The internationalisation of study opportunities in Europe - Toward Accreditation Schemes for Higher Education in Europe?

1
Accreditation and Engineering Education in
Germany Experience and Development Pro-East
Workshop for Experts in evaluation of programme
quality, Rome, Italy, 9-11. May 2007
ASIIN
Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in
Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and
Mathematics
2
Facts and Figures about Germany Russia
Germany Area 356,973 km2 Population 82.3
Mio Number of Engineers about 1 Mio. Gross
Domestic Product 3.045 trillion 
(2006) Unemployment Rate 9.5 (April
2007) (among engineers 5.6 in
2006) Some Basic Facts about German Higher
Education Number of Higher education
institutions 372 -hereof Universities 102 -hereo
f Universities of applied sciences 167 -private
universities 56 Number of Students 1,963,598 N
umber of Students in private HEIs
40571 Number of Engineering graduates per year
35000
Russia Area 17,075,400 km² Population 142.7
Mio Gross Domestic Product 0.979 trillion
(2006) Unemployment Rate 7.1 (2006) Some Basic
Facts about Russia Higher Education Number of
Highereducation institutions round about 650
3
The new Bachelor/Master System of the Higher
European Education Area by 2010

The Bachelor of Engineering must be as good as
the Fachhochschule-diploma. The Master of
Engineering degree must be at least the quality
of the Diplomingenieur.


Global Standard - 2010(Bologna-Declaration)
University of Applied Science
(Research) University
Master Graduate Study 1-2 years
Master level Compatible Mobility Channels
Long Degree Long engineering
program Diplomingenieur(5 years)
Short Degree Short engineering program (4
years) Diplomingenieur(FH)
Bachelor level
Bachelor Undergraduate Study (3-4 years)
45 of the German study programs in WS 2004/2005
have been changed to BA / MA structure
4
The new market oriented system of quality
assurance/accreditation in Germany
The old system - Framework regulations for
final examination issued by the Standing
Conference of Länder Ministers of Education
(KMK) together with the German Rectors
conference (HRK) - Stipulation of all aspects
of a field of study in a highly bureaucratic
and complicated procedure, frequently
lasting years
The new system - Emergence of innovative BA/MA
study designs on a competitive basis - Trends
towards specialisation and concentration on a
specific profile due to financial restraints -
institutionalization of a nation-wide web of
accreditation and evaluation agencies -
privatization of quality assurance measures
and retreat of relevant state authorities
goal to induce more competition/guarantee high
standards in the new study programs
goal guarantee a homogeneous higher education
quality nationwide
5
Accreditation in Germany
German Accreditation Council (established by
resolution of the Conference of Ministers of
Educationin December 1998)
The A. C. has accredited

ACQUIN The Institute of Accreditation,
Certification and Quality Assurance
ZEvA The Central Evaluation and Accreditation
Agency
AQUAS Agency for Quality Assurance and
Accreditation of Study Programs
ASIIN Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in
Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and
Mathematics
FIBAA The Foundation for International Business
Administration Accreditation
AHPGS Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in
special education strukture, Health and Social
Work
field specific accreditationsmembers
universities as wells as industry, technical
scientific associations professional
organisations
Characteristics cross disciplinary,
regionalmembership of individual Universities
6
Developmental Phases of ASIIN
July 1999 Founding of the ASII June 2000 ASII
accredited by the German Accreditation
Council Dec 2000 Adoption of general
requirements, fieldspecific criteria and
procedural principals of accreditation Nov
2001 M.O.U. with the ABET Sept. 2002 Founding
of the ASIIN- Expansion of the agency creation
of a commission for the natural sciences and
mathematics July 2003 Provisional Membership to
the Washington Accord December 2005 Completion
of the European Accredited Engineering Project
(EUR-ACE) February 2006 ASIIN first European
Accreditation Agency being granted the right
to award the EUROBACHELOR/ (-MASTER) in
Chemistry March 2006 Launching of the European
Informatics-Project July 2006 ASIIN
reaccredited by the German Accreditation
Council March 2007 ASIIN full member of ENQA
7
Member Groups of the ASIIN
Technical and Scientific Associations and
professional organizations (32)
Coordination Group of German Technical
Universities From A like RWTH Aachento Z
like ETH Zürich.(45 Members)
Broad based Alliance anchoring in the scientific
community and in the economy, working
together for quality assurance and improvement in
the German higher education system
national bodies representing the faculties of
engineering at German universities
Industrial federations / unions and management
(8).
Coordination Group of German Universities of
Applied Science. From A like FH Aachento Z
like Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau.
national bodies representing the faculties of
engineering at German universities of applied
science
8
Membership Structure of the ASIIN apart from HEI
Technical and Scientific Associations and
professional organizations

