Guidelines for Good Practice

The AAAC has developed Guidelines for Good Practice in professional education accreditation. AAAC Members adhere to these Guidelines.

Date: April 2010
Revised: March 22, 2024

• The accreditation process incorporates the principles of quality assurance and continuous improvement, including transparency, fairness, objectivity, incland confidentiality.
• The accreditation process is applied consistently between programs.
• The purpose of the accreditation process is to evaluate the quality of academic programs against a set of standards and to promote continuous quality improvement.
• The accreditation agency and its processes are autonomous from the educational programs under accreditation review.
• The accreditation agency has representatives and/or appointees from relevant interested and/or affected parties.
• The accreditation agency administers its affairs with prudent fiscal and human resource management to ensure the accreditation process is effectively and consistently conducted.
• The accreditation process includes a review of an educational program's documentation, facilities and resources.
• The accreditation review includes input from relevant interested and/or affected parties.
• Qualified reviewers, as defined by the accrediting agency, conduct the accreditation review.
• A mechanism for training reviewers is in place and implemented.
• A mechanism for reviewer evaluation is in place and implemented.
• A clear description of the accreditation process is publicly accessible, including the goals and specific steps and actions to be taken.
• Time-defined accreditation status and requirements to maintain the status are publicly available.
• Publicly published recognition of accredited programs is in place.
• Accreditation standards are in place that are grounded in principles of quality, equity, inclusion, and justice, including a commitment to reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples.
• Accreditation standards are publicly published and relate to the following:
  • Requirements of the educational institution;
  • Administrative structure of the educational program;
  • Goals and objectives of the educational program;
  • Expected outcomes of the educational program;
  • Requirements for financial, human, technical, learning, and non-academic resources, and information technology, including, for example, the use of artificial intelligence and social media;
  • Evaluation mechanisms of both students and the educational program.
• Appropriate procedures for the appeal of accreditation decisions is in place.
• A process for continuous improvement of the accreditation standards and processes is in place.