The process of accreditation begins with preparation of materials that demonstrate the level of quality of the areas of operation related to administration/ teaching/ and learning.A peer review of the prepared materials follows.Finally/ a decision is taken on whether or not accreditation will be granted. Detailed steps of the accreditation process are presented below:
A- Preparation of materials
- An education institution seeking accreditation status fills UCTA accreditation request/ identifying the type of accreditation sought
- An engagement letter is signed with UCTA/ stipulating very nominal fees
- UCTA communicates the standards set by the accreditation agency selected
- The education institution prepares materials that display its accomplishments/ then creates a self-assessment report according to set accreditation standards
B- Peer review
- Administrative and faculty peers conduct an internal review of the materials/ report of accomplishments/ status of operations
- International peer review teams conduct site visits to the applicant institution
C- Visits and examination
- Follow-up visits by members of the public who voluntarily participate in evaluation
- Review report written and submitted to the applicant institution
D- Decision making
- UCTA/ through the examining accreditation agency/ decides whether or not accreditation is granted.The decision is supported by a full report on the items of compliance and noncompliance and a justification of the decision made. The decision will be one of the following:
- Accreditation
- Conditional accreditation
- Suspension of the procedure
- Denial of accreditation
E- Continuous review
- Periodic review of the accreditation standards to maintain “Accredited Status"
- Follow up and continuous improvement indicators and standards. Education institutions will be reviewed against each of the indicators set out in this section. Each of the indicators includes ‘What is expected of an education institution operating in the Arab region’. These expectations are neither exhaustive nor mandatory: they are intended to provide assistance in interpreting the indicator. It may/ however/ be helpful if institutions comment on most/ if not all/ of these expectations in their self-evaluation. Institutions may choose to add their own expectations. The quality review indicators/ grouped into nine themes/ are the following:1. Mission/ Planning and Governance 2. Academic Standards 3. Quality Assurance and Enhancement 4. Quality of Teaching and Learning 5. Student Support 6. Human Resources 7. Infrastructure/ Physical/ Technological and Financial Resources 8. Research 9. Community Engagement