AUK’s NECHE Accreditation Drive Enters Its Next Phase

The American University of Kurdistan (AUK) is actively seeking accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). This drive toward U.S. accreditation has been informing administrative and instructional decisions at AUK for years. During the week of February 19, the University’s focus on accreditation was especially apparent. 

On February 20, Dr. Carol Anderson, Vice President of NECHE, began a three-day visit to AUK’s campus. On the first day, she led the session: “Preparing for the NECHE Candidacy Visit Fall 2023.” She spoke glowingly of AUK’s collective enthusiasm for accreditation: “I can already see everyone is in high gear; it’s like the ‘A’ students asking for extra homework.” She went on to say that AUK’s self-study should be crafted for three distinct audiences: the campus community, the visiting team, and NECHE itself. The balance of the session focused on the mechanics of the team visit. The team, “the eyes and ears of the commission,” will have already read the self-study and will look for consistency of its contents with campus observations, interview answers, and website publications. The visit will conclude with an “Exit Report,” in which the chairperson will give an oral summary of team findings. Dr. Anderson emphasized that the faculty and staff at AUK should “take advantage of ‘teachable moments’” throughout the process.

On the second day of her campus visit, Dr. Anderson guided those assembled in the AUK Auditorium through a session titled “Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment.” She detailed the 5 criteria by which AUK’s “institutional effectiveness” will be assessed: student outcomes, governance, capacity, integrity, and public disclosure. She repeatedly drew attention to the words “examples” and “demonstrate,” as the self-study must be evidence-based and data-driven. She walked everyone through NECHE’s 9 standards: “Mission and Purposes”; “Planning and Evaluation”; “Organization and Governance”; “The Academic Program”; “Students”; “Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship”; “Institutional Resources”; “Educational Resources”; and “Integrity, Transparency, Public Disclosure.” She concluded: “An institution is considered effective when it meets the Standards of Accreditation.”

The final days of Dr. Anderson’s visit, February 22 and 23, did not include public sessions. On February 22, she granted an interview to Content Writer Michael Collins, in which, inter alia, she discussed the accreditation challenges for international institutions and her pleasant experience in Kurdistan. She spent the remainder of her time on the AUK campus coaching the self-study work groups and the University’s Accreditation Steering Committee.

Dr. Carol Anderson left a highly positive impression on the AUK community during her four-day visit. The American University of Kurdistan looks forward to the upcoming NECHE team visit and the paradigm shift that accreditation promises to bring to the University.