As a professional in a field that serves higher education institutions daily, few things are more evident than the wavering budget climate in higher education.

I hear it so often:

“There isn’t budget for something like this.” “The state is cutting our funding.” “Enrollment is down and tuition is frozen.”

In these situations, software guiding planning and accreditation are often not seen as priorities. 

This leaves me wondering: 

“Is THIS the place to make cuts when the chips are down?” “Don’t people realize the importance of these things?” 

The answers to these questions are a resounding and conflicting “No.” and “No.” 

But how can I say this with authority?  Because I’ve been there, done that, and feel your pain.

A well-known phrase tossed around about life, particularly among baby-boomers is: “There are two things in life that are certain – Death and Taxes!”  This time-tested idiom suggests that most things in life can be avoided, but you will surely meet your maker and Uncle Sam will eventually find you to collect on your taxes even after you’ve passed away.  We do a lot during our lives to prepare for these two inevitable events.  We withhold from our paychecks, save receipts, and manage deductions to prepare for every April 15th.  We buy life insurance and write wills to help prepare for our departure from this world. If you are involved in higher education, you might very well argue that there is a third inevitable event to add to the list:  Accreditation.