Because the ACA reviews a wide variety of programs both in the U.S. and around the world, we realize that there is more than one approach to institutional excellence. The following criteria will be utilized when reviewing Units that request accreditation. These assessments will be made within the cultural context of the institution. That is to say, a Unit will be benchmarked to similar units within the institution, the particular academic culture, and the social values of the region. (For instance, a 2-year program in Idaho would be assessed on the criteria listed below relative to other units within their own institution as well as what is considered allowable by the state’s 2-year college system.)
STANDARD 1: GOVERNANCE
The chief administrative officer of the Unit
should provide the leadership to advance the cause of the
Unit. Faculty control over basic educational policy is
imperative. The chief administrative officer of the Unit
must have the expressed confidence of both the faculty and
the higher levels of administration in the institution.
Students should be represented in governance within the
policy and philosophy of the institution.
STANDARD 2: CURRICULUM
Students should be well served by the Unit
curriculum. A model curriculum should clearly reflect an
understanding of both the humanistic and the social science
dimensions of the field of communication. At a minimum,
students should take coursework in communication history,
research, theory, communication literacy, as well as law and
ethics. No student should be graduated without coursework in
presentational skills, both written and oral.
Quality instruction is crucial to effective education and should be encouraged in every way possible. A regular program of teaching evaluation should be in place. Teaching loads in the Unit should be consistent with the institutional balance of emphasis on research and service. In the case of certificate programs in which instruction is focused upon individual areas such as public speaking, public relations, training and development, or interpersonal communication, the curriculum should reflect both the theoretical grounding and the practical applications of the areas taught.
STANDARD 4: FACULTY
Faculty should be academically qualified for
their responsibilities in the Unit. All full-time faculty
should hold at least Master's degrees in a communication
discipline. Part-time faculty should have not less than 18
graduate hours in a communication discipline. If graduate
teaching assistants are used in undergraduate instruction,
they should be under the supervision of a full-time faculty
member. Full-time faculty must have primary responsibility
for teaching, research, and service.
STANDARD 5: FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
The Unit must have equipment
and facilities of sufficient quality and quantity to
complete its mission. Faculty offices should have privacy,
ample space, and in-office access to the internet and World
Wide Web. Students must have access to the internet and WWW,
and have sufficient technical support and available hours
for access. Units with courses in technical or scientific
areas of the field (e.g., media production,
psycho-physiological measures, etc.) must support these
curricula with adequate equipment, studios, and labs.
STANDARD 6: LIBRARY
Library budget and holdings should be adequate
to support the Unit's mission. Journal holdings should
reflect the mainstream interests of the discipline as well
as the specific expertise of the faculty of the Unit.
STANDARD 7: FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP, RESEARCH, AND PROFESSIONAL
ACTIVITIES
Communication educators have a responsibility
that extends beyond the limits of the classroom. This
obligation includes scholarship and professional activities.
These activities should be institutionally supported through
such resources as computer facilities, release time, travel
support, direct or in-kind support of research costs,
laboratory space, and mentoring.
STANDARD 8: PUBLIC SERVICE
The unit should be able to show evidence
of service to the general public and the community. This
service should take the form of pro bono faculty
contributions to the community in their various fields of
expertise.
STANDARD 9: ALUMNI
The Unit should track its graduates, utilizing
their feedback in the assessment process.
STANDARD 10: FACULTY EVALUATION, TENURE, AND PROMOTION
Detailed
standards developed by the faculty should be published and
readily available to the evaluation team. Faculty
evaluations should occur at regular published intervals, but
not less frequently than annually. Appeal processes should
be in place. If the institution tenures faculty, there
should be a written standardized procedure for the process.
Documentation should be available for all departmental
employment decisions including recruitment, evaluation,
tenure, and termination.
STANDARD 11: MENTORING
The ACA strongly supports a program in which
senior faculty serve as mentors for their junior colleagues.
This is especially important in encouraging women and
minorities. Faculty mentoring of students is also strongly
encouraged, again particularly in the case of women and
minorities as an effective means of increasing the diversity
of the applicant pool in the communication disciplines. Peer
mentoring of fellow undergraduates by senior communication
majors in also encouraged.
STANDARD 12: DUE PROCESS
The Unit must have procedures in place for
dealing with complaints and grievances of students, faculty,
staff, and administrators. Such procedures may include, but
are not limited to grade appeals committees, tenure and
promotion committees, appeals of annual faculty evaluations,
etc. Such procedures must comply with the principles of due
process.
STANDARD 13: STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Units are encouraged to promote
student organizations in the various interest areas
reflected by the unit.
STANDARD 14: BUDGET
The Unit's budget should be sufficient to meet
its mission, including support for student financial
assistance, faculty research and travel, office and lab
space, technical and secretarial support, and other such
services. If unit needs are supplemented by budgets external
to the Unit, these must be available and document how
resources will be allocated to meet Unit needs.
STANDARD 15: STUDENT ADVISING
Quality of student advising is
extremely important and should receive appropriate weight in
the Unit’s mission. A documented process for advising should
be available and consistently followed.
For more information on ACA Program Accreditation, email : ACA Accreditation
