A Meeting with the Senior Administrators of Higher Education Institutions and National Accreditation Agencies has been held

An information meeting was held on 6 May 2021 by the Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) for the leaders of higher education institutions that will be included in the Institutional External Evaluation Program (IEEP) in 2021. In another meeting held on the same day, the 2020 findings of the Follow-up Program were evaluated with the participation of national accreditation bodies authorized by THEQC.

THEQC President Prof.  Dr.  The meetings, which started with the opening speeches of the President of THEQC, Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Elmas, were held online.

“There is a tendency towards institutional accreditation in the world”

THEQC President Prof.  Dr. Elmas, drew attention to the innovations in the field of higher education in the world; Elmas said, “THEQC has established a system that complies with the criteria accepted by the whole world, it also takes into account the circumstances of Turkey”. Emphasizing that there is a change of perspective in the world in the field of higher education, Prof. Dr. Elmas noted that it has become important to foster competence for everyone and to educate individuals who take into account the ever-changing competencies. Prof. Elmas added that academicians should be prepared for more than one competence.

Referring to the efforts to increase the quality in higher education, Prof. Dr. Elmas stated that universities in Turkey do not have a problem in planning and perspective, and that there are shortcomings in implementation and following-up of results. Stating that the global trends in the field of quality assurance in higher education have shifted the focus of the quality assurance works from program-based work to institutional application and evaluation methods, Prof. Dr. Elmas continued as follows:

“We want to establish user-friendly systems in our universities”

“When universities establish their quality assurance system correctly, they can apply for the Institutional Accreditation Program. The institutional accreditation goal is not about the age or background of the institution, but about structuring quality assurance processes. We do not want to tire the institutions, we want to look at the established systems from an outside perspective. From now on, the external evaluation processes that we will employ, especially those that involve new universities, will be a guide for the relevant institutions. The reports will provide guidance and will not involve judgment. After each evaluation, we hold meetings with the rectors and administrators of our universities on this matter. In order to better understand the institution, we move forward by continuously changing and correcting our criteria, provided that the basic principles remain the same. We want to establish simpler and more user-friendly systems in our universities. “