The ASBMB Accreditation Program as a Grass‐roots Educational Effort

Abstract

ASBMB’s accreditation program was launched in 2013 in order to provide a structure for promoting instructional excellence and disseminate best practices. As of fall 2019, the number of accredited programs is 85 and includes those at all types of institutions in 37 states across the US. Accreditation allows institutions to be evaluated by peers, and the criteria include those aspects of programs that members judge to be crucial: inclusion of core concepts and sufficient infrastructure, but also professional development opportunities for all faculty, clear commitment to diversity and inclusion, active learning, and instruction in professional ethics. Criteria for curricula avoid a prescriptive topic‐ or course‐specific set of courses, in favor of foundational concepts in the discipline that also leave room for the continuing evolution of instructional practices. The required curriculum also includes experiential learning, communication skills, and the role of research, cooperative experiences, and internships for student development. We have evaluated the impact of accreditation on a variety of stakeholders – programs/departments (both accredited and non), students, graduate schools, and employers – with a recent survey. Programs reported that the process was worthwhile, and that it led to collection of data that would not otherwise be examined.