By Dr. Vlad Krotov
For business schools pursuing AACSB accreditation, Assurance of Learning (AoL) is often the most misunderstood and most labor-intensive component of the accreditation process. From selecting learning goals to designing rubrics, collecting data, and closing the loop—the process can easily overwhelm internal teams already juggling teaching, research, and numerous service responsibilities.
So the question becomes: should you outsource your AoL to a consulting company? This article is an attempt to reflect on this important question.
When Outsourcing Makes Sense
Outsourcing is not about handing over control—it’s about leveraging expertise to build a system that is both compliant and sustainable. Here are three scenarios where outsourcing offers significant benefits:
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- Limited Internal Expertise. Many institutions have never been through the accreditation process. Working with consultants who’ve designed AoL systems for dozens of schools reduces trial-and-error and ensures alignment with AACSB expectations.
- Tight Timelines. If you’re under pressure to meet a visit deadline, building AoL processes from scratch internally may cause costly delays. A consulting partner can fast-track design, training, and implementation without compromising quality.
- Accreditation Fatigue. Faculty burnout is real. Outsourcing the technical design of rubrics, curriculum mapping, and data collection allows your faculty to save time and energy and focus on what matters most—using the results to improve student learning.
- Strained Relationships. Nagging faculty who are already sick and tired of the accreditation work will not do any good to AoL yet will ruing the relationships between faculty and administrators. With an external consultant, at least some of this negative energy can be directed to outside of the organization.
When to Keep It In-House
If your school has already built a mature AoL system and simply needs minor tweaks or updated documentation, internal teams may be better suited. Similarly, if faculty ownership is a core institutional value and you have experienced accreditation leadership in place, an in-house model can work well.
A Smart Hybrid Approach
At Accreditation.Biz, we often recommend a hybrid approach: let outside experts design the structure and tools, while internal faculty and staff own the assessment process. This balance ensures compliance without eroding institutional culture or autonomy.
Final Word
Outsourcing your AoL system design isn’t a shortcut—it’s a strategic investment. The goal is not to just “pass the accreditation,” but to embed a system that continuously improves learning outcomes long after the visit ends. Because of all those reasons, your AoL should start and continue on a good note. This requires a substantial investment of resources no matter how you go about designing and implementing your AoL system.