Accreditation is a mandatory external evaluation process, carried out on the basis of specific, predefined, internationally accepted, and published quantitative and qualitative criteria and indicators, in alignment with the Principles and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area
The Accreditation in summary
The accreditation’s purpose is to ensure the quality of higher education, as well as the efficiency and transparency of the overall operation of higher education institutions. The periodic accreditation of the quality of higher education institutions is the core mission of HAHE and it includes the accreditation of both the internal quality assurance system developed by the institutions and the curricula of all three cycles of higher education provided by the academic units of the higher education institutions.
General Principles of Accreditation
- Accreditation is carried out with uniform quality assurance criteria and procedures, in accordance with national legislation and the commitments of our country as a member of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA),
- It is an impartial process, carried out with transparency and meritocracy by a Recognized Independent Authority,
- It is evidence-based, carried out by independent experts,
- It leads to a decision on whether a curriculum meets the minimum a priori defined and published accreditation criteria,
- The results of accreditation are published and available to all stakeholders
Benefits of Accreditation.
- It works to the benefit of students, parents, the HEI, and society, because it ensures that the graduate of a study programme has acquired a specific combination of knowledge, competences and skills (learning outcomes) that correspond to the accreditation criteria.
- It ensures that an educational programme meets the minimum quality criteria as developed in the European Higher Education Area.
- It leads to an upgrade on the value of Greek degrees and to their international recognition. It should be noted that Greece is called upon to compete on a pan-European level with countries where accreditation is already applied to most of the programmes offered.
- It enhances the mobility of Greek graduates and increases employment opportunities in jobs where the possession of accredited qualifications is a prerequisite for recruitment. It should be noted that the possession of accredited qualifications marks a current trend in the labour market throughout Europe and a key criterion for the recruitment of new graduates.
- It guarantees the acceptance of Greek graduates in postgraduate programmes in Europe and internationally, many of which positively evaluate the possession of an accredited degree.
- It is a basic prerequisite for the extroversion of Greek universities.
- Professional associations and chambers of commerce use the accreditation as proof of the link between a study programme and the relevant professional sector, proof that the candidate has the required professional qualifications.
- In the labour market, accreditation ensures that the graduate has the required knowledge, competences and skills needed for a specific job.
- Transnational cooperation in joint study programmes requires the accreditation of study programmes.
The Accreditation of Study Programmes
- Submission of the Proposal for the accreditation of the Study Programme (SP) by the institution
- External evaluation of the SP by a Committee of independent experts, which usually includes an on-site visit to the Institution
- Submission of the Accreditation Report to HAHE as a result of the accreditation process of the SP
- Issuance of a certification decision by HAHE
- Continuous monitoring of the progress of the SP by the IQAS (QAU)
- The accreditation process ensures that the curriculum offered by the HEI meets all the formal specifications provided by HAHE and the relevant institution, and that the performance and competences of graduates of the specific course of study (learning outcomes) correspond to the expected professional qualifications required by society and the labour market. It also certifies that the curriculum meets the minimum quality criteria as defined in the EHEA.
- The accreditation is a passport for the continuation of studies in Europe and internationally. It increases employment opportunities in Greece and abroad, as the possession of accredited qualifications is considered of paramount importance for graduates entering the labour market.
The Certification of the Internal Quality Assurance System
In every higher education institution, an internal quality assurance system (IQAS) is developed and implemented that must cover the entire range of the institution's functions and activities.
To ensure and constantly improve the quality of the educational and research work of each institution, as well as the effective operation and performance of its services, the internal quality assurance system must be developed in accordance with international practices, in particular those of the European Higher Education Area (ESG, Part A), and the principles and guidelines of HAHE. In each HEI, the Quality Assurance Unit is responsible for the organization and implementation of the internal quality assurance system.
The HEI's IQAS is periodically certified by HAHE. The general criteria of the process include:
- the establishment of clear and defined objectives to ensure and constantly improve the quality of the curricula and supporting services of the institution,
- the policy planning process, effective organization, and decision-making process for constant quality improvement,
- the process of implementing the policy for constant quality improvement,
- documented quality improvement.
In this context, HEIs should include a quality assurance policy in their strategic planning. This policy is developed, specified to the institution's areas of activity, to ensure the fulfilment of quality requirements of the curricula and other services of the institution. Furthermore, the quality assurance policy should be implemented by all stakeholders within the institution (faculty, students, leadership, and management) and should be made public.