• Association of German Biologists and
  Bioscientific Societies
• Association of Universities and Science in the
  German Civil Servants Federation
• Central Committee of German Agriculture
• Coordination Group of German Universities
• Coordination Group of German Universities of
  Applied Sciences
• Engineers for Communications
• Executives' Association of the Chemical Industry
• Federal Association of Road Construction and
  Traffic Engineers
• Federal Chamber of Engineers
• German Association for Agriculture, Food,
  Environment
• German Association for Chemical and Process
  Engineering
• German Association of Certified Surveyors
• German Association of Consulting Engineers
• German Botanical Society
• German Chemical Society
• German Institute for Industrial Standards
• German Mathematical Society

• German Physical Society
• German Professional Association of Geoscientists
• German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular
  Biology
• German Society for General and Applied
  Microbiology
• German Society for Geosciences
• German Society for Informatics
• German Society for Materials Science
• German Society for Meteorology
• German Society for Quality
• German Society for Transport Science
• Institute of German Engineers
• National Meteorological Service of the Federal
  Republic of Germany
• Steel Institute
• Umbrella Organization of German Engineering
  Associations
• VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic
  Information Technologies
• VDI The Association of Engineers

• Industrial federations / unions and management
• Association of German Mechanical and Plant
  Engineering
• Association of the German Chemical Industry
• German Association for Information Technology,
  Telecommunications and New Media
• German Chemical, Mining and Energy Workers Union
  (representing the German Trade Union
  Confederation)
• German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers'
  Association (ZVEI)
• German Federation of Chemical Employers
  Associations as Representative of the
  Confederation of German Employers' Associations
• German Metal Workers Union (representing the
  German Trade Union Confederation)
• Regional Association of Employers Federations
  NRW as Representative of the Confederation of
  German Employers' Associations (BDA)

9
Fields of Accreditation

• What is accredited?
• Exclusively study programs at university level
• No institutional accreditation
• Protection of the
• Engineering Title
• only graduates of
• Engineering Programs
• from Universities
• Universities of Applied Sciences
• are entitled to bare the title of Ingenieur

Informatics
Natural Science (Biology, Chemistry,
Physics,Geoscience, Mathematics, Pharmacy)
Engineering, Architecture
ASIIN
10
ASIIN accredited study programs
Number of ASIIN accreditations
(1156)
(840)
(554)
(289)
(170)
(56)
(10)
Stand 08.05.2007
11
Number of accreditations with regard to
different study cultures
Technical Commitee 1 Mechanical
engineering/Process engineering Technical
Commitee 2 Electrical engineering / Information
technology Technical Commitee 3 Civil
engineering / Surveying Technical Commitee
4 Informatics Technical Commitee 5 Physical
technologies and materials Sciences Technical
Commitee 6 Industrial Engineering/Information
Management Technical Commitee 7 Industrial
Engineering Technical Commitee 8 Agricultural
and Nutritional Sciences Technical Commitee
9 Chemistry Technical Commitee 10 Life
Sciences Technical Commitee 11 Geosciences Techn
ical Commitee 12 Mathematics Technical Commitee
13 Physics
Stand 03.05.2006
12
Headquaters
Agency
Personell 1 CEO, 9 Academic
Collaborators, 1
Secretary, 2 Intern Planning
approx. 300 accreditations
per year CompletedAccreditations 930 study
programs Budget 2.500.000 per year

