{"id":108679,"date":"2020-01-31T17:15:03","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T16:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=108679"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:41","slug":"will-universities-perform-their-own-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/01\/31\/will-universities-perform-their-own-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Will universities perform their own reviews?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Accrediting education programmes? Let us do it ourselves, the universities say. In suggesting so, they garner support from an unexpected source. Anne Flierman, chairman of NVAO, the organisation that assures the quality of higher education, can see their point. “Trust is fine. The downside it that, when that trust turns out to have been misplaced, you have to be able to intervene much quicker.”<\/p>\n

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Every six years, the NVAO inspects all higher education programmes. A commission of independent experts check, among other aspects, the quality, facilities, and level of teaching on offer.<\/p>\n

However, sometimes this process encounters resistance. Critics argue that it is too complex, and question whether the commission really needs to \u2018split so many hairs\u2019, arguing instead that it would be better to apportion a degree of trust. In other words, accredit the whole institution in one go, allowing it to ensure things continue to run smoothly.<\/p>\n

Universities have been lobbying for years for such a system of \u2018institutional accreditation\u2019- a system that Minister of Education Ingrid van Engelshoven also approves of. With such high-level approval, this could definitely happen in the future. Yet, whilst NVAO chairman Anne Flierman sees the possibilities, he also warns against unrealistic expectations.<\/p>\n

Met name universiteiten voeren al jaren een lobby<\/a> voor zo\u2019n \u2018instellingsaccreditatie\u2019 en minister Van Engelshoven is er ook niet tegen<\/a>. NVAO-voorzitter Anne Flierman ziet mogelijkheden, maar waarschuwt ook voor overspannen verwachtingen.<\/p>\n

Reduction in workload is illusion<\/h2>
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Whilst it is tempting to think that such a system will lead to a reduction in work pressure, according to Flierman, this is an illusion: \u201cInstitutions remain obliged to let external experts accredit their education programmes periodically, following European guidelines. You can leave it to the NVAO or take care of it yourself, but in any case, it has to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the NVAO chairman, the system does not have to change drastically in order to decrease work pressure. \u201cThe only thing that truly helps, is to keep the dossiers in good order all the way through. If you have to do your tax declaration in March and only then start sorting out the shoebox with the receipts, this is much more work than when you stay on top of it each month. Quality assurance is exactly the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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The way study programmes are accredited now<\/strong><\/p>\n

Higher education programmes are audited every six years on many aspects, for example, the final grades of students and the facilities provided. A panel of experts visits such institutions to carry out these audits. Subsequently, the NVAO makes its decision and, if there is something wrong, in almost all cases, the programme concerned is given the opportunity to improve within one or two years.<\/p>\n

Universities and other higher education institutions can also partake in an ‘institutional audit’ (Instellingstoets Kwaliteitszorg, ITK). In this case, the NVAO assesses whether the preconditions within the entire institution are met: is it well administered, is quality assurance in place? When institutions have successfully completed the ITK, their separate programmes will be subjected to a lighter assessment. Whilst this procedure is often confused with ‘institutional accreditation’, it is indeed something else.<\/p>\n

And what about quality agreements? In order to access the millions of euros within the new student loan system, universities and other higher education institutions have to agree on quality agreements concerning how this money is spent. The NVAO checks if conditions are met, and whether the agreements in place are fit for purpose.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Extra effort<\/h2>

Moreover, Flierman suggests, institutional accreditation might even cost\u00a0more<\/em> time: \u201cYou can\u2019t accredit an entire education institution lightly. Ultimately, we want to know three things: what policies are in place, does the institution self-regulate well, and what does this look like in practice within the individual education programmes? You still need audit reports to do so, which demonstrate how things are being monitored and which improvements have been implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, he expects the NVAO will continue to carry out spot checks. \u201cImagine that an institution has 75 education programmes. Then you do want to subject a few of those to closer inspection: what did you do here exactly? Perhaps you want to inspect all education programmes that lead to a recognised professional qualification, such as medicine. You also want to give extra attention to programmes that are subject to rapid growth or strong change, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking all things into consideration, Flierman thinks that the accreditation of institutions can be stimulating. \u201cEducation institutions and their Executive Boards will make an extra effort \u2013 just imagine that they won\u2019t get through it! It is important for their reputation. Now, if on occasion an education programme is rejected or has to go into a \u2018repair period,\u2019 one thinks: These things can happen. It will be much more painful when in the future, we will have to say: Generally speaking, you are not sufficiently assuring quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Reason for concern?<\/h2>

However, can education institutions handle the responsibility? In a step towards full institutional accreditation, education institutions can already apply for the \u2018institutional audit\u2019 (Instellingstoets Kwaliteitszorg, ITK). This is a general audit at the institutional level: is the level of self-regulation good? Do employees dare to pull each other up on the quality of education? If higher education institutions and universities get through this, then their separate education programmes will get a lighter assessment in the years to follow.<\/p>\n

Painfully, one out of three institutions did not make it through the ITK during the first round (2011-2014). However, even some of the institutions that initially got through had some of their education programmes subsequently rejected, indicating that their quality was not up to standard. Is that not reason for concern?<\/p>\n

Flierman does not think it is that bad: \u201cThey have learned a lot from the experience\u201d, he says. \u201cIt was a new test, and some institutions had to get used to it. Now it goes better. It seems that, at most, one out of ten institutions does not make it through this test in one go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Een lijst met artikelen<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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