Aarhus University receives a conditional positive accreditation

Aarhus University has just been granted a conditional positive institutional accreditation by the Accreditation Council, which has elected to follow the recommendation submitted by the accreditation panel in May of this year.

“The council almost always follows the panels’ recommendations, so although we had hoped that the major efforts put into adjusting the quality system this spring would alter the final decision, we were also aware that it would be difficult,” says Pro-rector Berit Eika.

Like the panel, the Accreditation Council had praise for the basic elements and functioning of the university’s quality assurance system.

However, the panel pointed out deficiencies in the system in relation to monitoring the extent to which degree programmes are based on research, as well as the rules for appointing external members to degree programme evaluation panels.

In response, the university adjusted existing procedures and implemented new ones this spring. Nonetheless, the panel stood by its recommendation on the grounds that the new initiatives had not been sufficiently tested in practice. The Accreditation Council has seconded this opinion.

To a large degree, the university was already aware of the areas which required intervention, and the pro-rector emphasises that the university has worked to address the deficiencies which led to the conditional approval throughout the process – both before and after the panel presented its report.

“We have done what we can, so now we need to let the quality system work in practice until we have sufficient documentation to reapply. We look forward to being able to do so.”

Aarhus University will now initiate dialogue with the Danish Accreditation Institution in order to schedule the re-accreditation process. In the meantime, new degree programmes at AU will continue to be subject to pre-qualification and accreditation according to the procedure currently in place.