Consulting in accreditation, quality and development for education businesses
Frequently Asked Questions on Swiss Accreditation
(Classified from strategy, process, outcomes)
Christian Daujat
answers
your questions
STRATEGY
Q: Is this accreditation compulsory? All public and private higher education institutions (tertiary A level in Switzerland) interested to keep or acquire the designation "university", "university of applied sciences" or "university of teacher education" will be asked to comply with the Federal Act (HEdA) norms. For other institutions within tertiary A level, it will be on a volunteer basis and upon their strategic direction and positioning.
Q: Can we only apply for program accreditation? No, the institutional accreditation is the first regulatory requirement thus should be completed first. After this first step, some programs might however be accredited but mainly for specialized sectors such teacher education, medecine...
Q: As a private institution, how do we know if we should apply for the "university" or "university of applied sciences" status? For most cases, Swiss private institutions deliver programs specialized on professional activities (i.e.: business, hospitality mgt). The "university of applied sciences" status is then the status that best correspond to your education services. Universities are more focusing on general education, delivers a great range of disciplines and hold a mission mandate.
Q: What are the key factors for a successful accreditation? There are of course many factors that would drive your accreditation process to success. To highlight the ones that I have identified in different audits carried out in private institutions, I would list the following: A solid company culture with historical legacy, programmes complying with Swiss and European guidelines; a coherent quality structure with efficient cycles, transfer programs for students and faculty, research practices with high-level publications, qualified teams engaged in the project, solid partnerships with academic and industry and finally but not least faculty development programs.
PROCESS
Q: Since when the new Federal Act is in place? The Federal Act (HEdA) has been implemented and applicable since Janauary 2015 and documentation translated in different languages were available in Summer 2015.
Q: Until when could we apply? For those institutions who are requested to go through the process, they have until 2020 to apply and 2022 to complete the process. For volunteer institutions, there are no deadlines.
Q: We went through program accreditation but never through an institutional accreditation. How big is the difference? The difference is quite consequent as the institutional accreditation will also review all services and practices circulating around your programs such as governance, quality strutural framework, student services, finances, branch campuses if any, etc ..... This is a comprehensive assessment to ensure institutional sustainability and excellence in student experience.
Q: How long will it take to complete the accreditation process? The process (from application, admission, self-evaluation, external visit and assessment and final approval) should take approximately 15 to 18 months. It is important however to add a "school readiness" period prior to the accreditation process to ensure your institution meets admission criteria and shows evidence of an historical background in compliance with HEdA norms. I would here recommend to apply backward planning.
OUTCOMES
Q: What will we get out of this institutional accreditation. In other words, is it worth the investment? A Swiss institutional accreditation with give your institution a serious competitive advantage. From a strategic stand point, this label will consolidate your higher-education-provider status both locally and internationally. From a marketing stand point, it would allow you to be on "white lists" in countries which authorize scholarships only to government-recognized studies. Finally from an academic stand point, this accreditation will make your institution more visible in the academic world as far as academic partnerships, transfer of students (especially with Europe) and research collaboration are concerned.
Q: For how long will this accreditation be valid? This institutional accreditation applies for seven years from the moment your accreditation has been validated (without conditions). Should you acquire the accreditation with conditions, the cycle might be different upon areas for improvement.