ACCUA receives the visit of ENQA review panel for the renewal of its registration in EQAR and its membership in the European association

The panel of international experts held meetings with Agency staff and stakeholders from April 23 to 26

As the competent body in Andalusia for the quality assurance of higher education activities, ACCUA is undergoing an external review coordinated by ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) to assess the development of its activities in accordance with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

This external review, which is mandatory every five years for all entities with ACCUA's competencies, focuses on performance in the evaluation and accreditation activities within the scope of the ESG, namely, the evaluation of official study programmes and higher education institutions.

The review panel has interviewed the agency's governing and management bodies, its Technical Committee, its technical and administrative staff from its offices in Córdoba and Seville, collaborating personnel for the coordination of functional areas, expert evaluators, students, representatives of the governing bodies of Andalusian universities as well as their internal quality assurance units, and representatives from the labor market.

In the closing session, the panel highlighted the commitment of ACCUA's staff, the support provided to evaluation committees, the increased participation of students in committees and governing bodies of the entity, and the positive assessment made by Andalusian universities regarding the transition that the new Agency is undergoing. It also anticipated areas for improvement including increasing stakeholder participation, planning thematic analysis, and expanding the scope of training and information activities.

With the information contained in the self-assessment report and that obtained during the visit, the panel will issue an assessment report on the degree of compliance with ESG, which will be used by the ENQA Committee to issue a verdict on the renewal of ACCUA's membership and by EQAR for the renewal of registration in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education. The evaluation report will be issued next summer, and the process is expected to conclude in early 2025.

The composition of the review panel and more information about the process can be obtained at:
https://www.enqa.eu/review-database/external-review-of-accua-2024/