Assessment, Accreditation, and Accountability: Using the A-List to Promote Kinesiology Programs in Higher Education

Abstract

Higher education institutions and their departments are facing increased demands to document the effectiveness and efficiency of their academic programs, research, and engagement. These demands arise from the various constituents who have vested but not always “compatible” interest in the quality of the work and outcomes of these institutions. The resulting effect has been reliance on the use of assessment, accreditation, and accountability to address the expectations from these various groups. This paper provides an overview of the sources of those demands, the distinct but overlapping nature of assessment, accreditation, and accountability, and provides a model to integrate these processes to promote the academic programs in kinesiology.