that HEIs must periodically review the quality of their teaching, research and services as well as to ensure long-term quality assurance and quality development.
Proof of this can be provided by HEIs through institutional accreditation.
Institutional accreditation is mandatory if an institution wishes to call itself a "University", "University of Applied Sciences" or "University of Teacher Education". It is also a requirement for universities regulated by public law in order to be eligible for federal contributions as well as it is mandatory to be able to carry out programme accreditations according to HEdA.
FIBAA conducts the procedure of the institutional accreditation (from the first briefing between the HEI and FIBAA until the final assessment report by the panel by taking into account a statement from the HEI). The final decision on the accreditation is taken by the Swiss Accreditation Council.
The implementation of the institutional accreditation procedure by FIBAA (from the first informational interview to the final expert report, taking into account a statement by the higher education institution). The decision on accreditation is made by the Swiss Accreditation Council on the basis of the expert report and accreditation application prepared by FIBAA.
Objectives of Institutional Accreditation
The institutional accreditation procedure serves to demonstrate that a higher education institution has established an autonomous quality assurance system and that the quality of teaching, research, and services is effectively ensured in accordance with national criteria and international standards.
According to the Higher Education Funding and Coordination Act (HEdA), a higher education institution must, in particular:
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have an effective quality assurance system (Art. 30 para. 1 lit. a HEdA),
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demonstrate adequate infrastructure and qualified staff for teaching, research, and services,
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be compatible with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
The requirements for admission to the institutional accreditation procedure are set out in Article 4 of the HEdA Accreditation Ordinance.
Your Benefits
1. Impetus for the further development of quality
Institutional accreditation supports the continuous development of the quality of your internal processes and study programmes, as it does not assess your internal quality assurance system selectively with reference to individual programmes, but rather considers it as a whole.
2. Expertise and long-standing experience
We are one of the oldest accreditation agencies in Germany and have extensive national and international experience in quality assurance in higher education. Our staff members as well as peer reviewers are continuously trained to meet both your expectations and our own quality standards.
3. Consideration of individual needs
We take into account the individual needs of the higher education institution, for example in the selection of the peer review team, the design of the review process, and within the framework of the institution’s statement on the peer review report.
4. Competent support
A dedicated project manager supports the higher education institution competently throughout the entire procedure.
The procedure is based on the guidelines from the Ordinance of the Higher Education Council on Accreditation within the Higher Education Sector (HEdA Accreditation Ordinance). The guidelines provide for the following procedural steps:
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Submission of a justified request by the higher education institution to the Swiss Accreditation Council for admission to the procedure;
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If the requirements are met, the Swiss Accreditation Council admits the higher education institution to the procedure (decision on admission);
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Planning and initiation of the procedure through the conclusion of a contract between the higher education institution and FIBAA;
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Submission of the self-documentation of the higher education institution to FIBAA;
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Compilation of an independent review team by FIBAA in consultation with the higher education institution;
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The review is conducted during an on-site visit with all representative groups affected by the procedure;
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Preparation of a review report and an accreditation application;
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Opportunity for the higher education institution to provide comments;
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Submission of the accreditation application and other documents to the Swiss Accreditation Council;
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Accreditation decision by the Swiss Accreditation Council;
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Publication of the decision and the review report;
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If applicable, verification of compliance with any conditions.
As part of its recognition as an agency by the Swiss Accreditation Council, FIBAA has committed to using the guidelines of the Swiss Agency for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ).
To support the process of institutional accreditation under HEdA, FIBAA has developed a Guide to Institutional Accreditation according to HEdA, which contains the following components:
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Chapter A. The Swiss higher education system: basics and definitions
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Chapter B. Institutional accreditation - guide
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Chapter C. Explanations of quality standards
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Chapter D. Code of conduct
This guide serves as the basis for preparing your self-documentation.
Decision Body
The final accreditation decision is made by the Swiss Accreditation Council based on a proposal by FIBAA, the self-evaluation report by the HEI, the assessment report by the experts and the statement from the HEI.
The Accreditation Council is the joint body of the federal government and cantons for accreditation and quality assurance in the Swiss higher education sector and the accreditation authority for the accreditation procedures pursuant to HEdA.
Regulation
Our procedure is in line with the following regulations for institutional accreditation:
Higher Education Funding and Coordination Act, HEdA
Ordinance of the Higher Education Council on Accreditation within the Higher Education Sector (HEdA Accreditation Ordinance)
Ordinance of the University Council on the Coordination of Teaching at Swiss Universities (German)
Admission Ordinance FH: Ordinance of the University Council on Admission to Universities of Applied Sciences and Institutes of Applied Sciences (German)
Ordinance of the Swiss Accreditation Council on the Fees for Accreditation
Procedures and Services on behalf of Third Parties (SAC Fees Ordinance, FeeO-SAC)
Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area
Please feel free to contact us!
FIBAA stands for reliable support in quality development.
We look forward to walking the path together with you.
Please send us your enquiry.
