The Mission of NAAE
Through a program of systematic evaluation, NAAE is dedicated to the fair and objective application of rigorous standards of quality to institutions and programs for the assessment of alignment with core Principles. The NAAE process of quality assurance values the individuality of institutional missions and respects the boundaries of institutional governance. NAAE supports institutions committed to the formation of integral citizens of a global society through rigorous academics with a foundation in the humanities and hard and social sciences. NAAE promotes the advancement of innovative intellectual endeavors by advocating robust scholarship and independent academic inquiry to be free from external influence.
The NAAE Principles
Academic excellence applied to the formation of the human person.
Institutions must maintain high quality curriculum and the resources necessary to deliver and maintain rigor. Educational programs must deliberately challenge and empower students while providing foundational knowledge derived from classical humanities and hard and social sciences, as required for the development of the complete human person. Academic excellence requires a regular process of evaluation, analysis, and advancement. In addition, NAAE institutions must meet a higher test: demonstrable institutional improvement derived from intentional self-reflection regarding the basis for changes to operations, curriculum and pedagogy including whether those changes were derived from valid, objective data or in response to undue external pressure.
— AD EXCELLENTIAM
Robust scholarship animating the advancement of societal knowledge.
Institutions must demand and reward high-quality, ethical research by faculty and students that respects human dignity while pushing the boundaries of contemporary understanding and offering impactful knowledge to advance disciplinary fields. NAAE expects institutions to administer policies that support continuous learning, professional development, and contributions that enhance the collective body of human knowledge.
— INTEGRITAS VIRTUTIS
Freedom of thought and inquiry with inherent respect for the dignity of humankind.
NAAE expects member institutions to promote and defend a fearless pursuit of knowledge, discernible integrity in innovation and ethical interactions respectful of a global society. The institution must administer systems that ensure exploration of philosophies free from censorship or retribution, instill integrity and responsible behaviors, and systemically address lapses in those expectations. NAAE member institutions must cultivate an environment rooted in strong ethical standards that emphasize honesty, transparency, and respect for the interconnectedness of humanity.
— HUMANITAS SEMPER
The NAAE Standards of Accreditation
The mission of the NAAE accreditation program is to facilitate pathways for continuous quality improvement. The NAAE bases its accreditation reviews through the application of standards that allow for a continuum of accomplishment and are used to assess evidenced outcomes, evaluate progress toward increased excellence, and assure academic quality focused on the formation of the human person as measured by results of student achievement in both field-specific academic outcomes and educational literacies.
On January 16, 2025 the National Association for Academic Excellence Commission on Accreditation voted to approve its Standards. These four standards narrate the values and practices institutions demonstrated by NAAE-accredited institutions while respecting the autonomy of institutional governance.
- Ethics & Integrity
The institution administers policies that set the expectation for ethical behavior while allowing for freedom of thought and independence in the pursuit of truth. The institution promotes the formation of ethics, integrity and global awareness and ensures its constituents maintain a respect for human dignity. Operational and academic policies, including those for the recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff, are non-discriminatory yet preserve the institution’s mission and identity. Institutional integrity is demonstrated through contribution to the greater community as an intellectual, organizational, and knowledge-rich resource. Policies are in place that facilitate the sharing of expertise and competence with other education enterprises, scholars, and researchers as well as members of the civic, business, and regulatory communities. - Organizational Design and Effectiveness
The institution actively engages in a process of mission-driven institutional effectiveness that explicitly focuses on advancing academic excellence and innovation while respecting the individual right for open inquiry. The strategic planning process enlists participation of internal and external constituents, and fosters innovation for the advancement of organizational performance and academic excellence. The governing board is comprised of ethical individuals who engage in regular data-driven reviews of qualitative and quantitative outcomes to ensure institutional progress toward achievement of its mission. The institution’s organizational structure supports achievement of its mission, and its advisory board and leadership is comprised of ethical individuals who respect the interconnectedness of all humanity and collectively demonstrate decision-making that is free from excessive political and cultural pressures. Financial resources are managed ethically and demonstrate stability and adequacy that allows the institution to fulfill its mission and deliver a student experience that is commensurate with the student investment of funds, time, intellect, and spirit. Physical resources are evaluated and renewed to provide excellence in delivery of education and enhancing student experience: buildings, classrooms, athletic facilities, creative arts facilities, common areas, faculty workspaces, learning resource centers. The institution administers effective systems of managing enterprise risk, internal controls, and regulatory compliance. - Academic Excellence
Program offerings provide rigorous learning experiences fundamental to the formation of the human person and correlate to student achievement of principal literacy, data literacy, thought literacy, and social literacy. Programs require a level of rigor appropriate to the degree level including application of knowledge, data analysis, research, and independent thought with a deliberate and sustained focus on the substance of their field of study. Undergraduate curricula are structured to engage students in their core area of study and reflect a balanced inclusion of the hard and social sciences as well as classical humanities and arts. Graduate programs demonstrate advanced rigor of scholarship and mastery of disciplinary knowledge. Intended learning outcomes are defined with relevance to the institutional mission, are published, and are regularly evaluated and enhanced. Processes for curriculum review and renewal involve appropriate faculty, administration, and external constituents; are practiced routinely; and incorporate analysis of a vast range of quantifiable data including results of learning outcome evaluation and student achievement measures as well as applicable market study. Program review policies demand innovation in content and pedagogy based on analysis of real data both internally and externally sourced. The institution maintains abundant, diverse, and relevant learning resources appropriate for the programs and degree levels offered. Resources are sufficient to support dynamic student and faculty research and facilitate innovation in scholarship. Faculty are hired, retained, and evaluated based on instructional skills and research achievement. The faculty reflects the student population, and in aggregate represents intellectual diversity to ensure an appropriate array of ideological perspectives are represented and align with the institutional mission. Faculty are expected to engage in innovative research or other academic pursuits that advance societal knowledge and enhance teaching effectiveness. The institution actively supports faculty freedom of thought and inquiry and enforces policies that ensure equitable respect for all humankind. The institution’s policies for faculty evaluation require that faculty demonstrate effective teaching skills, respectfully engage with students, actively monitor and evaluate student achievement without bias, fairly apply academic policies, and comply with policies that uphold the integrity of the institution. - Service to Students
The institution is committed to the development of the whole student and their health, safety, and well-being. The institution effectively provides services that support its mission and maximize the value of the student experience. Admission practices ensure student intention aligns with the institution’s goals for student achievement, and ensure students have foundational knowledge to be successful at the level of degree they are entering. Through the diversity of available services and activities relevant to its identity, the institution demonstrates a commitment to supporting student freedom of thought and expression and enforces behaviors that respect the dignity of all humankind. Institutions sponsoring collegiate athletic programs monitor participant academic achievement and related metrics to ensure athletics receive secondary emphasis to academics. Co-curricular opportunities are available for student participation in governance and leadership.
More detailed information regarding the NAAE Standards and applicable evaluative measures applied through the accreditation program will be available to members through the NAAE Members Portal.
