The NAAE Story

Converging market and public policy forces are pushing higher education to be more relevant and valuable to contemporary society, more responsive to authentic student needs, and scrupulous about delivering value.

Institutional leaders, governing boards, alumni, and government officials understand the role of accreditation in response to those forces. They also require accreditation that is less prescriptive and more responsive in support of institutional aspirations and initiatives. Legacy expectations are no longer sufficient.

NAAE’s formation is based on accreditation that is valuable, averse to duplicative processes, and fearless in requiring academic excellence, advancement of societal knowledge, and defense of independent freedom of inquiry. NAAE accreditation respects and promotes institutional autonomy and fidelity to systematic, deliberate quality improvement.

NAAE exists to ensure that “the heart of higher education – fidelity to the full intellectual, temporal, and practical development of the individual – receives serious fortification and support, immediately and without compromise.”

Through a dynamic system of peer review and quality assurance, NAAE and its member institutions will restore to full strength the content, standards, and expectations of those with a stake in higher education. NAAE is necessary to restore quality assurance that emphasizes data-driven, outcomes-based assessments and reviews. The discipline of continuous improvement toward advancing excellence at an institutional level must align with the value-added outcomes that students encounter and expect upon completion.

Most importantly, NAAE aspires to demonstrate that its methods and member institutions fill an important void in the higher education ecosystem, offering a reliable basis for confidence and celebration.