What is Academic Accreditation

This chapter focuses on the fundamental question: What is the strategic importance of quality assurance (QA) for higher education institutions (HEIs)? Divided into four main segments, the chapter begins by defining QA within the context of a continuum, ranging from entirely voluntarily QA—as a part of the HEI internal standard procedures—to more ‘prescriptive' models, as mandated by ranking and accreditation bodies. Secondly, the chapter engages in identifying specific strategic functions of QA in light of two inherent objectives of HEIs: competitiveness and sustainable impact. Next, the chapter showcases the role of QA played in advancing the American University in Cairo (AUC) School of Business to the renowned triple-crown accreditation status (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA), while highlighting both challenges encountered and implementable solutions. Last of all, the chapter discusses potential future changes to QA, given the ‘new normal' of the higher education landscape.