Procedure Guidelines for P.E.

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: 

  1. Application
    1. 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.
    2. The institution is responsible to ensure that the application contains all required information and that the information is true and fair.
    3. 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:
      1. Name of the Institution
      2. Institution or branch of the Institution pertinent to this application
      3. Name of the Program of Study
      4. Final higher education qualification awarded
      5. Program type (academic / vocational)
      6. Duration of studies
      7. Program’s purpose and objectives
      8. Indented learning outcomes
      9. Program’s language of instruction
      10. Detailed curriculum, including the structure of the program, courses per semester and the content of each course analytically
      11. Student admission requirements
      12. Academic / teaching personnel and their qualifications
      13. Program’s courses and the academic / teaching personnel teaching each course for every year of studies
      14. Research activities of the teaching personnel involved in the program and synergies between research and teaching
      15. Address or addresses of the program’s premises where the program is offered
      16. Number and description of classrooms, laboratories, library, equipment and of any relevant infrastructure in general
      17. Regulations and procedures for quality assurance for the program of study
      18. Student welfare mechanisms, for monitoring the sufficiency of student support
      19. Feasibility study, which must include, amongst others:
        -The proposed number of students
        -Graduates’ employability prospects
      20. Tuition and the management of the program’s financial resources
      21. 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)
      22. Name and contact information of the Program’s Coordinator
    4. 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.
    5. The External Evaluation Committee examines the application, it conducts an on-site visit, and may request additional information.
  2. Evaluation Report
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. The institution receives the evaluation report and submits its comments to the External Evaluation Committee via the Agency’s Secretariat.
    4. The External Evaluation Committee finalises the evaluation report and forwards it to the Agency’s Council.
  3. Decision Regarding Accreditation
    1. The Agency’s Council, on the basis of the report of the External Evaluation Committee decides whether the programme will be accredited.
    2. The Agency Council may take one of the following decisions regarding the accreditation of new programs of study:
      1. 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.
      2. 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].
      3. 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.
    3. 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.

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
      Greek      		Doc in
      English
      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
      Greek      		Doc 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
        Greek        		Doc 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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