Conclusion: When All Is Said and Done

Abstract

The chapters of this volume provide a clear sampling of the extraordinary diversity that exists within the frame of reference of quality when applied to higher education. While no definitive definition of quality exists and whereas exceptions can always be found for any stipulation of quality advanced within a specific higher education context, considerable movement toward acceptance of basic notions of quality that respect both the need for and the existence of diversities in its stipulations and realizations can be found within the heuristic of principles that may be adduced to apply across quality review activities. Such an effort conducted by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in 2015 is reported on and placed within a commentary that elaborates on the inherent complexity of realizing such principles in quality cultures operating at the local levels of higher education.