The core idea of an institutional accreditation by AQAS is to assess if the quality assurance system of a university/faculty/college is in line with the ESG. AQAS follows the main idea that an external assessment should focus on the sufficiency of mechanisms that an institution has chosen to ensure the quality of its programmes. Of course, individual targets set by the institution in the self-evaluation report (SER) are also drawn into consideration. In the accreditation procedure, the experts assess whether the institution is able to achieve the defined targets.
Since the demands of the ESG are formulated in general terms, AQAS developed its own standards and criteria on the basis of the ESG. These allow the panel of experts to focus on more specific aspects of teaching and learning. The experts will also consider the processes that ensure a high-quality teaching and learning provision. AQAS follows the main idea that an external assessment should focus on the sufficiency of mechanisms that an institution chose to ensure the quality of its programmes.
The following questions are crucial for the assessment of the institution:
- Which policies exist and are in use?
- Which processes are implemented?
- Who is responsible?
- Who is involved and informed about the results?
- In which document are these processes laid down?
In cases where the panel of experts comes to a positive evaluation at the end of the procedure, the decision of the Accreditation Commission of AQAS will lead to a certificate of accreditation for the higher education institution.
For more information, get in touch with our consultants.
