Accreditation Agencies in the European Higher Education Area

Nonprofit Business Models, Competition and Survival

New Horizons in Nonprofit Research series

Stefan Handke, Professor of Public Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Applied Sciences, Dresden, Germany

Although quality assurance (QA) in higher education has been well established for many years, the world of QA is changing. This timely book takes an insightful look from a nonprofit sector perspective at how these changes are impacting accreditation of higher education institutions.

‘This consideration of quality assurance (QA) and accreditation bodies, primarily in the EHEA, posits a tension between the non-profit status of these organizations intended to serve the common good and their structures as business entities engaged in at least some commercial activity. By framing this tension and exploring its likely impact, Stefan Handke challenges the thinking of especially those who deem change in QA and accreditation as essential to effectively serving higher education institutions and society in the future.’
– Judith S. Eaton, President Emeritus, Council for Higher Education Accreditation, US

‘This is an interesting book, which is a valuable contribution to the literature on QA in higher education. The use of economic and business insights are relevant for the sector of HE. They lead to challenging thoughts on chances for QA-agencies to play a meaningful role in developing a stronger EHEA.’
– Karl Dittrich, President of EQAR, Belgium