


Harmonizing Lessons Learned


Concepts in Higher

Education Quality

Assurance

Harmonization

Asia

Europe

US

Latin America

Africa

Australia Cultural,

Religious, Social

Perspectives

Political, Regulatory

Environment

Applied Solutions

Quality Measur

e Assesse

d

RecommendationsCreating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons Learned


1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation

10.Reduce inequality within and among countries

11.Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12.Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13.Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14.Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15.Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss

16.Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17.Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

17 New UN Development Goals for 2030





















What are the

Implications for

Africa?




















Capacity

Development in

Higher Education

for Africa!

African Higher Education: At a Strategic Inflection

Point


Do Nothing

Export African Talent

Develop African Capacity

A Unique African Opportunity


Just as Africa was able to leap over

land-line phone technology to cell-

phones, African Higher Education can

leap over the 20th Century

understanding of institutional

structure into the modern age of

quality assurance by moving beyond

the discussion and into the action.

1.Seek international recognition through both

institutional and programmatic accreditation

with harmonized solutions that grow your own

capacity for Africa rather than just to export

your best and brightest to Europe, Asia, and

the US.

2.Teach, train, coach, and mentor faculty and

school administrators regarding the nature of

higher education quality, teaching excellence,

continuous improvement, and outcomes

assessment so that they can achieve strategic

sustainability for self-reinforcing success.

Recommendations


3. Adapt what others are doing; but harmonize

these ideas for your specific needs by

considering the local and regional factors.

4. Understand the intent as well as the practice

and then shape your specific practices around

the intent to develop enduring solutions that

grow and retain talent in Africa to solve

African problems.

5. Redefine the role of faculty as teachers first

with a student focus, in addition to as

researchers and publishers.

Recommendations



ReferencesCreating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Lessons Learned from the US and Europe


Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. (2014).

Standards and Criteria for Demonstrating Excellence in

Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Schools and Programs - Revision J.

Kansas: Overland Park. http://www.acbsp.org/?page=baccalaureate

AACSB Interniontal (2013). Busienss Accreditation Standards. Tampa:

Florida. http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/standards/2013-business/

ATHEA. (2015). The Association for Transnational Higher Education

Accreditation - Foundation Charter. Vienna.

Conference of Ministers responsible for Higher Education. (2003).

“Realising the European Higher Education Area” Communiqué of the

Conference of Ministers responsible for Higher Education in Berlin on

19 September 2003. Berlin.

http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/documents/md

c/berlin_communique1.pdf

Council of Higher Education Accreditation. (2010 Revision).

Recognition of Accrediting Organizations – Policy and Procedures.

Washington, DC.

http://www.chea.org/pdf/Recognition_Policy-June_28_2010-FINAL.pdf

http://www.acbsp.org/?page=baccalaureate

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http://www.chea.org/pdf/Recognition_Policy-June_28_2010-FINAL.pdf


EHEA Ministerial Conference. (2012). Making the Most of Our

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http://www.ehea.info/Uploads/(1)/Bucharest%20Communique%202012

(1).pdf

EQAR. (2014). Recognising International Quality Assurance Activity in

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Brussels. https://www.eqar.eu/projects/analysis-recognition.html

European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.

(2015). Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the

European Higher Education Area (3 ed.). Brussels.

http://www.enqa.eu/index.php/home/esg/

European Higher Education Area - Bologna Process. (n.d.). Retrieved

May 02, 2015, from

http://www.ehea.info/work-group-details.aspx?wkgroupId=12&articleI

d=21

INQAAHE. (2007). Guidelines for Good Practice in Quality Assurance –

The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher

Education . INQAAHE. http://www.inqaahe.org/

http://www.ehea.info/Uploads/(1)/Bucharest%20Communique%202012(1).pdf

http://www.ehea.info/Uploads/(1)/Bucharest%20Communique%202012(1).pdf

https://www.eqar.eu/projects/analysis-recognition.html

http://www.enqa.eu/index.php/home/esg/

http://www.ehea.info/work-group-details.aspx?wkgroupId=12&articleId=21

http://www.ehea.info/work-group-details.aspx?wkgroupId=12&articleId=21

http://www.inqaahe.org/


Creating Quality Assurance Capacity for Africa: Harmonizing Our Lessons LearnedOlin O. Oedekoven, Ph.D. & Anthony Negbenebor,

Ph.D.

THANK

YOU!

Peregrine Academic Services Olin O. Oedekoven, Ph.D. & Anthony Negbenebor, Ph.D.

Documents

higher education emphasis

african higher education

higher education ability

quality assurance esg

us higher education

emerging trends

accreditation information

lessons learnedolin