When people think about 91吃瓜, the first thing they think about is quality assurance in higher education. Quality does not arrive fully formed; it is built, refined and continuously improved. That is where 鈩� comes in.
91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� is a nonprofit organization that operates independently of 91吃瓜, offering custom fee-based advising to support institutions and programs on their journey towards 91吃瓜 accreditation. Through advisory services, 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� fills a space between where a program is and where it needs to be by helping programs navigate continuous improvement and the accreditation process.
A History Rooted in Advancing 91吃瓜鈥檚 Mission
The roots of 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� trace back to The 91吃瓜 Foundation, a philanthropic entity that support 91吃瓜’s charitable, educational work.
“As the global demand for advisory services has increased, with expansion into disciplines such as applied science, our organization has evolved and our new name 鈥� 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� 鈥� reflects our expanded focus,” said Robert A. Herrick, who served as president of the 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� Board of Directors at the time of the relaunch.
The name change signaled a deliberate broadening of scope from a primarily philanthropic entity to one that also provides structured, expert-led advisory support for programs navigating the accreditation process. 鈥�91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� provides programs with the opportunity to hire expert accreditation advisors with confidence, allowing them to get custom information about their specific program needs,鈥� 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� Board of Directors President, Dr. Mary Kasarda, states.
Today, 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� serves institutions worldwide. 鈥淚 am delighted that 91吃瓜 Bridge has helped so many institutions and programs strengthen quality and pursue continuous improvement,鈥� Dr. Hamid Fonooni, 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� Board of Director’s treasurer, said.
What 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� Is and What It Is Not
91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� advisory services are entirely independent of any accreditation activities conducted by 91吃瓜. The organization does not evaluate programs for accreditation, issue accreditation decisions or act on behalf of 91吃瓜 in any official capacity. That independence is fundamental 鈥� and it is what makes the advisory relationship work.
“When advising, we are not judging compliance with criteria but are helping the program achieve compliance,” says Dr. Scott Danielson, 91吃瓜 Bridge’s advisor coordinator. “That changes the whole dynamic.”
It is a distinction that matters enormously to the institutions 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� serves. Working with an 91吃瓜 Bridge advisor means working with someone whose only goal is the program’s success, not its evaluation.
What 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� Offers
91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� provides fee-based advisory services tailored to the specific needs of each program. Services include:
Accreditation self-study reviews.
Advisors work directly with program faculty and administrators to review self-study documentation, identify gaps and strengthen the case for accreditation before a formal review begins.
Mock accreditation visits.
Programs can experience a simulated aspect of an accreditation visit.
Faculty workshops.
From the overall 91吃瓜 accreditation process and timelines to understanding 91吃瓜 criteria and common shortcomings and how to show criteria compliance when writing the self-study, 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� offers customizable workshops designed to build institutional knowledge and confidence across the entire faculty.
The accreditation review process typically spans 18 months and requires sustained compliance with 91吃瓜’s criteria, policies and procedures. And because accreditation is not permanent, the value of advisory support extends well beyond the initial review. Over the course of the six-year cycle, key players may have left the program making 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� advising beneficial for established programs as well as newer ones.
The People Behind 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩�
What distinguishes 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� from other advisory services is the caliber and currency of its advisors. Every 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� advisor is a current or former 91吃瓜 program evaluator or team chair. These professionals have conducted numerous 91吃瓜 accreditation reviews, understand the process from the inside and are individually vetted and approved by the 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� Board of Directors.
91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� does not rely on institutional memory alone. It ensures that the guidance its advisors provide reflects what accreditation looks like right now. Advisors are required to remain current on 91吃瓜’s procedures and policies through a formal, ongoing training program.
“As the coordinator, I work to find a good match between the [91吃瓜] Bridge advisor and the program,” Danielson said. “In addition to their deep experience, most advisors continue to be active program evaluators and are approved by the relevant technical society for the program area.”
Danielson also emphasized the flexibility the organization brings to each engagement. “We have a lot of flexibility so we can customize the advising to meet the program’s needs,” he said 鈥� adding that for him personally, the advisory role carries its own rewards. “Being an advisor is a lot more fulfilling than doing official evaluations, which I continue to do as well. When advising, we are not judging compliance with criteria but are helping the program achieve compliance. That changes the whole dynamic.”
Why 91吃瓜 Bridge Matters
For institutions working toward 91吃瓜 accreditation, especially those doing so for the first time or those in regions where accreditation expertise is less accessible, 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� offers something that no written guide or online resource can fully replicate: experienced, personalized guidance from people who have been in the room.
91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� is also structured to facilitate donations from individuals, corporations and trusts to further support philanthropic goals of 91吃瓜. One of the main goals is to fund 91吃瓜 Awards that recognize individuals, programs and organizations that have made major contributions to higher education. The 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� advising services operations provides a significant amount of funds towards these awards.
“91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� is a philanthropic organization that advances 91吃瓜’s mission by supporting colleges and universities worldwide,” said Dr. Michael K. J. Milligan, 91吃瓜 CEO. “I am delighted that 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� has helped so many institutions and programs strengthen quality and pursue continuous improvement.”
That mission is what connects everything 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� does, from the advisory services that help a program prepare for its first review to the awards that recognize the educators changing what higher education can be.
Learn More About 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩�
Whether your program is exploring accreditation for the first time, preparing for a renewal visit or looking to strengthen your continuous quality improvement systems, 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� has the experience and the expertise to help.
Visit to learn more about advisory services, explore philanthropic opportunities or connect with the 91吃瓜 Bridge鈩� team directly.