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Sources of Income / legal form
Annual membership fee 2500 EUR (per
member) Basic Costs of an accreditation 10500 EUR
In a Cluster Accreditation, the costs for the
accreditation of one study Programme amounts
to 4000 EUR
Legal Form The ASIIN is a registered society
/ incorporated association it has the status of
a charitable organization, which means that it
profits from a reduced tax rate. It also implies
that the ASIIN is non-profit-oriented.
14
Organizational structure of the ASIIN
ASIIN General Assembly
ASIIN-Experts ( 1000 auditors from industry,
universities and scientific organisations)
3 levels of quality assurance
Coordination group of German (technical)
universities
Coordination group of German universities of
applied science
Industrialfederations and umbrella organisations
of trade unions organisations
Technical and scientific associations and
professional organizations
Technical Committees 1/3 representatives from
universities/universities of applied science,
industry respectively
Auditteams
every member group nominates 3 representatives
to the Board
on recommendationof TC appoints
appoints
Accreditation Commission
appoints
administrates
ASIIN-Board 12 Persons
ASIIN Headquaters
appoints
15
Composition of the new ASIIN board of directors
from 2006 on
Prof. Dr. Roland Sauerbrey President of the
Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft Prof. Dr.
Hubertus von Dewitz Siemens AG
Technical and Scientific Associations and
professional organizations
Industrial federations / unions and management
Coordination Group of German Universities of
Applied Science
Coordination Group of German Technical
Universities
Professor Dr. Burkhard Rauhut RWTH
Aachen Professor Dr. Ernst Rank TU München
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Steinbach Technische
Universiät Berlin
Professor Dr. Erhard Mielenhausen Fachhochschule
Osnabrück Professor Dr.-Ing. Hans-Rainer
Klemkow Chairman of the Fachbereichstages
Maschinenbau Prof. Dr. Herbert Eichele
Fachhochschule Nürnberg
Hartmut Rauen Verein deutscher Maschinen- und
Anlagenbauer Dr. rer. nat. Hans-Jürgen
Klockner VCI Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.
V. Dipl.-Ing. ETH Axel E. Barten Achenbach
Buschhütten GmbH
Dr.-Ing. Hans Heinz Zimmer VDE
16
Internal Quality assurance mechanisms within
ASIIN description of decision making process
All bodies of experts are composed of
1/3 Universities
1/3 Universities of Applied Science
1/3 Industry (Professional Life)
? There is parity of vote between them, they also
have veto power, exchange of personel every 3
years
17
Internal Quality assurance mechanisms within
ASIIN the importance of academic peer selection
and formation

• Our experts and professional appraisers are
  nominated either by a joint vote of the faculties
  of German universities, of the departments of
  universities of applied sciences or the member
  group of industrial federations (no individual
  applications are accepted).
• Every expert is registered with his professional
  profile and experiences in the accreditation
  business this background information facilitates
  the nomination of a qualified expert team. Once a
  year, a national peer formation conference is
  organized.
• The audit teams which conduct the on site
  evaluation of a program and write an
  accreditation report will receive a training as
  to what it means to serve as an ASIIN-peer.
• Suppliers and recipients of higher education
  collaborate intensively on these teams as well as
  in all of the accreditation panels
• Before they can serve on an audit team the member
  will have to be proposed by the technical
  committee and confirmed by the accreditation
  commissions.
• Everybody has to sign a impartiality and
  confidentiality declaration

18
Structure of the Technical Committees
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Internal Quality assurance mechanisms in ASIIN
Checks and Balances and the contribution of the TC

• They are composed of some of the most renowned
  experts in academia, scientific associations and
  industry. They comprise the persons most
  knowledgeable about accreditation procedures,
  standards and systems of higher education in
  general.
• These members frequently form the corset of the
  audit teams conducting the accreditations of the
  individual study programmes at universities. They
  contribute to the formation of new peers.
• Each of the (13) technical committees look
  through all of the accreditation reports written
  by the audit teams and check whether everything
  has been measured by the same yard stick.
• The technical committees develop and revise the
  field specific criteria.

