ACCREDITATION INFO

The EQAC will grant recognition of educational quality to all the institutions that meet our standards through a voluntary, non-governmental guided self-regulation that is called accreditation. Accreditation of an institute guarantees that the learning offered by that institute is of uniform and sound quality.

• What is Accreditation?

Accreditation in higher education is a process based on self- and peer-assessment for improvement of academic quality and public accountability. This quality control process occurs on a continuing basis and it usually involves three major phases:

1. Self Study. The faculty, administrators, and staff of the institution or academic program conduct a self-study using the accrediting association's set of standards as their guide.
2. Review. A team of peers selected by the EQAC Secretary reviews the evidence, may visit the campus to interview faculty and staff, and writes a report of its assessment including a recommendation to the commission (a group of peer faculty and professionals) of the accrediting association.
3. Accreditation. Guided by a set of expectations about quality and integrity, the accreditation organization reviews the evidence and recommendation, makes a judgment, and communicates the decision to the institution and other constituencies as appropriate.

• Why is Accreditation Important?

In nearly every country, higher education is controlled and monitored by the national government, which promulgates higher education policy. As free markets, open frontiers, and individualism spread around the world, however, many nations are adapting their higher education systems to the more liberal, competitive and diverse. Accreditation is one of the major factors behind this global trend. Accreditation reflects the comparative advantages of numerous and diverse institutions and methods of higher education, and respects its core values of autonomy, self-governance, scholarship, and the assurance of academic quality through peer review. Today, higher education is emerging as a diverse, competitive, decentralized "system," with vibrant private and public sectors in which colleges and universities enjoy comparatively high autonomy.

Employers, parents, students, and others look to accrediting  organizations for consistent and reliable information about educational institutions, and increasingly, seek to participate in the process itself. There is no single model for providing the information and involvement which are so important for public accountability, and each accrediting organization will want to relate, in terms of its own structure and procedures, how it ensures this accountability.

• About the EQAC Accreditation Status

1. EQAC Accreditation is NOT a substitute of legal regulations.
Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental peer review process. Accreditation by the EQAC shall be understood to convey only that the higher education institution meets the EQAC’s educational standards. Such recognition is not in any way intended to substitute legal authorization, recognition or regulation, through compliance with local government laws. Legal authorization, recognition or regulation, and government accreditation occur in the context of different reviews.

2. Institutional accreditation.
The EQAC accredited institution is  evaluated as a whole entity and not in every a each specific program offered. Thus, the EQAC accreditation status is not programmatic and it may not be useful for the licensing of professions or approval of specific programs.

3. Global & international scope.
The EQAC accreditation focuses primarily on educational quality from a global and international perspective, not narrow interests, or political action, or educational fashions. The EQAC is aware of the differences among countries that may arise in regards of fulfilling the quality standards set forth, so The Commission will examine the higher education respecting their institutional autonomy and following a non discriminatory policy. Due to this global policy, the EQAC is not part of the CHEA (Council of Higher Education Accreditation, USA) nor any other country's governmental agencies. Academic mobility and credit transferability of accredited institutions will always be subject to the receiving country or institution policy.

Read the EQAC Regulations to learn more about us.

Sample of the accreditation diploma