The QUACING Quality Certification / EUR-ACE Accreditation process of the Study Programs in Engineering can be divided into activities preceding the evaluation visit, evaluation visit, activities following the evaluation visit.
ACTIVITIES PRIOR TO THE ASSESSMENT VISIT
Appointment of the Evaluation Group
The appointment of the Evaluation Group and its Team Leader is carried out by the Director, usually at least eight weeks before the period of the evaluation visit.
The Evaluation Groups are made up of at least three members: a university professor and an expert from the labour market (external to the University), included in the Evaluator’s Register of the Agency or other authorized EUR-ACE Agency, and a first level graduate enrolled in a Master’s Degree Course or a PhD student with a degree in Engineering, member of university bodies or structures and / or with previous experience of external evaluation of university Degree Programs.
Indication of the Internal Coordinator of the Degree Program
At least eight weeks before the date scheduled for the evaluation visit, the SP to be evaluated communicates to the Technical Secretariat, and this to the Evaluation Group, the name of the internal Coordinator of the SP, who will be the reference for relations with the Evaluation Group and, during the visit, he will act as spokesperson for the SP and as a liaison with the Evaluation Group itself.
Date of the evaluation visit and visit agenda
The Technical Secretariat, having consulted the Evaluation Group and the Coordinator of the certification / accreditation activity, establishes, in compliance with the deadlines defined in the Agreement, the date of the evaluation visit and communicates it to the SP at least four weeks before the scheduled date.
The Team Leader of the Evaluation Group has the task of defining, after consulting the other members of the Group, the Agenda for the visit. The Visit Agenda must be sent to the Technical Secretariat, which in turn will send it to the SP to be evaluated. In particular, the Visit Agenda must reach the SP to be assessed normally at least three weeks before the date set for the assessment visit, in order to allow for adequate organization of the same by the SP.
EVALUATION VISIT
The evaluation visit aims to:
verify the fulfilment by the assessed SP of the quality requirements defined in the QUACING Model;
promote the improvement of the quality of the SP.
As a rule, the visit lasts at least two days and must be carried out in compliance with the instructions contained in the document ‘QUACING Guidelines for the External Evaluation of University Degree Programs in Engineering’.
ACTIVITIES FOLLOWING THE EVALUATION VISIT
Evaluation Report
Within four weeks of the completion of the evaluation visit, the Team Leader of the Evaluation Group sends the Evaluation Report (RV) to the Technical Secretariat.
Examination of the Evaluation Report
Before being submitted for approval by the Steering Committee, the RV is examined by at least one member of the Steering Committee and by the Technical Secretariat to verify its completeness and adequacy. This examination must normally be completed within three weeks of its receipt.
If the RV is assessed as incomplete or inadequate, the Technical Secretariat will ask the Evaluation Group to complete or revise it. The Evaluation Team has two weeks from the date of receipt of the request to complete or review.
The RV is then sent to the assessed SP, which has two weeks, starting from the date of transmission of the RV, to make observations on the assessments and / or the findings made in the RV.
Any observations are transmitted by the Technical Secretariat to the Evaluation Group, which has two weeks to review the RV and / or formulate counter-observations.
Approval of the evaluation report and formulation of the proposed certification / accreditation decision
The Technical Secretariat transmits the RV and any observations from the SP concerned and counter-observations from the Evaluation Group to the Steering Committee usually within a maximum of ten weeks from the first receipt of the RV.
The evaluation of the SP usually ends within six weeks from the transmission to the Steering Committee of the RV and any other documentation, with the approval of the RV and with the formulation by the Steering Committee of the proposal for a certification / accreditation decision to be forward to the Board of Directors.
Certification / accreditation decision
The certification / accreditation decisions are the responsibility of the Board of Directors, which ratifies the proposals of the Steering Committee, and are normally taken within twelve weeks of the formulation of the relative proposals by the Steering Committee.
Information and Appeals
The certification / accreditation decision is communicated by the Technical Secretariat to the requesting University usually within two weeks of its acceptance by the Board of Directors. At the same time, the Technical Secretariat also transmits the RV approved by the Steering Committee to the requesting University.
In the case of satisfactory certification / accreditation, with findings or not granted, the University to which the Degree Program belongs may appeal against the decision of the Board of Directors within two weeks of receiving the communication.
Certificate of certification / accreditation and Publication of the certification / accreditation decision After the deadline for the presentation of a possible appeal by the University concerned, the Technical Secretariat will issue the fully satisfactory, satisfactory or with reliefs certificate of certification / accreditation, signed by the President of the Agency and the Director, and to the publication of the certification / accreditation decision, indicating the duration of the validity of the certification / accreditation, on the Agency’s website. In the case of accreditation, the relevant decision is also published on the ENAEE database, indicating the duration of the validity of the accreditation