Global Accreditation for a Knowledge-Oriented Community

Abstract

Faculty, administrators, businesses, accrediting agencies, and other institutions concerned with higher education quality must act to provide a framework for international higher learning standards, particularly concerning e-learning and access in developing countries. Higher education internationalization efforts will continue through the use of IT, increased mobility, the knowledge economy, and an integrated world economy (Altbach & Knight, 2007). Global accreditation will help to assure quality and increase options to improve access. A global accreditation model would provide the impetus for a knowledge-oriented global community that provides access to students in developing countries, as well as traditional and non-traditional learners. The chapter examines key forces shaping the transformation and globalization of higher education, international entities taking a global approach to quality assurance and accreditation, and key concepts in development and implementation of quality assurance at the global level. Finally, the chapter concludes with future implications in the ongoing development of global accreditation.