ASSIGNMENT

Assignment

Assignment

Assignment 1: Need of Accreditation

Sorting through all of the competing and sometimes conflicting jurisdictions, processes and structures, there are two major purposes for accreditation in the United States: institutional purposes and public purposes.

Institutional Purposes

Colleges and universities use accreditation for self-improvement. By conducting a self-study and having it validated by an external group of peers, institutions can take a look at themselves and determine institutional progress over time.

Institutions assert that accreditation helps advance academic quality. “Quality” in this sense usually equates to inputs, such as the admission profile of students, the qualifications of faculty, the equipment allocated to a particular discipline, etc.

Accreditation is linked to planning. Often the results and recommendations of an accreditation visit find their way into institutional plans and budgets in subsequent years. Accreditors typically expect institutions to demonstrate that planning has taken place. College and university presidents identify accreditation as the key moving force behind strategic planning.

Institutions use accreditation as a medium of inter-institutional exchange. Academic credit from another institution, if it is to be accepted at all, is accepted only from an accredited institution. Only students with degrees from accredited institutions are admitted into graduate and professional schools at a university. And faculty and staff are hired only if their degrees were awarded by accredited institutions.

Public Purposes

The primary public purpose of accreditation is consumer protection. Because the public cannot investigate every aspect of postsecondary institutions, it relies on accreditation to sort through good from bad, the legitimate operation from the diploma mill, so that it can be assured that the credentialing powers of institutions are valid.

Accreditation should assure that the public interest is honored, particularly with respect to the public investment. Institutions not only receive funds from public sources, they benefit from tax-exempt status and from the ability to generate tax-deductible contributions. The public has a need to know that the return on its investment is sound, and that the preferred status enjoyed by institutions is justified.

The public has a right to know about quality. Are the credentials conferred by institutions of high quality? Is the institution a trusted source of knowledge? Does the research conducted by the institution meet standards of excellence? Does the institution operate with integrity? Are the products of the institution competitive globally? Good accreditation would answer these questions.

There are numerous stakeholders in higher education that must rely on solid accreditation: students and prospective students; families that provide support to students; donors and grantors; employers who hire graduates; and the general public. All stakeholders need consistent, clear and coherent communication about the results of the education provided and the value of institutional products.

Assignment 2: Patient-Focused Functions

This review of the current literature of the intra-hospital transport of critically ill patients addresses the type and incidence of adverse effects, risk factors and risk assessment. The review will explore the available information on efficiency and cost-effectiveness of transferring such patients for diagnostic or therapeutic interventions within the ...