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ACCREDITATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS,THEIR

PROGRAMMES AND COURSES

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THE ROLE OF ZIMCHE

• The regulatory authority of higher education in Zimbabwe

• Registration• Quality assurance• Accreditation• The concept of higher education institutions

(HEIs)

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Registration

• Who is to be registered?• Previously registered institutions• New Private institutions• New state institutions

• Instruments• The register.

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Accreditation

• The Concept: to certify/guarantee• Types: Institutional, programme, course• Does it meet certain minimum laid down

standards?• ZIMCHE is the External QAA

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Institutional Accreditation• There are 10 criteria to be satisfied. (Ref. ACCR 1A)1. The institution:2. Governance structures and procedures3. Physical Structures4. Staffing5. Staff promotion procedures6. Student admission7. Student registration8. Special facilities9. Assessment of students10 Student and staff welfare

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1. The institution

• What are its vision, mission, goals and objectives?

• Policies, action plans• Relevance to Zimbabwe• Accessibility

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2. Governance Structures and Procedures

• Administration hierarchy and their roles• Key committees and their roles

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3. Physical Structures

• Classrooms• Office space• Toilets• Library• Laboratories and workshops

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4. Staffing

• Key administrators and their qualifications• Academics and their qualifications and

experience• Staff/student ratios

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5. Academic Staff Promotion

• There has to be clearly stated policies, criteria and procedures for promotion to all grades

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6. Student admission

• There has to be clearly stated policies, criteria and procedures for admission to all programmes.

• No discrimination is accepted• Mature and special entry policies must be

stated.

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7. Student Registration

• Clear and accurate records must be kept• Staff/student ratios must be controlled

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8. Special facilities

• Computers• Access to internet• Specialist teaching equipment. • Specialist rooms, workshops, fields and

grounds.

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9. Programme Regulations

• These must be clearly laid out and documented.

• Attendance requirements • Assessment procedures and requirements.• These now need to be ratified by ZIMCHE

before a course or programme begins.

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10 Staff and Student Welfare

• Residences• Transport• Food outlets• Sporting facilities• Non-resident students• The physically challenged• &&&&&&&&&&&&&

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Programme and Course Accreditation

• Every degree programme will be accredited• Every degree course will be accredited.• Areas of assessment are Inputs, Processes and

outputs/impact• Ref. ACCR 2A

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Input Criteria• Programme Design: Relevance to mission, to students,

employers and the nation. Articulation with other programmes and provision of learning materials.

• 2. Student selection and admission• 3. Staffing quality and quantity• 4. Teaching and learning strategy• 5. Student assessment policies and procedures.• 6. Resources (infrastructural, material and financial)• 7. Programme administration processes• 8. Regulations

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Programme Process Criteria

• Programme coordination• Ensuring student academic development• Teaching and learning interactions• Student assessment practices• Rigour and security of assessment• Coordination of work-based learning• Delivery of post graduate programmes.

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Programme Output/Impact Criteria

• 1.Student retention and throughput• 2. External acknowledgement• 3. Employment of graduates.• 4. Programme review: user surveys, reviews,

impact studies and use of results.• &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

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Course accreditation

• Relevance to the programme• (The rest: same as in programme

accreditation.)

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Modus operandi

• Initiation• Institutional claims (IQA)• Peer review (EQA) – specific training• Discussion• Results• Publication of results• ZIMCHE database

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NOTE

• For the good of the HEI• External recognition• Colleagial approach• The need for IQA teams• The need to be realistic and not too ambitious• Quality is the buzz word in University

education