THEQC Presents Quality Evaluation Registry Certificates to 11 National Accreditation Agencies

THEQC organized a meeting to present Quality Evaluation Registry Certificates to national accreditation agencies. The meeting was attended by THEQC President Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Elmas, THEQC Vice President Prof. Dr. Sibel Aksu Yıldırım, THEQC members and 21 representatives from 11 accreditation agencies, namely MÜDEK, TEPDAD, FEDEK, VEDEK, EPDAD, HEPDAK, İLAD-İLEDAK, SABAK, TUADER-TURAK, ECZAKDER and TPD. 

THEQC coordinates the evaluation of higher education institutions’ quality levels in terms of their education-research activities and administrative services according to national and international quality standards, internal and external quality assurance and accreditation procedures, and the authorization processes of independent external evaluation agencies. In this scope, Quality Evaluation Registry Certificate is presented to the independent external evaluation and accreditation agencies operating in the field of higher education, certifying that the organization is authorized to assess and evaluate the higher education programs’ levels of meeting the predetermined academic and field-specific standards. 

The meeting was opened with a speech delivered by THEQC President Prof. Dr. Elmas, who said: “For their registry and authorization by THEQC, the national accreditation agencies are required to adopt an outcome-based accreditation approach while their implementations and criteria for program accreditation must comply with national and international standards. We need graduates with the competencies demanded by the new world. The most significant indicator of our outcome-based approach is the alumni tracking procedures with a focus on their employment status after graduation. Our most important duty is to produce qualified and employed graduates.“ Expressing that the 11 accreditation agencies are registered by THEQC, Prof. Dr. Elmas said 10 more agencies have filed their applications for registry, and added that they expect and encourage the establishment of new accreditation agencies in the fields of law and social sciences. ”We have formed an online application system for accreditation agencies to expedite the preparation, submission and evaluation of the documents required throughout this process. The agencies will file their applications and all the application procedures will be followed through this system,” he finally said. 

Following the opening speech, THEQC Vice President Prof. Dr. Sibel Aksu Yıldırım informed the participants on the activities and projects of THEQC. Stressing that they wish to establish a simple and universal quality assurance and accreditation system that will address to the entire world, Prof. Dr. Yıldırım pointed out that the Council’s endeavors for the quality assurance and accreditation of association degree and graduate programs are ongoing. She also provided information on the Guideline for the Authorization and Recognition of External Evaluation and Accreditation Agencies, THEQC Online Application System for Accreditation Agencies, and program evaluation works and accreditation applications in higher education institutions. 

After the participants exchanged ideas and feedback, THEQC President Prof. Dr. Elmas and members of the THEQC Commission on Recognition and Authorization of External Evaluation and Accreditation Agencies presented registry certificates to the representatives of 11 agencies, namely Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programs (MÜDEK), Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Medical Education Programs (TEPDAD), Science, Literature, Faculty of Science and Letters, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography Curriculum Programs Assessment and Accreditation Association (FEDEK), Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Educational Institutions and Programs of Veterinary Medicine (VEDEK), Evaluation and Accreditation Association for Programs in the Faculties of Education (EPDAD), Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Nursing Programs (HEPDAK), Communication Education Evaluation and Accreditation Board (İLAD-İLEDAK), Health Sciences Education Programs Evaluation and Accreditation Association (SABAK), Tourism Education Evaluation and Accreditation Board (TUADER-TURAK), Evaluation and Accreditation Association for Programs in the Faculties of Pharmacy (ECZAKDER) and Turkish Psychological Association (TPD).