About GAAC (GLOBAL ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION CONSORTIUM)
Assessment and Accreditation are broadly used for understanding the “Quality Status” of an institution. In the context of Higher Education, the accreditation status indicates that the particular Higher Educational Institutions, or any other recognized Unit therein, meets the standards of quality as set by the Accreditation Agency, in terms of its performance, related to the educational processes and outcomes, covering the curriculum, teaching-learning, evaluation, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning resources, organization, governance, financial well being and student services. With this view, the exercise of GLOBAL ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT CONSORTIUM (GAAC) is being carried out in India by Grand Academic Portal to facilitate awareness among colleges in the country about processes and systems that can ensure quality enhancement and realization of goals set in higher education. This is a unique initiative by GAP to promote excellence in the field of education. Nowhere in the country has such an exercise being carried out. GAAC is offering 12 types of Audit framework for Higher educational instituions.
Vision
To Upgrade the Academic Quality of Higher Education Institutions by standard assessment to meet the Global Accreditation standards
Strategy
To Analyze, Redesign and Improve accreditation framework to strengthen the quality of Higher Education Institutions.
To promote competition and innovation in higher education
To provide accountability to stakeholders.
How Accreditation will be done
This quality review process occurs on a periodic basis, usually every 3 to 5 years.
It involves three major activities:
Online Submission of comprehensive ten criteria report through Software prepared by GAAC
A peer review of an institution to gather evidence of quality.
A decision or judgment by an accrediting organization to accredit, to accredit with conditions or not to accredit an institution or program will be retained with GAP
Why GAAC?
Accreditation and Various Quality certifications have not always produced or improved Educational Quality. In fact, day by day the quality of higher education has been deteriorating. In spite of having more than fifty thousand colleges and half a ton Universities, India is struggling to secure rank at the International Level.
- Student Engagement: According to the various surveys and reports, very few students gain in critical thinking, analytic reasoning, and other skills taught in the colleges.
- According to results from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), students study almost half the amount that the faculties expect they should:
- Basic Skills: According to research, many college graduates leave college without basic skills like Communication and Computer skills. They lack the quantitative literacy skills, meaning they are unable to estimate the basic issues
- Workforce Skills: Many corporates and Higher Education Institutions believe that they are unable to impart skills and competencies as per their businesses needs.
In short in a country like India, we became Knowledge Consumers and not Producers. GAAC is committed to working towards excellence in the field of Higher Education by suggesting ways to improve Quality.
Criteria | Name of the criterion | Key Questions |
---|---|---|
01 | Creative and Critical Pedagogy | 45 |
02 | Quality Profiling of the Teaching Faculty | 36 |
03 | Dominion-Governance-Administration | 50 |
04 | Academic Progression and Institutional Growth | 42 |
05 | Conducive research and Development Culture | 51 |
06 | Profiling of Learning Resources and Infrastructure | 77 |
07 | Parents, Peers and Past Students Participation | 35 |
08 | Unique and Innovative Institutional Practices | 10 |
09 | Activities for Holistic Development of learners | 10 |
10 | Accreditation, Ranking, Certification, and Perception | 10 |
GAAC Principles
GAAC Works on the following Principles:
- Impartiality
- On-Site Assessment
- Surveillance visit
- Complaints and Appeals
- Contractual requirements between the accreditation body and its
- accredited bodies
- E-Accreditation Process and Practice
- Competence and Experienced Peer member
Department of Quality Assurance
DQA may be constituted in every institution under the Chairmanship of the Head of the institution with heads of important academic and administrative units and a few teachers and a few distinguished educationists and representatives of local management and stakeholders.
The composition of The DQA may be as follows
- Chairperson: Head of the Institution
- A few senior administrative officers
- Teachers with outstanding research background
- One member from the Management
- One/two nominees from local society,
- Students and Alumni
- One/two nominees from Employers /Industrialists/stakeholders
- One of the senior teachers as the Director of the quality assurance department
Functions of DQA
- To conduct an internal audit every year
- To conduct audit once in two years by third parties
- To conduct a research audit, HR Audit, and Green Audit every year
- To frame and update standard operating procedures for various functioning and department of the institution
- To ensure mandatory accreditation within the time limit
- To organise quality workshop, conference, and seminar once in a year.
- Feedback analysis