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Procedure Guidelines for Institution/Department/Programme of Studies

Procedure for Submitting and Examining an Application for the Evaluation / Accreditation of an Institution / Department / Program of Studies by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education

Subject to the provisions of Article (17) of the "Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education and the establishment and operation of an agency on related matters laws" of 2015 to 2021 [L. 136 (Ι)/2015 - L. 132(Ι)/2021], the application procedure shall be defined as follows:

  1. Application
  2. Evaluation
  3. Decision

The procedure:

  1. Application

    • The higher education institution prepares and applies for institutional /departmental /programmatic evaluation.

    • The application for a programmatic evaluation is entirely submitted in the English language, irrespective of the language of the program. If the program is offered in Greek or another language, the application is submitted in English and in the language of the program.

    • The application for institutional and departmental evaluation is submitted only in English.

    • In order to obtain a license for the establishment and operation of a Private University or a Private Institution of Higher Education after the relevant fees have been paid to the Ministry of Education's accounting department, an application is submitted to the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth together with the following forms of the Agency as an annex:

      #ΤίτλοςDoc in
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      200.1 Application for Evaluation - Accreditation of Programme of Study
      Αίτηση για Προγραμματική Αξιολόγηση - Πιστοποίηση Προγράμματος Σπουδών      		 icon word  
      200.1.3 Supplementary document for Distance Learning Programmes’ Application – Study Guide Sample
      Συμπληρωματικό έντυπο για την υποβολή Προγράμματος Σπουδών που προσφέρεται Εξ Αποστάσεως - Πρότυπο Οδηγού Μελέτης      		    
      200.2 Application for Institutional Evaluation
      Αίτηση για Ιδρυματική Αξιολόγηση
      200.2.2 Attachment – For the issuing a Certificate of Inspection for Public and Public Use Buildings
      Προσάρτημα – Έκδοση Πιστοποιητικού Επιθεώρησης για Δημόσια και Δημόσιας Χρήσης Κτήρια      		  
      200.3 Application for Departmental Evaluation
      Αίτηση για Τμηματική Αξιολόγηση      		  
      200.4 Request for reviewing programs of study offered in Cyprus with the method of Franchise/Validation
      Αίτημα για εξέταση προγράμματος σπουδών που προσφέρεται στην Κύπρο με τη μέθοδο της Δικαιόχρησης/Αναγνώρισης (Validation)

      •  

    • The application, accompanying letter and all relevant forms must be submitted both in print and in digital form and must be signed by the institution's officer responsible for the institution in accordance with the law.

    • The application for an institutional evaluation of an existing institution is submitted directly to the Agency after the relevant fees have been paid to the Ministry of Education's accounting department.

    • The institution is required to provide copies of each member of the External Evaluation Committee during the on-site visit to the institution.

    • Accreditation of a program in one district or / facility is not transferred to branches and other facilities without prior institutional evaluation and accreditation of the infrastructure at another site.

    • In the case of a new program offered in both Greek and English, with a unique difference in the language of the offer, the application should be accompanied by a detailed workload of each instructor both in the programs and in the institution in general.

    • The institution is responsible for verifying the completeness and correctness of the data submitted in the application and the accompanying documents.

    • The deadline for submitting applications for new programs is posted on the Agency's website.

    • The process for re-evaluation of an institution/department/program must be submitted at least 16 months before the expiry of the previous accreditation. 

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  2. Evaluation

    • The Agency appoints an External Evaluation Committee (EEC). The educational institution is informed about the composition of the EEC and the evaluation timetable.

    • The EEC examines the application and conducts an on-site visit during which it may request additional information.

    • The EEC shall prepare a report based on the application, the quality criteria specified by the Agency and additional information to be requested during the on-site visit. The report shall include a numerical score and justify whether and how the individual criteria defined by the Body are met and to what extent. The report shall also include a substantiated submission to the Board of the Agency on the basis of which the decision will be taken.

