ACQUIN

The Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute ( ACQUIN ) is the largest of the six accreditation agencies, on behalf of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Study Programmes in Germany the content and specialist assessment of courses with the Bachelor / Bachelor and Master / Magister nationally and internationally guaranteed.

As a registered charity ACQUIN is supported by its members, now over 100 universities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, the Middle East, Kazakhstan, China and the USA, as well as scientific professional and trade associations. Seat of the office is Bayreuth, founding president was Klaus Dieter Wolff.

ACQUIN eV is entitled to grant the quality seal of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Study Programmes in Germany to accredited ACQUIN Bachelor's and Master's programs at state and state- recognized universities. ACQUIN in all subject areas that are represented in higher education, active. The accreditation procedures are designed so that neither the content nor the results are predetermined by the institutional framework of the applicant: the objective with the study program submitted for accreditation objective directs the conduct of proceedings and the test result.

Objective

  • ACQUIN used to identify and describe, security, development and control of quality in teaching and learning.
  • The provision, assurance, control, development and improvement of quality in an open training market ACQUIN met by considering program offers on fulfillment of case-related criteria applied by the Agency in accordance with the self-prepared by the university level of quality and performance approach. Starting from the definition of accreditation subject - the study program - leads ACQUIN by a two-stage review process appropriate to the object to be evaluated in the strengths and weaknesses of the program. The assessment result is the basis of the accreditation process, which leads to an accreditation outcome.
  • ACQUIN want according to their own statement contribute to the internationalization and flexibility of the German higher education and has set itself the goal of nationwide and across higher education carry accreditations to ensure a high quality of new study programs to create market transparency, increasing the attractiveness of universities for qualified foreign students and to increase the comparability of academic qualifications.

Concept of quality

The concept of quality, which is the ACQUIN approach is based is a multi-step. First, the objective of the study program is validated. Question here is to what extent the aims of the study program is useful. If so, then after the

  • Consistency, coherence and consistency of the design
  • The consistency of the implementation and
  • Asked the competence and capacity of the providers of the study program, to check quality, secure and modify.

ACQUIN eV even used to describe the action the formula fitness for purpose / fitness of purpose.

Pilot project process quality / accreditation process

  • End of December 2004 launched a German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( BMBF) funded two-year pilot project for the optimization of process quality in teaching and learning as well as the design and implementation of a process of accreditation process. As the core of the developed approach is ACQUIN ACQUIN establish pilot projects with the participating universities, University of Bayreuth, University of Bremen, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt and Münster University, conceive and carry. The project is at the German Rectors' Conference ( HRK) based.

Cooperations

ACQUIN is a member of European and international associations and project initiatives that are achieving the association's goals is helpful. ACQUIN involved in international, particularly European groupings of institutions external quality assurance. ACQUIN so contributes to the development of the European Higher Education Area:

  • ENQA: European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, full member
  • EEA: European University Association, associate member
  • INQAAHE: International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, full member
  • CEEN: Central and Eastern European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, full member
  • ECA: European Consortium for Accreditation in Higher Education, full member

ACQUIN has defined for its activities focus regions, which are characterized by partnership projects, cooperation in networks and especially through assessment and accreditation process:

  • Central and Eastern Europe, South East Europe
  • MEDA region ( Maghreb and Mashreq countries)
  • Region D -A- CH ( Germany, Austria and Switzerland )

Other accrediting organizations

  • Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Health and Social Services Association ( AHPGS )
  • Agency for Quality Assurance by Accreditation of Study Programmes - ( AQAS )
  • Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in Engineering, computer science, natural sciences and mathematics (ASIIN )
  • Evalag ( Evaluation Agency of Baden- Württemberg)
  • Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation ( FIBAA )
  • Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency ( ZEvA )
German Rectors' Conference German-speaking Europe
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