Online Accreditation Guide
A structured approach for academics and faculty teams, whether you are extending an on-campus accreditation or making a new submission.
Section 5 of 10
Getting faculty management buy-in
Faculty management will back accreditation when you show them the cost, the risk of not doing it, and a plan that won't increase resourcing requirements beyond what is financially sustainable. Bring a one-page case, not a request for support in principle.
Your one-page case
Do applicants in this discipline expect accreditation? What do competitors offer? Admissions and marketing can usually evidence this.
What accreditation unlocks for graduates: exemptions, chartered routes, eligibility to practise.
PSRB fees, staff time for mapping and visits, and any resource the professional, statutory or regulatory body (PSRB) requires: staffing ratios, library, labs, dedicated support.
Poor recruitment, complaints from students who assumed accreditation, and reputational exposure if only the on-campus version is accredited.
Staffing, intake pattern, timing and investment. Name each and the date you need it by.
Key milestones, including every faculty and institutional committee the submission must pass through.
Tactics that work
- Start with your quality team. The faculty quality lead or academic registry knows the committee calendar and which questions institutional management will ask.
- Align with the faculty plan. Frame accreditation as supporting an agreed priority, such as online growth or graduate outcomes.
- Separate the decision from the detail. Ask for a decision to proceed and resource now; return with the full submission for sign-off later.
- Bring the PSRB's own words. A short note of your early conversation turns abstract risk into specific requirements.
- Name one accountable lead who owns the timeline and provides full reporting.
- Agree how progress is reported, for example a standing item at faculty education committee.