Academic Rankings and International Accreditation 16.03.20
In keeping with the theme of Academic Rankings, AKKORK publishes a brief analytical note with a comparison of the two assessment systems.Rankings
There are various methods of ranking Higher Education Institutions in academic rankings. They differ significantly from each other.
The list of parameters may include: quality of education, teaching methods, international academic mobility, business reputation of the university and its participation in various projects, practical orientation of training, technical equipment, library resources, et al.
International Accreditation
One of the indicators of the program's recognition is its independent accreditation. Based on the principles of the Bologna Declaration, both national agencies, members of EQAR and ENQA, and foreign quality assurance agencies,members of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) (European agencies) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (American agencies) can evaluate higher education programs of Russian universities.
Aims of international accreditation: development of international academic mobility; development of joint educational programs and international cooperation in the field of research with European universities; inclusion of educational programs into international rankings, etc.
In international accreditation at the program level, indicators that can be grouped into five criteria are usually assessed:
1) Objectives and strategy: educational program's objective, its positioning, its internationalization, cooperation and partnership, equal opportunities policy.
2) Admission (the process and method of admission): conditions of students' admission, methods of admission, work experience (for advanced training in the Master's program), foreign languagemastery, transparency and possibility of implementation of admission methods, transparency of admission decision.
3)Educational program's concept: structure, content, additional qualifications, didactics and methods, employability.
4) Resources and services: Teaching staff, educational process management, Teaching and Learning materials, technical and logistical support, additional services, financial planning and program's financing.
5) Quality assurance: quality assurance and development of the university's quality assurance policy in the process of the program's development, inclusion of quality assurance and the improvement of the program's quality assurance in the general concept of quality assurance of the university, improvement of the program's quality assurance in terms of content, processes and outcomes.
Rankings or Accreditation
|
Factors |
International Rankings |
International Accreditation |
|
Aim |
Advertising, saleofproducts |
Continuous, gradualimprovement |
|
Scope/coverage |
Educational programs/HEI |
Educational programs/HEI |
|
Frequency |
Annually |
Every 3, 5, 7 or 10 years |
|
Participation |
Compulsory |
Voluntary, providingbenefits |
|
Organizers |
Business structures far from education |
Colleagues (peer review) |
|
Procedure |
Questionnaires, phone calls, use of quality assessment substitutes |
Self-evaluation report, site visits, follow up procedure, confirmation |
|
Time expenditures |
Low |
High (the procedure is time-consuming) |
|
Differences |
Does not take into account university mission / educational process |
Takes into account university mission / educational process |
|
Ground for assessment |
Impression/opinion |
Evidence |
Comparing the parameters and objects of the two assessment systems, a conclusion can be drawn: during the assessment through the procedures of international accreditation at the program level, the analysis is more extensive, and as a result of the assessment an educational organization has the opportunity to bring its educational programs in line with international quality standards, as well as to receive expert recommendations on how to further improve the programs.
International accreditation makes the qualifications awarded by different universities comparable, enables the exchange of best university practices in terms of program implementation, and the mobility of students and teachers. At the same time, international accreditation does not lead to the leveling of national and university specifics.
"These are the aspects that UNESCO gives weight to while creating the World Register of Quality Assurance Agencies, which will be created as a result of UNESCO's ratification of the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education," says Erika Soboleva, Director General of AKKORK, member of the INQAAHE Board of Directors, member of the working group on the creation of the World Register of Quality Assurance Agencies.
Besides, the status of an accredited program ensures its attractiveness in the eyes of foreign partner universities, foreign students, Russian and foreign employers.
Learn more about AKKORKInternational Accreditation http://www.akkork.ru/r/services/nvoko/
