Training Magazine - June 2008 - (Page 14)

soapbox Accreditation Advantage Accrediting academic programs in human resource development, training, and related fields offers many benefits, including opening balanced, integrated dialogues on excellence in research, teaching, and service. BY WILLIAM J. ROTHWELL AND GREG G. WANG At last count, there were more than 300 undergraduate and graduate programs in the field that has variously been called training, training and development, human resource development, workplace learning and performance, and learning and performance. Academicians and practitioners in the field alike often express amazement, and sometimes consternation, at the sheer diversity of these programs. Unlike accounting programs, which are pretty much the same no matter where a student might enroll, undergraduate and graduate programs in the field of training and development vary greatly in the areas of concentration and specialization. Depending on whom you ask, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. It can be a good thing if the field is to be kept porous, allowing virtually anyone who wishes to enter to do so. Indeed, many people—perhaps as many as three-fourths of all trainers—are promoted from within their companies to help meet training needs. But it can be a bad thing if the field is so easy to enter that it attracts flyby-night charlatans who only pretend to bring the theory and practice of the field to bear on the problems organizations face. In recent years, the two largest associations in the field—the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) and the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)—have launched certification programs. One reason to do that is to ensure some quality control for people who purport to be professionals in a field that does not require State licensure. But movement toward a profession requires more than the certification of individuals alone. First, it also requires some way to ensure that individuals adhere to a code of ethics based on thoroughly researched approaches to resolving the ethical dilemmas professionals in the field face. Second, it requires organizational leaders to accept responsibility for providing a work climate that supports transfer of learning from the training venue back to the job and ensures that everyone—managers and learners, as well as trainers—are held accountable for their respective roles in applying the learning gained from training. Finally, it requires a means to ensure that professionals who are building their competencies in academic degree programs related to the field participate in quality learning experiences. After all, should not trainers have the best formal education programs? However, before that can happen, some questions must be answered: WHAT IS ACCREDITATION? William J. Rothwell (left) is Professor of Workforce Education and Development on the University Park campus of Penn State University. He heads up a graduate program in workforce education and development, as well as a graduate specialty within that program focused on the training and development field. He can be reached at wjr9@psu.edu or at 814.863.2581. Greg G. Wang, Ph.D., (right) is Associate Professor of Human Resource Development at the School of Human Resource Development, College of Business and Technology, The University of Texas at Tyler. He can be reached at wanggreg@aol.com or 903.565.5910. Accreditation typically is understood to mean a process of reviewing an organization or academic institution to ensure it meets previously defined standards of quality. According to the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (Profile of accreditation: Fact sheet, Report No. 1, Washington, D.C., August 2003), 6,421 educational institutions and 18,713 programs were accredited in the U.S. It should be understood that the 18,713 specialized accreditation programs exist for a single purpose, such as accrediting special occupational or educational programs. Also according to the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (“The fundamentals of accreditation: What do you need to know?” September 2002), “specialized accreditation organizations also operate throughout the country and review programs and some single-purpose institutions. There are more than 17,600 of these accredited programs and single-purpose operations. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF ACCREDITED SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS? Many occupations have sponsored their own academic accreditation efforts for school-based programs. They include: • MBA programs through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) • Teacher education/certification programs WHY SHOULD EMPLOYERS AND PRACTITIONERS CARE ABOUT ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION? The field of training is becoming more professional as evidenced by the emergence of well-researched and solid certification programs sponsored by two industry associations. At this time, employers w w w. t r a i n i n g m a g . c o m 14 | JUNE 2008 t r a i n i n g http://www.trainingmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Magazine - June 2008

Training Magazine - June 2008 Contents Online TOC Editor’s Note Live & Online Training Today Soapbox How-To World View Changes With Penguins Keeping Forced Ranking Out of Court Across the Board Certify Me Meetings CPR How Secure Is Your Data? Training Leadership Summit Wrap-Up Tools of the Trade Inprint Questions for Covey

Training Magazine - June 2008

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