20
Internal Quality assurance mechanisms in ASIIN
checks and balances and the contribution of the AC

• The members of the AC are independent and
  comprised of one third each of representatives
  from technical universities, universities of
  applied science and industry. It is important to
  note that no lobbyists are part of the panel.
• The fact that all specialist fields of
  engineering and informatics are represented in
  the commission, guarantees that it is not
  restricted in its own thinking.
• By institutionalizing a system of exchange of
  personal (one third is being replaced each year)
  there is a balance between experience and
  renewal.
• Being responsible for assigning the audit teams
  for the study programs to be accredited they make
  sure that there are no bent deals.
• They are setting down the requirements and
  procedural principals as well as the
  accreditation criteria (on proposition of the
  technical committees).
• They accredit all study programs based on the
  accreditation reports of the audit teams and the
  recommendation of the technical committees.

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External quality assurance mechanisms
With respect to our customers, the program
coordinators and professors in German HEIs give
their input in two ways. As mentioned above,
immediately following the audit the program
coordinators will be asked to anonymously
evaluate the accreditors and the accreditation
process in order to monitor shortcomings.
Headquarters will systematize these findings, and
discuss the shortcomings and criticism with the
ASIIN accreditation bodies. Secondly, on
frequent occasions there are conferences/meetings
in which the accredited will report publicly
about their experiences with regard to the ASIIN
accreditations. Furthermore, the ASIIN is
object of a periodic review by the German
Accreditation Council which makes sure that we
meet the quality requirements for operating an
accreditation agency in Germany. Two members of
the Council are assigned to monitor closely the
work done by ASIIN. The Washington Accord
review process is a further source of information
to continuously improve our accreditation
procedures as has been our review by the Dutch
NVAO or the ENQA review.
As important as working internal quality
assurance mechanisms are continuous checks by the
outside world, especially our customers but
also the German Accreditation Council.
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Accreditation Criteria of the ASIIN

• The accreditation of ASIIN are based on two
  Sources
• Our general requirements and procedural
  principles for the accreditation of Bachelors
  and Masters study programs
• The field specific criteria for each of the
  different engineering fields.

