THEQC Grants Institutional Accreditation to 30 HEIs

ANKARA – The Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) granted institutional accreditation, given to HEIs under the Institutional Accreditation Program to increase their quality and contribute to their quality assurance, to 30 HEIs.

In its meeting in April, THEQC Council took the accreditation decisions for Abdullah Gül University, Altınbaş University, Bahçeşehir University, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Bursa Technical University, Bursa Uludağ University, Çağ University, Çukurova University, Doğuş University, Fırat University, Gazi University, Hacettepe University, Harran University, İstanbul Arel University, İstanbul Beykent University, İstanbul Okan University, İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, İzmir University of Economics, İzmir Institute of Technology, Kadir Has University, Manisa Celâl Bayar University, Middle East Technical University, Özyeğin University, Sabancı University, Süleyman Demirel University, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Trakya University, Uşak University, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, and Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University in the scope of the 2022 Institutional Accreditation Program.

“An important achievement for the Turkish higher education quality assurance system”

Prof. Mustafa Çufalı, THEQC Vice-President, stated that the Institutional Accreditation Program (IAP) became one of the essential elements of the quality assurance of the Turkish higher education system and noted that the Program provides quality assurance evaluation of higher education institutions for all areas of activity such as leadership, governance and quality, learning and teaching, research and development, and service to society.

Expressing that the IAP was carried out according to the criteria determined by THEQC, Prof. Çufalı stated that higher education institutions that meet these criteria adequately are granted full accreditation for five years, and higher education institutions that meet these criteria at a partial level are granted conditional accreditation for two years. He added that the information on higher education institutions that are institutionally accredited by THEQC is shared with the public in the Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide issued for students taking the Higher Education Institutions Exam conducted by the Centre for Assessment, Selection and Placement (ÖSYM).

Advantages of holding an institutional accreditation

Giving information about the prominent aspects of a university with institutional accreditation compared to other universities, Prof. Çufalı said, “A higher education institution’s holding the Institutional Accreditation Certificate from THEQC means that it established the relevant mechanisms to ensure that the objectives promised to the public in its main fields of activity are achieved. Universities implement, monitor and improve a significant part of them well. The involvement of all internal and external stakeholders is considered important. Student feedback is particularly taken into account and reflected in decision-making processes. Curricula are systematically updated based on the requirements of the information age, changing student characteristics, and student-centered learning understanding. Efforts are made to continuously improve learning resources and teaching staff competencies. The research competencies of the institution are being developed and service to society activities are systematically addressed.” Prof. Çufalı also thanked all the stakeholders who contributed to the process.