Achieving quality, excellence, and consistency in a global academy

Webster University, a multi-campus, multinational university, recently obtained specialized business accreditation from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) as well as institutional re-accreditation from The Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The journey towards these successes centered on ensuring the quality and consistency of curricula, an especially monumental task given Webster´s global profile. With multiple campuses throughout the world, over 1500 practitioner faculty, and a variety of commonly-used delivery formats, the challenges initially appeared daunting. The Consistency Project was initiated to address the issues faced in ensuring that curricula are communicated clearly to instructors world-wide. While actively celebrating the academic freedom of faculty, comparable coverage in courses regardless of location had to be fostered. The journey leading to the implementation of the Consistency Project, and towards accreditation, uncovered many obstacles. Our journey has of course not ended, but has resulted in a highly consistent, quality set of programs being delivered throughout the world of Webster. We have identified several key benefits including: improved communication, progress towards a cohesive university, more consistent programs, repositories and analysis mechanisms for assessment data. Moreover, the Webster culture among both faculty and staff is now more pro-assessment and accepting of the benefits of accreditation.