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Management Arrangements

Accreditation at the University of Adelaide
Principles
Accreditation Procedures
Documentation
Site Visits
Responses
Responsibilities

Accreditation at the University of Adelaide

The professional accreditation of programs offered by the University is conducted by a variety of accrediting bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia, Engineers Australia and the Australian Medical Council. The University has no influence over the accreditation process and fully recognises the independence of the accrediting bodies. However, the University has established certain procedural practices to ensure that all instances of accreditation are recorded, that a schedule of impending accreditations is maintained and that issues identified through accreditation are formally addressed by the University.
 
The University also recognises that reports by accrediting bodies are a valuable source of information about the quality of programs offered by the University. This information is of interest to external organisations such as AUQA and issues identified during an accreditation are relevant to program reviews and annual monitoring. For these reasons copies of all reports provided by professional accreditation bodies and any associated documentation are to be held centrally within the University.
 
In order to facilitate this process, the University has adopted the following principles: 

Principles

The University:
1.      recognises the independence of all organisations conducting the professional accreditation of a program.
2.      supports the seeking of professional accreditation of a program where and whenever such accreditation improves the quality of a program and/or enhances the employment opportunities of graduates.
3.      requires that all issues identified through professional accreditation are reported to the appropriate University committee(s).
4.      is to maintain a schedule of all impending professional accreditations.
5.      is to maintain a record of all previous accreditations for a period of seven years.
6.      requires that  information obtained from professional accreditations is available for quality assurance purposes in program reviews and AUQA audits.
7.      requires that issues identified through accreditation processes are addressed promptly and systematically.

Accreditation Procedures

The accreditation procedures used by the various professional bodies vary significantly. Some are very formal, involve lengthy site visits and require significant input by several staff members whereas others are less formal and involve limited staff input. Although the University has no control over the actual accreditation process of an individual professional body, the University requires that the following procedures are observed for all programs being accredited:
1.      The Executive Dean in each faculty will confirm with the DVC &VP (A) during the second semester of all accreditations that will occur during the following academic year.
2.      A schedule of accreditation over the next three years is to be maintained online by Quality and Reviews.
3.      Details of all accreditations conducted during the previous seven years will also be maintained on the Quality and Reviews website

Documentation

Documentation required by accrediting bodies will need to be prepared within the relevant school and the final draft approved by the Executive Dean and forwarded under the Vice-Chancellor’s signature to the accrediting body. This will ensure that senior management is fully aware of all accreditations.

Site Visits

Individual schools will coordinate site visits and meetings with school staff in accordance with the requirements of the accrediting body. Upon completion of the visit, the members of the accrediting body will meet with the Executive Dean and Vice-Chancellor to discuss major issues identified during the visit.

Responses

Upon completion of the accreditation process the accrediting body considers the information that it has collected and produces a report that identifies any issues that need attention by the University in order to satisfy the requirements for accreditation.
 
The relevant Executive Dean is to ensure that a response addressing these issues is forwarded to the accrediting body within 60 days or earlier if specified in the report. The Executive Dean is also to ensure that an implementation plan to resolve these is also developed and put into effect by the end of the following semester.
 
Copies of the report, the faculty’s response and the implementation plan are to be forwarded by the Executive Dean to the DVC & VP (A), who will refer the documents to Academic Board through the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee (ULTC), in order that they are made aware of any University-wide issues identified through the accreditation process. The DVC & VP (A) will also ensure that all documentation relating to any accreditation undertaking is made available for the purpose of quality improvement and authorise the display of this information on the Quality and Reviews website.

Responsibilities

In order to facilitate the accreditation process the University has identified the following responsibilities: 

Responsibility of Quality & Reviews
Through the DVC & VP (A) Quality and Reviews will contact each Executive Dean during semester two in order to obtain details of all accreditations occurring during the following year.

Responsibility of the Executive Dean

The Executive Dean will oversee the accreditation process, which includes preparation of the accreditation submission, coordination of site visits and the lodging of copies of all correspondence, reports, implementation plans and accreditation certificates with the RMO. Furthermore, the Executive Dean will ensure that all submissions for professional accreditation are signed by the Vice-Chancellor and that an exit interview occurs with the accrediting body and the Vice-Chancellor following a site visit. 

Additional documentation such as the response to the report will be signed by the Executive Dean. In order to ensure that the University is fully informed of all accreditations and associated issues the Executive Dean will present through the DVC &VP (A) copies of the accreditation report, the response and the implementation plan to Academic Board through ULTC.