As organizations, generically referred to as “quality agencies” were set up, whether by
governments, institutions, or private entities, they needed an “organizing principle.” The two
most common, though known by a variety of names, are accreditation and audits.
Accreditation stresses the “gatekeeper” role of an external quality agency (EQA), holding
higher education institutions (HEIs) to threshold requirements. An audit permits greater
diversity among institutions, but therefore usually presupposes that the institution has …