      #Τίτλος/TitleDoc in
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      300.1.1 External Evaluation Report (Conventional-face-to-face programme of study)
       Έκθεση Εξωτερικής Αξιολόγησης (Συμβατικό πρόγραμμα σπουδών)      		  
      300.1.1/1 External Evaluation Report for Basic Medical Education
      Έκθεση Εξωτερικής Αξιολόγησης Προγράμματος Σπουδών στη Βασική Ιατρική Εκπαίδευση      		  
      300.1.1/2 External Evaluation Report (E-learning programme of study)
      Έκθεση Εξωτερικής Αξιολόγησης (Εξ αποστάσεως πρόγραμμα σπουδών)      		  
      300.1.2 Higher Education Institution's Response-Programme of study
      Απάντηση Ιδρύματος Ανώτερης Εκπαίδευσης - Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών      		  
      300.1.2/1 Medical School’s response (Basic Medical Education)
      Απάντηση Ιατρικής Σχολής (Βασική Ιατρική Εκπαίδευση)
      300.1.3 Feedback report from EEC experts-Programme of study
      Ανατροφοδότηση από ΕΕΑ - Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών      		  
      300.1.3/1 Feedback report from  EEC experts (Basic medical education)
      Ανατροφοδότηση απο ΕΕΑ (Βασική ιατρική εκπαίδευση)      		  
      300.1.4

      Follow-up Report (for a CYQAA accredited Institution/Department/Programme of study)

      		  
      300.2.1 External Evaluation Report – Institutional Evaluation
      Έκθεση Εξωτερικής Αξιολόγησης - Ιδρυματική Αξιολόγηση      		    
      300.2.2 Higher Education Institution's Response - Institutional Evaluation
      Απάντηση Ιδρύματος Ανώτερης Εκπαίδευσης - Ιδρυματική Αξιολόγηση      		  
      300.2.3 Feedback report from EEC experts - Institutional Evaluation
      Ανατροφοδότηση από ΕΕΑ - Ιδρυματική Αξιολόγηση      		  
      300.3.1 External Evaluation Report - Departmental Evaluation
      Έκθεση Εξωτερικής Αξιολόγησης - Τμηματική Αξιολόγηση      		  
      300.3.1/1 External Evaluation Report (Programmatic within the framework of Departmental evaluation)
      Έκθεση Εξωτερικής Αξιολόγησης (Προγραμματική στο πλαίσιο της Τμηματικής αξιολόγησης)      		    
      300.3.2 Higher Education Institution's Response - Departmental Evaluation
      Απάντηση Ιδρύματος Ανώτερης Εκπαίδευσης - Τμηματική Αξιολόγηση      		  
      300.3.3 Feedback report from EEC experts - Departmental Evaluation
      Ανατροφοδότηση από ΕΕΑ - Τμηματική Αξιολόγηση      		  

       

    • The institution receives the external evaluation report and within three months submits its observations in writing and documents the implementation of all necessary changes according to the report of the EEC.

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  3. Decision

    • The Council of the Agency on the basis of the EEC report may take one of the following decisions regarding the assessment of an institution /department/program:

      • Decision approving and granting accreditation. The accreditation is valid for a period of five years, after which a re-evaluation has to be carried out. Accreditation can be granted in any case where an HEI has not fully implemented a minor recommendation made in an external evaluation report. In this case, the final report includes recommendations for further improvement to be carried out within a specific timeframe.

        #ΤίτλοςDoc in
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        400.1 Final report of CYQAA - Accreditation of Programme of study
        Τελική Έκθεση Φορέα - Πιστοποίηση Προγράμματος Σπουδών
        400.2 Final report of CYQAA - Institutional Accreditation
        Τελική Έκθεση Φορέα - Ιδρυματική Πιστοποίηση        		  
        400.3 Final report of CYQAA - Departmental Accreditation
        Τελική Έκθεση Φορέα - Τμηματική Πιστοποίηση        		  

         

      • Decision to conduct a second evaluation before the final decisions are taken.

      • Decision to reject accreditation if the institution / department / program does not meet the accreditation criteria.

  4. The Council of the Agency shall inform the Institution of its decision.

  5. Τhe Agency's decision, the EEC report and the institution's response are posted on the Agency's website. 

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