The Essence, Purpose and Standards of Accreditation
The purpose of accreditation is to raise the quality of education by establishing systematic self-assessment of higher education institutions and promoting the development of quality assurance mechanisms, through determining the compliance of an educational programme with accreditation standards. The accreditation standards are: the aim of the educational programme, the learning outcomes and the programme's compliance with them; the methodology and organisation of teaching and the adequacy of the assessment of the programme's assimilation; the achievements of students and individual work with them; the provision of teaching resources; and the opportunities for the development of teaching quality.
There are exceptions to the general rules of accreditation: these rules do not apply to the theological programmes of an Orthodox theological higher education institution, nor to the educational programmes implemented by Kutaisi International University. At the same time, accreditation of a higher education programme, including a joint programme, may be carried out by a foreign organisation of relevant competence recognised in the manner established by the accreditation regulations of the Education Quality Development National Centre. A Georgian-language preparation programme, however, may be implemented only after passing accreditation.
Participants in Accreditation: the Centre, the Experts and the Council
Accreditation is ensured by the Education Quality Development National Centre. To this end the centre creates an accreditation expert group, whose creation and rules of activity are determined by the accreditation regulations. The first stage of conducting accreditation is the self-assessment carried out by the accreditation seeker according to the forms provided in advance by the centre — in other words, the process begins with a critical analysis of one's own system.
To adopt decisions on accreditation, an Educational Programmes Accreditation Council is created, composed of permanent and invited members. The invited members participate in the council's activities only where the application concerns a regulated academic higher education programme, and they too have voting rights. The members of the council are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister of Georgia on the submission of the ministry, and in selecting invited members the ministry is guided by the requirements and criteria established by the World Federation for Medical Education. The centre monitors compliance with the conditions of accreditation and, in case of violation, is authorised to apply to the council with a demand to cancel the accreditation. Institutions, including public law legal entities, have the right to jointly establish a private law legal entity for quality control, whose assessments the centre may consider during the course of accreditation.
Types of Decisions and Terms of Accreditation
The decision on accreditation is taken by the Accreditation Council in accordance with the accreditation regulations, including on the basis of the conclusion of the expert group. The decision may be of 4 types: on accreditation; on conditional accreditation; on refusal of accreditation; and on cancellation of accreditation. A decision on accreditation is adopted where the programme fully or mostly satisfies the standards, while conditional accreditation applies where the programme partially satisfies the standard. A decision on conditional accreditation may not be adopted twice in a row.
The term of accreditation of an educational programme is 7 years. The term of conditional accreditation is no more than 4 years. Where a programme was submitted to the centre for accreditation in a calendar year in which programmes classified in that field of study do not undergo re-accreditation, accreditation is granted until the next term of accreditation of the programmes classified in that field — and in the case of conditional accreditation under the same rule, but for no more than 4 years. Upon expiry of the term of authorisation or cancellation of authorisation, accreditation becomes void. Where the application was submitted within the deadlines established by the regulations and the centre's director issued an act recognising the accreditation seeker, the programme is deemed accredited until a new decision enters into force, for 180 calendar days from the expiry of the accreditation term.
Refusal or Cancellation of Accreditation — the Consequences
In case of refusal of accreditation or its cancellation, the institution is restricted in the right to admit students, applicants and candidates for master's or doctoral studies to the programme on which accreditation was refused, cancelled or expired, and to the Georgian-language preparation programme. A student studying with state funding may, for the term set by the council (where such a term exists), continue studies in the same programme and receive state funding, or use the right to mobility and transfer to another accredited programme, carrying over the remaining amount of the state funding allocated.
