Procedure for the Submission and Examination of an Application for the Evaluation-Accreditation of a Programme of Study by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (CY.Q.A.A.)
According to the provisions of Article (17) of the “Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Higher Education and the Establishment and Operation of an Agency on Related Matters Laws” of 2015 and 2016, the procedure for the submission of an application is defined as follows:
Application
The Institution of Higher Education prepares and submits the application. For programs where the language of instruction is not Greek, the complete application for external evaluation should be submitted in English only, regardless of the language of instruction.
For programs where the language of instruction is Greek, the application is submitted in both Greek and in English. The application for institutional and departmental evaluation is submitted only in English
The application and cover letter, which should be submitted in print and electronically, must be signed by the chief person in charge of the institution according to the Law.
The institution is responsible to provide additional copies of the application for each member of the External Evaluation Committee on the day of the site visit (the Agency will inform the institution accordingly as regards to the exact number of copies and the language of the documents).
It is highlighted that the language of instruction of the program as well as the location the program is going to be offered at, should be stated in the application. The accreditation of a program of study in a given location or infrastructures is not transferable to annexes and other infrastructures of the institution, without the prior conduct of institutional evaluation and without the evaluation of the infrastructures at the location the program will be offered.
In the case of a new program of study offered in both Greek and English, in the cases where the only differentiation is the language of instruction, the application should be submitted along with the analytical workload for each member of the personnel teaching in the program as well as at the institution in general.
The deadline for submitting applications for new programmes is published on the Agency’s website according to the relevant provisions of the the “Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Higher Education and the Establishment and Operation of an Agency on Related Matters Laws” of 2015” and 2016.
The institution is responsible to ensure that the application contains all required information and that the information is true and fair.
The application should include the following information, as well any additional information relevant to the Criteria set by the Agency in relation to programmatic evaluation:
Name of the Institution
Institution or branch of the Institution pertinent to this application
Name of the Program of Study
Final higher education qualification awarded
Program type (academic / vocational)
Duration of studies
Program’s purpose and objectives
Indented learning outcomes
Program’s language of instruction
Detailed curriculum, including the structure of the program, courses per semester and the content of each course analytically
Student admission requirements
Academic / teaching personnel and their qualifications
Program’s courses and the academic / teaching personnel teaching each course for every year of studies
Research activities of the teaching personnel involved in the program and synergies between research and teaching
Address or addresses of the program’s premises where the program is offered
Number and description of classrooms, laboratories, library, equipment and of any relevant infrastructure in general
Regulations and procedures for quality assurance for the program of study
Student welfare mechanisms, for monitoring the sufficiency of student support
Feasibility study, which must include, amongst others: -The proposed number of students -Graduates’ employability prospects
Tuition and the management of the program’s financial resources
Administrative structure of the institution’s programs of study, including the new (proposed) program in the proper position (i.e. by indicating the School and the Department under which the new program will operate, by noting whether the program is inter-institutional, inter-departmental, etc)
Name and contact information of the Program’s Coordinator
The Agency appoints an External Evaluation Committee. The institution is informed regarding the External Evaluation Committee’s composition and the time framework of the evaluation procedure.
The External Evaluation Committee examines the application, it conducts an on-site visit, and may request additional information.
Evaluation Report
The External Evaluation Committee drafts a report based on the application, the evaluation criteria set by the Agency, and on the basis of the information which are provided by the abovementioned Article 1.6. The report contains numerical grading and substantiates if and how the individual criteria set by the Agency have been fulfilled and to which degree. The report also contains a comprehensive recommendation to the Council of the Agency, on the basis of which the Council will decide for the approval or rejection of the program of study.
The External Evaluation Committee’s evaluation is based on the information provided in the application, the criteria set by the Agency, which are published on its website and any additional information that the External Evaluation Committee may request from the institution.
The institution receives the evaluation report and submits its comments to the External Evaluation Committee via the Agency’s Secretariat.
The External Evaluation Committee finalises the evaluation report and forwards it to the Agency’s Council.
Decision Regarding Accreditation
The Agency’s Council, on the basis of the report of the External Evaluation Committee decides whether the programme will be accredited.
The Agency Council may take one of the following decisions regarding the accreditation of new programs of study:
Decision to approve and award program accreditation, if the program fulfils the accreditation criteria. The program accreditation is in effect for five years, after which the program must be re-evaluated and re-accredited.
Decision for the conduct of a Second Evaluation on the basis of Article 20 (2) (f) (ii) of the “Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education and the Establishment and Operation of an Agency on Related Matters Laws of 2015 – 2016” [Ν. 136(Ι)/2015 and Ν.47(Ι)/2016].
Decision to reject and decline the award of program accreditation, in case the program fails to fulfil the accreditation criteria. When such a decision is made by the Council, the institution is not allowed offer the program.
The Agency’s Council informs the institution the institution accordingly. The Agency’s decision, along with the report of the External Evaluation Committee are published on the Agency’s website.
