Quality Assurance Agency in Higher Education

The reaction of public and private HEIs to the accreditation process of study programs

The Director of ASCAL, Mr. Elvin Gjevori on May 8, 2019 was invited to the program "Good Morning Albania" in RTSH to talk about the reactions of public and private higher education institutions regarding the accreditation of study programs.

The process of accreditation of study programs is currently underway for three public universities. The situation appears different for private HEIs where most of their study programs have started the process in the context of accreditation in general. Although the Law on Higher Education obliges HEIs to undergo two types of accreditation (institutional and study programs), the number of public HEIs interested in the evaluation process still remains limited.

"Accreditation at its core as a process is the external certification of the quality of the academic service provided by the institution, which is conducted by other academics who have no conflict of interest with the institution. Each year the Accreditation Board approves a list of external experts, who operate on behalf of ASCAL. " says Mr. Gjevori

Public universities are a step further in terms of accrediting programs related to non-public universities.

Mr Gjevori: "In terms of public HEIs there are two issues that need to be explained: the institutional accreditation by which public HEIs are best known and the individual accreditation of study programs. Today, every public HEI in Albania is institutionally accredited. We started with the accreditation visits of 16 programs in public HEIs, changing their mentality about the accreditation. This is a very positive development. Public HEIs are realizing that accreditation matters to them, but they must also comply with the requirements of the Act. The ASCAL has an Accreditation Board, which consists of eleven Albanian and foreign professors. The board makes decisions regarding accreditations, where ASCAL administers the process. "

For more follow the interview.