For a student studying in an accredited programme, student status is suspended for 5 years from the expiry of the term set by the council or from the entry into force of the decision on refusal or cancellation, and the student is entitled to use the right to mobility. The same right is enjoyed by an applicant who successfully passed the unified national examinations and obtained the right of enrolment under the ranking document, and by a master's candidate included in the ranking document by the coefficients of the master's examinations. Upon expiry of the accreditation term, the student may, on the basis of the council's decision, continue studies in the same programme with state funding until the end of the current semester; from the end of the semester, the status is suspended for 5 years with the right to mobility. In the case of a regulated medical programme, the council determines the limited number of student places for the term of accreditation, within the limit established for the institution.
Regulated Programmes and Professions
A regulated educational programme is regulated by the relevant legislation. The regulated academic higher education programmes are: law, medical, pedagogical, maritime, veterinary, nursing and midwifery programmes. The rule and fee of accreditation of these programmes are approved by the ministry on the submission of the centre, and the centre ensures the development and approval of the field characteristics of these programmes. The accreditation conditions of a regulated programme are developed by the centre with the participation of professional associations envisaged by legislation and submitted to the ministry for approval; where no professional association exists in the relevant field, the conditions are developed with the participation of interested organisations and parties. On a regulated programme the centre takes the type of decision described above.
Only a law may establish the list of regulated professions that require academic higher education and the passing of a state certification examination, or for whose qualification an appropriate examination is necessary. The rule and conditions of conducting such examinations in regulated professions are determined by the relevant legislation; the examination required for pedagogical activity is established by an order of the minister.
The Content of Authorisation and the Decision
Authorisation is the procedure for obtaining the status of a higher education institution, whose purpose is to ensure the satisfaction of the standards necessary for the activity of issuing a state-recognised education certificate. The authorisation standards concern the mission and strategic development of the institution; its organisational structure and management; educational programmes; personnel; students and support measures for them; research, development and/or other creative activity; and material, information and financial resources.
The term of authorisation is 6 years. Authorisation is carried out by the Education Quality Development National Centre in the manner established by the regulations on the authorisation of educational institutions. The centre creates an authorisation expert group, and the decision is taken by the Authorization Council, composed of permanent and invited members — the invited ones participate only where a regulated medical programme is indicated, and they have voting rights. The members of the council are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister on the submission of the ministry, and the selection of invited members is likewise guided by the requirements of the World Federation for Medical Education. On the basis of the authorisation documentation and the conclusion of the expert group, the council takes one of the following decisions: on authorisation, on refusal of authorisation, or on cancellation of authorisation, and is obliged to reason its decision. The council is also authorised, within the authorisation process, to restrict the institution's right to admit students for a period of at least 1 year — both with respect to the institution as a whole and by individual levels of higher education; the maximum duration of this restriction is determined by the authorisation regulations.
Refusal and Cancellation of Authorisation, and Foreign Branches
A decision on refusal of authorisation is adopted where the institution does not satisfy one of the authorisation standards. A decision on cancellation is taken by the council on the submission of the centre, on the basis of the results of an inspection, where the institution violates an authorisation standard or the norms of Georgian legislation in the educational sphere concerning the origination, suspension or termination of the status of a student or vocational student.
In case of refusal or cancellation: the institution cannot obtain, or loses, the status of a higher education institution from the date the decision enters into force; it continues educational activity for the term set by the council, within which the right of admission is restricted; the student may continue studies in the same institution for the term set by the council or transfer to another; from the expiry of the term set by the council or the entry into force of the decision, the student's status is suspended for 5 years with the right to mobility; an applicant who passed the national examinations and obtained the right of enrolment by ranking, and a master's candidate included in the ranking by master's examination coefficients, likewise enjoy the right to mobility. A new authorisation application may be submitted 1 year after the decision on refusal or cancellation. Where the application was timely submitted, the institution seeking status is deemed authorised for 180 calendar days from the expiry of the authorisation term. A branch of a foreign higher education institution needs, for carrying out educational activity on the territory of Georgia, the determination of its compliance with authorisation standards — the foreign institution passes authorisation on the basis of the branch's compliance with the standards established by Georgian legislation.