Academic accountability—courses and programs

This chapter defines accountability simply as the condition of being accountable, liable or responsible. Accountability in higher education has many dimensions and may take different forms. The chapter also explores the mechanisms of accountability and their effectiveness with regard to courses and programs concentrates on the mechanisms used to ensure academic respectability and community acceptance. It suggests that universities and colleges can be considered as being academically accountable to a large number of different community constituencies, and that higher education institutions and their academic staffs are accountable to both national and international scholarly communities. Both universities and colleges of advanced education (CAEs) make frequent use of appeals to external authorities and standards. Accreditation in higher education is simply recognition afforded to an institution (such as a university or college), a faculty or division, or a course or program which meets some minimum standard or set of criteria demanded or defined by a competent and recognized outside agency or association.