All of them have been completely revised,
combining an output and input approach and taking
into consideration the European qualification
framework
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Criteria and Requirements for Programme
Assessment (1)
Guidelines for Accreditation Criteria to be assessed Requirements What the Self-assessment Report (cf. Section 3.1) should give evidence of and the Accreditation Team should check
1. Needs, Objectives and Outcomes 1.1 Needs of the Interested Parties Have the needs of the interested parties (such as students, industry, engineering associations, etc.) been identified? Modes and periods of relationships with the interested parties. Needs identified for each of the identified interested parties.
1. Needs, Objectives and Outcomes 1.2 Educational Objectives Are the programme educational objectives consistent with the mission of the Higher Education Institution (HEI) and with the needs of the interested parties (such as students, industry, engineering associations, etc.)? Programme educational objectives vs. mission of the HEI and needs of the interested parties. Transparency and publicity of the programme educational objectives.
1. Needs, Objectives and Outcomes 1.3 Programme Outcomes Do the programme outcomes cover the programme outcomes for accreditation (cf. Section 1)? Programme outcomes vs. programme outcomes for accreditation (cf. Section 1).
1. Needs, Objectives and Outcomes 1.3 Programme Outcomes Are the programme outcomes consistent with the programme educational objectives? Programme outcomes vs. programme educational objectives
24
Criteria and Requirements for Programme
Assessment (2)
Guidelines for Accreditation Criteria to be assessed Requirements What the Self-assessment Report (cf. Section 3.1) should give evidence of and the Accreditation Team should check
2. Educational Process 2.1 Planning Does the curriculum ensure the achievement of the programme outcomes? Curriculum (syllabus, ECTS credits, credits for course work and personal study), its transparency and publicity. Definition/description of modules characteristics (credits, contents, specific learning outcomes, assessment methods of individual modules), their transparency and publicity. Integration of professional practice (external practical experience, laboratories, projects, etc.). Final examination, thesis, project, etc.. Correspondence of curriculum and modules characteristics to the programme outcomes. Planning of the delivery. Teaching methods and techniques (fulltime, part time, parallel to or integrated in professional work, use of multimedia or telematics devices, etc.). Measures to promote students mobility.
2. Educational Process 2.2 Delivery Is teaching delivered according to planning? Correspondence of the delivery with the planning. Results of the students evaluation of taught modules. Results of the students and tutors evaluation of external practical experiences. Results of students mobility.
2. Educational Process 2.2 Delivery Are counselling and support-workload offered to the students adequate to promote the achievement of the modules specific learning outcomes? Number of staff and their workload for counselling and support to the students.
25
Criteria and Requirements for Programme
Assessment (3)
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.1 Academic and Support Staff Is the academic staff adequate to accomplish the programme outcomes? Number, composition, competency and qualification of the teaching staff. Research (publications, participation in research projects, participation in conferences, etc.) and/or professional activities and consulting work of the teaching staff.
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.1 Academic and Support Staff Is the technical and administrative support staff adequate to accomplish the programme outcomes? Number, composition, competency and qualification of the technical-administrative support staff.
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.2 Facilities Are the classrooms adequate to accomplish the programme outcomes? Classrooms and associated equipment available to students.
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.2 Facilities Are the computing facilities adequate to accomplish the programme outcomes? Computing facilities available to students.
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.2 Facilities Are the laboratories, workshops and associated equipment adequate to accomplish the programme outcomes? Laboratories, workshops and associated equipment available to students.
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.2 Facilities Are the libraries and associated equipment and services adequate to accomplish programme outcomes? Libraries and associated equipment and services available to students.
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.3 Financial Resources Are the financial resources adequate to accomplish the programme outcomes? Budget for teaching and support staff. Budget for running and upgrading facilities. Budget for training.
3. Resources and Partnerships 3.4 Partnerships Do the partnerships the HEI and the programme are participating in contribute to accomplish the programme outcomes and facilitate the mobility of the students? Local / regional / national / international industrial partnerships and cooperation agreements. Local / regional / national / international partnerships and cooperation agreements with research institutions. Local / regional / national / international cooperation agreements, programmes or measures with other Higher Education Institutions.
26
Criteria and Requirements for Programme
Assessment (4)
4. Assessment of Educational Process 4.1 Students Do the students enrolled in the programme have the right knowledge and attitudes to achieve the programme outcomes in the expected time? Entrance requirements. Admission requirements (only for numerus clausus programmes).
4. Assessment of Educational Process 4.1 Students Do the results related to the students career attest the achievement of the programme outcomes in the expected time? Students career progress. Learning levels achieved. Success rates and time taken to complete the programme.
4. Assessment of Educational Process 4.2 Graduates Do graduates enter an occupation corresponding to their qualification? Time taken to enter the workforce. Match between employment and education received.
4. Assessment of Educational Process 4.2 Graduates Do stakeholders (graduates, employers, etc.) confirm the achievement of the programmes educational objectives? Graduates opinions on the education received. Opinion of employers on the graduates education.
27
Criteria and Requirements for Programme
Assessment (5)
5. Management System 5.1 Organisation and decision-making processes Are HEIs and programmes organisation and decision-making processes adequate to accomplish the programme outcomes? Documentation on HEIs and programmes organisational structures and decision-making processes (statutes, organisational charts, management of organisational processes, etc.) Positions of responsibility for the various actions to direct and control the educational process, their relationships of link and dependence. Existence and use of effective co-ordination mechanisms of decision-making processes, both horizontal and vertical. Existence and use of reliable information sources for decision-making.
5. Management System 5.2 Quality Assurance System Are HEIs and programmes Quality Assurance Systems effective to ensure the achievement of the programme outcomes? HEIs and programmes policy and procedures for quality assurance.
5. Management System 5.2 Quality Assurance System Are the delivery process, students and graduates results analysed and used to promote continual improvement of the programme? Existence of a regulated and systematic process for continual programme review, development and improvement based on the analysis of the delivery processes, students and graduates results. Results of improvement actions.
5. Management System 5.2 Quality Assurance System Are needs, objectives and outcomes, educational process, resources and partnerships, management system periodically re-examined? Existence of a regulated, systematic and periodic process for re-examining needs objectives and outcomes, educational process, resources and partnerships, management system. Results of re-examination activity.
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Specific Characteristics of the ASIIN

