Accreditation Process

Accreditation Process

Any educational institution that intends to earn the accreditation status from the ECHEA must demonstrate compliance, through the application for accreditation (Self Assessment Report), with the education quality standards set forth by the ECHEA.

Application for Accreditation:

The ECHEA has prepared an application for accreditation that will guide the applicant institutions in the preparation of the Self Study Report and the required documentary evidence. The applicant may apply online for accreditation and answer the required questions. This application is a legally binding contract between the ECHEA and the applicant institution that states the rights and obligations of both parties. The applicant institution may submit the application for verification of its accreditation eligibility with pay the Secretary fee. Once the ECHEA Secretary confirms the eligible options, the applicant institution is entitled to pay the Accreditation fee. The ECHEA will not start any accreditation process without the corresponding application and paying the Secretary fee.

Consideration of Eligibility:

Accreditation focuses on higher education institutes and vocational institutions. An eligible member must be any kind of organization, entity, or company properly authorized to conduct educational teaching and certification, to award postsecondary degrees, certificates, or other educational or professional credentials. The entities eligible for accreditation must prepare individuals to achieve competencies and attain the educational qualifications necessary to begin functioning in a specific occupation. In other words, they must prepare individuals in a branch of knowledge, science, art, or business that has application in a specific occupation, usually requiring significant specialized training or profession. The Secretary will review the online application form and want to see some required documents. The applicant may download and print the required documents, then fill them out and finally send them out to the ECHEA Secretary by email (doc, pdf, or jpg formats are accepted).

Accreditation Fees:

The institution of education applying for accreditation to the ECHEA must pay the accreditation fee once the eligibility has been confirmed by the ECHEA Secretary, and before any actual evaluation of the accreditation process starts.

Evaluation Process:

The ECHEA Secretary will review and grade the application for accreditation and attached documents for the assessment of how each standard is addressed by the applicant educational institution. Each standard is graded on a 0 to 4 scale. The evaluation of each standard is graded according to the following scale:

• 4 - Outstanding: No need for improvement.
• 3 - Standard: May improve.
• 2 - Acceptable: Requires improvement.
• 1 - Insufficient: Not meeting the minimums.
• 0 - Null: Failed to comply with this requirement.

Interview or Site Visit:

If deemed necessary, the Commission Member may require an interview (online or face-to-face) with the appointed representative of the applicant educational institution or arrange a site visit from a member of the commission. This action is usually scheduled if the material provided by the applicant is insufficient for a clear judgment, or further clarification about specific accreditation standards. The travel costs and expenses related to the interview or site visit will be paid by the applicant educational institution. The interview or site visit goals, schedule, and budget will be settled in advance by the ECHEA Secretary in consultation with the applicant. Usually, a 1-2 hours online interview or 1-day visit will be enough to resolve any concerns.

Announcement:

The ECHEA Secretary will communicate the results of the initial evaluation results status to the members of the Commission. The members of the Commission have 30 days since the announcement to review and amend the conclusions and grades of the initial accreditation report.

Conclusion:

The ECHEA Secretary will communicate the results of the accreditation status and any grade amendments from the Commission Members to the president of the ECHEA. The president will review the accreditation report to resolve any discrepancies that may have occurred during the standards grading. The final grades of the accreditation report are endorsed by the president of the ECHEA. The ECHEA Secretary will inform the new applicant educational institution of the conclusions of the accreditation report and will provide suggestions, if applicable. In the case that full accreditation is gained, the ECHEA Secretary will send the corresponding accreditation certificate. In any case, the detailed accreditation report is always sent to the applicant. The resulting average will determine the accreditation status:

• Full Accreditation: Final average ranging 3-4. Requires re-accreditation review every three years.
• Conditional Accreditation: Final average ranging 2-2.9. This is a one-year-long temporary status. The educational institution must undergo a new re-accreditation review within 12 months of conditional accreditation. If full accreditation is not achieved in this review, the accreditation status will be denied.
• Denial of Accreditation: Final average ranging 0-1.9. The Accrediting Commission will explain the reasons for the denial. The accreditation fee is not refundable in this situation. Any educational institution, in this case, may reapply for accreditation after a 12 month period.