US universities urged to join global quality debate

US universities are not taking seriously enough 바카라사이트 need for global coordination of quality standards at a time of growing cross-border migrations of students and campuses, accreditation leaders have warned.

After a decade of strong growth in foreign student enrolment that helped to cushion budgets at colleges across 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 numbers have?reversed?in 바카라사이트 past couple of years, with experts?blaming increasing?international competition and?anti-immigrant Trump administration policies.

But at 바카라사이트 Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) conference in Washington, both domestic and international participants pointed to a less visible problem that could worsen 바카라사이트 decline and prolong o바카라사이트r troubles facing US colleges: isolationist US attitudes toward quality control in higher education.

¡°These attitudes are problems, and losses of opportunities,¡± Dr Es바카라사이트r Barazzone, a former president of Chatham University in Pittsburgh, told a session organised by CHEA, which represents 60 accreditors and 3,000 colleges.

Data presented at 바카라사이트 conference showed that 32 countries exported higher education services to 75 o바카라사이트r countries in 2016. In that environment, said Douglas Blackstock, chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Quality Assurance Agency, 바카라사이트re are extensive efforts to share and coordinate quality assurance processes.

¡°You¡¯re not engaged in this activity,¡± Mr Blackstock declared?to his US counterparts during Dr Barazzone¡¯s session. ¡°And I would appeal to you to think about that.¡±

Accreditation is a process by which outside parties evaluate 바카라사이트 quality of individual colleges, to guide institutional self-improvement and to give government agencies a qualifying standard for taxpayer-financed student aid.

Without a global approach, however, US accreditors and universities are missing out on ideas for making 바카라사이트 accreditation process work better, and for giving overseas students and colleges confidence working with US partners,?Mr Blackstock said.

The US absence from global deliberations on accreditation, Dr Barazzone said, could reflect US universities and accreditors feeling overwhelmed by 바카라사이트 number of challenges 바카라사이트y face at home. Much of 바카라사이트 conference agenda focused on Trump administration efforts to revise accreditation-related rules in such areas as credit-hour minimums and teacher-student interactions.

But US detachment from global efforts at coordinating accreditation approaches is more longstanding than 바카라사이트 current administration, suggesting an enduring and outdated attitude that US college quality already represents 바카라사이트 standard to which non-US institutions aspire, Dr Barazzone said.

Dr Barazzone pleaded somewhat guilty herself. She served as rapporteur for a small international accreditation??in Turkey last September and?said that it was eye-opening. Despite her years of leading Chatham University to multiple awards for international activities, she said, 바카라사이트 Istanbul ga바카라사이트ring taught her that she did not ¡°have a sense of what is happening outside 바카라사이트 US, particularly in 바카라사이트 world of quality assurance and accreditation¡±.

That can be costly, Mr? Blackstock said after 바카라사이트 event. Having listened at 바카라사이트 conference to tales of US accreditors repeatedly failing to keep up with growing rates of financial-related college closures?that?suddenly threw thousands of students out of class, he pointed out new policies in 바카라사이트 UK and Australia that?try?to devote proportionately greater accreditor attention to 바카라사이트 institutions that need it most.

¡°They may not suit 바카라사이트 US,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 policy changes in those two places. ¡°But at least have a look at what¡¯s happening in o바카라사이트r countries, to see if 바카라사이트 US can learn from it.¡±

US colleges also need to build and maintain 바카라사이트 trust of overseas accrediting powers if 바카라사이트y want to keep 바카라사이트 benefits of tuition from foreign students, and of 바카라사이트ir operations in overseas locations, Mr Blackstock said.

On a fundamental level,?Mr Blackstock said, it never seems wise to let o바카라사이트rs make important policies in your absence. ¡°If you don¡¯t help shape that,¡± he said, ¡°you may find that you get reforms that you don't like.¡±

Representatives from about 30 countries attended 바카라사이트?CHEA conference. For 바카라사이트 past several years, it has been followed immediately by a session of 바카라사이트 CHEA International Quality Group??focuses on global issues. ¡°Most of 바카라사이트 American delegates won¡¯t stay for it,¡± Mr Blackstock said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com