• Broad based anchoring in the scientific community
  and in the economy
• Close cooperation between producers and consumers
  of educational services in the bodies and
  commissions of the ASIIN
• Availability of a pool of highly qualified
  experts which are nominated by the technical
  committees and the faculties/departments of
  technical universities and universities of
  applied science
• Net of international contacts in which the ASIIN
  engages

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International activities of ASIIN (I) The
Washington Accord
Dublin IoEI
London EC
Düsseldorf ASIIN
Ottawa CCoPE
Seoul ABEEK
Baltimore ABET
Tokio JABEE
Taipei IEET
Hong Kong IoE
Kuala Lumpur Board of Engineers
Singapore The Institution of Engineers
Members
Provisional Members
Johannesburg ECSA
Canberra IoE
Wellington IoPE
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• Founding Date
• Initiated on October 7, 2005, in Berlin, Germany
• Statutes to be ratified in February 2006
• Founding Members
• GOALS
• ? European Accord with regard to the mutual
  recognition of engineer degrees

• Uniunea Asociatilor Inginerilor Constructori
  Romania (UAICR)
• Societe Europeenne pour la Formation dIngenieurs
  (SEFI)
• Engineers Ireland (EI)
• Russian Association for Engineering Education
  (RAEE)
• Conseil des Cadres Europeennes (EUROCADRES)
• University of Florence (UNIFI)

• FEANI
• Engineering Council UK (ECUK)
• Commission des Titres dIngenieurs (CTI)
• ASIIN
• Ordem dos Engenheiros (OE)
• Conferenza dei Presidi delle Facoltá di Ingeneria
  Italiane (CoPI)

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Meilensteine der internationalen Vernetzung der
ASIIN
EUROPA Eurobachelor/-master Chemie Beitritt
zum ECTNA ? ASIIN wird (im deutschsprachigen
Raum) das Eurobachelor/master-Siegel
verleihen Weitergehende Formalisierung der
Kooperation zwischen ECTNA und ASIIN
EUROPA EUR-ACE-Projekt/ENAEE Gründung der ENAEE
am 08. Februar 2006 EUR-ACE Akkreditierungsverfah
ren ? ASIIN wird als Gründungsmitglied
das EUR-ACE Siegel verleihen können
EUROPA EURO-INF European Accreditation of
Informatics Programs Förderantrag unter
Federführung der ASIIN mehrere Partner, u. a.
CEPIS Ziel europäische Qualitätsstandards und
Verfahrensgrundsätze im Bereich Informatik
Internationales Büro
NIEDERLANDE NVAO ? ASIIN hat seit 2006
die Berechtigung, als VBI in den
Niederlanden Akkreditierungsverfahren
durchzuführen

• Washington Acoord
• Die ASIIN ist seit 2003
• provisorisches Mitglied und beantragt für Juni
• 2007 den Status als full member.

WELTWEIT Binationale Programme Es liegen
Anfragen für binationale Programme vor ?
FH Aachen belgische niederl. HS
? HS Offenburg HS in Chile
WELTWEIT Akkreditierungen im Ausland Es liegen
Anfragen von Hochschulen aus folgenden Ländern
vor ? Kroatien ? Schweiz ? Indonesien
? Liechtenstein ? Polen ? Russland
WELTWEIT Zentral-/ Lateinamerika ? 6 x 4
Eulac-Projekt ? Mitarbeit der ASIIN beim
Aufbau eines zentralamerikanischen AK-Systems
Bosnien-Herzegowina ? Unterstützung beim
Aufbau ei- nes Qualitätssicherungssystem
s
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Major topics in (engineering) accreditation in
Germany

• System vs. Programme accreditation
• The interplay between the Bologna- and the
  Kopenhagen- process
• The relationship between theoretical formation
  and industrial placement/practical training
• Quality assurance at the 3rd cycle
  certification of Ph. D programmes

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The End
Thank you for your attention