Using IibQUAL+® Survey Results to Document the Adequacy of Services to Distance Learning Students for an Accreditation Review

摘要

Accreditation is critical to the viability of institutions of higher education. Each of the six regional groups that accredit two- and four-year institutions has standards specifically addressing online or distance learning. In general, these standards require institutions to show that distance learners have adequate access to appropriate library resources and to library instruction, and that library resources and services are regularly and systematically evaluated. The LibQUAL+® survey developed by the Association of Research Libraries is one tool academic libraries can use to demonstrate compliance with accreditation standards relating to distance learning. A methodology for using LibQUAL+® results to document compliance in this area is described and applied.