Project: System accreditation
Project: System accreditation
The university is currently preparing for system accreditation.
Following the University's decision at the end of 2018 to switch from programme accreditation to system accreditation, the development of a quality management system for teaching and learning began in 2019. With the participation of all Schools, the Didactic Centre and the Centre for Lifelong Learning, a quality management system is being developed that will allow us to review and further develop the quality of our degree programmes under our own responsibility.
In order to be able to apply for system accreditation, a mission statement for teaching is required on the one hand, which is also reflected in the individual degree programmes. On the other hand, an internal quality management system is required. This should ensure that work is continuously carried out on the further development of the degree programmes and study conditions and that the objectives of the mission statement are implemented.
System accreditation gives the university the right to award the seal of the Accreditation Council itself for the degree programmes it has examined. However, the system itself must first be accredited by an agency. At the University of Oldenburg, this will be the accreditation agency ACQUIN.
You can see the current status of the changeover here under project progression.
Why did the University of Oldenburg decide to switch from programme accreditation to system accreditation?
- Instead of many programme accreditations, the university's quality management system will in future only be assessed every 8 years by an external agency and the Accreditation Council.
- The UOL can organise its quality management in such a way that the costs and benefits are balanced .
- The University reviews the many quality assurance instruments it already has in place and combines them into a meaningful, interrelated quality management system.
- When reviewing its degree programmes, the University is less dependent on the processes/procedures and timelines of external agencies. Reviewers can be sought more precisely for the cluster.
- Inconsistencies in reviews can be avoided.
- Continuous monitoring and systematic further development of degree programmes and study conditions focus more strongly than before on issues relating to the quality of teaching and learning. This creates regular opportunities for dialogue between those involved.
What is the procedure for developing quality management?
Individual sub-areas/concepts of the quality management system are developed in various working groups. The drafts and discussion proposals are discussed and further developed in the Schools and organisational units involved. These are then discussed and agreed with the steering group and the Presidential Board.