News 2011
EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme admitted to Register
22 December 2011: Following the most recent Register Committee meeting, also the EUA Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) was admitted to the Register until April 2014, based on an external review of the IEP against the ESG in 2009.
The Register now includes 28 European quality assurance agencies.
ASHE newly admitted to Register, three agencies' registration renewed
25 November 2011: At the most recent Register Committee meeting held in Vienna on 20-21 November, the Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE) was admitted to the Register.
The following three agencies had their inclusion on the Register renewed until 2016: ACQUIN, ASIIN and ZEvA. These were the first agencies to submit applications for renewal of inclusion after five years elapsed since their previous external review.
Austrian universities soon able to choose their quality agency
6 July 2011: A law to reorganise the external quality assurance system for higher education was passed by the Austrian national parliament. The three existing external quality assurance agencies of Austria will be merged into one organisation, the new Agency for Quality Assurance and
Accreditation Austria (AQAA).
Under the new legislation, public universities in Austria will have to have their internal quality assurance system certified in a periodic external audit. For these audits, universities will be free to choose any EQAR-registered agency. Universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) will also benefit from this freedom once they have been accredited by AQAA for two six-year terms.
Austria is the third European country (after Romania and Lithuania) to allow institutions to work with agencies from abroad for their general quality assurance obligations. In Denmark and Germany, external quality assurance procedures by EQAR-registered agencies can be recognised for joint programmes.
Statement on the European Commission Modernisation Agenda
22 June 2011: In a statement on the Modernisation Agenda for Higher Education, EQAR welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to review the 2006 Communication “Delivering on the Modernisation Agenda for Universities”.
The statement sets out how Quality Assurance is an essential tool in helping to promote mobility, support diversity and ensure accountability in Higher Education in Europe.
It also describes how quality assurance can make a contribution to better articulation and recognition of qualifications throughout Europe and gives examples of how the existing European quality assurance instruments and infrastructure could be better used.
EQAR publishes Annual Report 2010
May 2011: EQAR publishes its third Annual Report covering the activities and accounts of 2010. After EQAR having operated for more than two years, the preparations for its external evaluation constituted its most important milestone in 2010. Seven Quality Assurance Agencies were admitted to the Register in 2010. Printed copies have been posted to EQAR members and partners.
19 May 2011: Register now lists 27 quality assurance agencies
- Register Committee in Brussels
At its meeting in Brussels on 13 and 14 May, the Register Committee approved the applications of the following three agencies:
- AERES (France) Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education
- EVA (Denmark) Danish Evaluation Institute
- QANU (the Netherlands) Quality Assurance Netherlands Universities
Read the full Press Release.
12-14 May: EQAR External Evaluation site visit
- Evaluation Panel in Brussels
A seven-member evaluation panel conducted a site visit to Brussels from 12 to 14 May, in the context of the External Evaluation of EQAR. The evaluation panel members were appointed by a Steering Group working under the auspices and with the support of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA, USA).
Read more about the External Evaluation.
Read the full Press Release.
EQAR General Assembly held in Gödöllo, Hungary on 18 March 2011
- EQAR GA, Hungary 18/3/11
EQAR members convened for their fifth General Assembly in Gödöllő on 18 March 2011. The main item on the agenda was the draft Self-Evaluation Report for the External Evaluation of EQAR.
Members shared their comments and reflections on the report in a very engaging discussion. The GA was also informed about the composition of the Evaluation Panel that will carry out the review.
Read more about the General Assembly.
