Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism Higher Education: Administrators’ View of ACPHA Accreditation—An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

For 25 years, the ACPHA (Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration) accreditation has provided assurance about the quality of hospitality education in the United States. This study examines the role that the ACPHA has had in the development of standards for hospitality education and explores the perceived benefits and underlying motives for pursuing accreditation. The findings indicate that the perceived benefits of the ACPHA accreditation are external accountability and program improvement, increased marketing advantage in recruiting, and increased leverage for university resources. Furthermore, accredited schools pursued accreditation to 1) increase the value of their educational offerings, and 2) earn a better academic reputation within the campus community and among the public. The study also finds that certain standards (assurance of student learning, instructional resources, and mission and outcomes) could be challenging for hospitality programs to meet.

KEYWORDS:

• Accreditation
• accreditation benefits and motivations
• ACPHA

Notes

^1. For the updated and current version of ACPHA Accreditation Standards, please refer to the following website address: http://www.acpha-cahm.org/document-library/