INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION

Institutional accreditation is the process of assessing the quality level of an educational institution in accordance with the declared status. In the process of institutional accreditation, the quality of education and the scientific activities of the educational organization are evaluated.

The IQAA institutional accreditation standards are developed in accordance with the "Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area" (ESG) and are intended for the internal quality assurance system of higher education institutions.

The standards and criteria for institutional accreditation of higher education institutions are developed in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Education", the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance of Higher Education (ESG), the requirements of the Bologna Process, international practice on institutional accreditation and audit of higher education.

The standards and criteria of institutional accreditation are intended for internal quality assurance of higher education institutions.

The standards and criteria for institutional accreditation are based on four key ESG principles:

1.Higher education institutions are fully responsible for the quality of the provision of educational services and ensuring their quality.

2.Quality assurance is consistent with the diversity of higher education systems, universities, educational programs, and students.

3.Quality assurance supports the development of a quality culture.

4.Quality assurance takes into account the needs and expectations of students, all other stakeholders, and society.

Standards for Institutional Accreditation of Higher Education Organizations (2021)

INITIAL INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION

Initial institutional accreditation (ex-ante) of higher education institutions – the process of assessing the quality of the organization of higher education (licensed by the state for educational activities) without the release of students for compliance with the declared status and standards of the accreditation body.

The initial accreditation status of an educational organization is granted when the educational organization demonstrates its potential to meet the IQAA accreditation standards developed on the basis of the ESG.

Initial institutional accreditation provides for all procedures for conducting an external audit in accordance with the standards and criteria for institutional accreditation of the educational organization/educational program, with the exception of interviews with graduates, employers, and students and the implementation of the recommendations of the expert group after obtaining the status of initial accreditation.