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Accreditation Standards and Criteria

Detailed information about accreditation standards, quality criteria, and benchmarks that IIUC maintains for academic excellence.

Academic Sections

Accreditation Standards and Criteria for Academic Program

The Bangladesh Accreditation Council (BAC) Standards and criteria for program accreditation consist of statements that are internationally recognized and widely accepted as good practices in higher education. These standards and criteria are for accreditation of bachelor and master's program by course. The Program offering Entity (POE) must maintain sufficient and appropriate documentations as evidence of compliance for each criterion.

Standard 1: Governance

Governance system must work in a manner that ensures better management of the program towards the achievement of mission and objectives of the higher education institutions (HEI)/program offering entity (POE) in a way that effectively benefits the stakeholders.

Criterion 1.1: Defined vision, mission and objectives

Defined vision, mission and objectives of the POE are in accordance of those of the HEI and demonstrate the way that will serve the purposes of the stakeholders and society at large.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Documented copy of defined vision, mission, objectives of the HEI and PoE
  • Minutes of meeting regarding approval of vision, mission, goals, objectives etc.
  • Visible display
  • Handbook/Brochure with vision, mission, goals, objectives etc.
  • Web link

Criterion 1.2: Strategic plan

The POE has well-communicated strategic plan that effectively guide its activities and is effectively implemented to achieve the defined vision, mission and objectives of the HEI/POE.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • A copy of the documented strategic plan with strategic goals, objectives, necessary actions and implementation plan including specific timeline with budget and indicators to measure the achievements.
  • Minutes of meeting relating to approval of strategic plan
  • Mechanism or system to collect input from the stakeholders for preparing the strategic plan.
  • Minutes of meeting relating to the way inputs from faculty, staff, and other stakeholders were considered in preparing the strategic plan.
  • Communication link that shows the way the strategic plan is communicated among the concerned stakeholders

Criterion 1.3: Sexual harassment policy

The HEI has an administrative setup with well-defined and well-communicated policy to receive complains and redress the issues on sexual harassment for safe and sound environment.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Policy and procedure for redressing sexual harassment issues.
  • List and name of the members of the committee to handle sexual harassment issues.
  • Records, agendas and minutes of meetings relating to management sexual harassment issues at least in last one year.
  • Name and contact details of the person(s) responsible to receive the complaints.
  • Communication link that shows the way policy is well-communicated among the concerned stakeholders

Criterion 1.4: Academic calendar

The PoE strictly maintains the academic calendar containing schedule of all academic activities under the academic program.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Copy of approved academic calendar with specific date of class starting, class closing, summative/semester final examination and publications of results in each semester/year.
  • Notice for class
  • Attendance sheet
  • Notification/gazette of publication of summative/semester final results in last two years/semesters

Criterion 1.5: Class size policy

The HEI/PoE has a documented class size policy and maintains class size that is appropriate for effective management of the teaching-learning-assessment to ensure better attainment of learning outcomes.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Official list of total enrolled students and number of sections in a semester of the program.
  • Attendance sheet for each of the section/class
  • Documents that describe that the classroom size and other facilities are adequate for the number of students in a class/section.
  • Class teaching observation by the EQA team to assess the appropriateness of class for interactive class ensuring the participation of majority students in class discussion.

Criterion 1.6: Student database

The HEI/PoE is maintaining IT based student database/portfolio with contact details of students and their next of kin, academic details and other credentials and managed by dedicated staff with easy access.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Number of students included in the database.
  • Number of profile viewers.
  • Physical verification by the EQA/academic audit team
  • Assigned staff to carry out the responsibilities

Standard 2: Leadership, Responsibility and Autonomy

To be responsive to the emerging changes and needs of the stakeholders, the HEI/PoE must have effective institutional leadership with defined responsibilities and sufficient autonomy.

Criterion 2.1: Organizational structure

The HEI/PoE has an organizational structure with defined responsibilities in accordance with the legal framework under which the HEI is established.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Official copy of the administrative structure of the PoE showing the overseeing authority of the university.
  • Official documents on defined roles and responsibilities of the key official, Head of the PoE, and staff relating to the effective management of the academic program.

Criterion 2.2: Social responsibility and diversity

The HEI/PoE maintains a set of values to foster social responsibility, diversity and inclusivity.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Documented and communicated values of the PoE toward social diversity and cultural differences;
  • Policy to offer opportunities for the diverse groups in the society;
  • Documents related to programs organized/participated, in last one year, to expose students in social responsibility issues.

Criterion 2.3: Autonomy and innovation

The PoE and Head of the PoE have sufficient autonomy with financial support to introduce innovative approaches for effective teaching-learning, research and management of the academic program.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Defined roles and responsibilities of the Head of the PoE;
  • Minutes of meetings, work plan to implement the innovative initiatives, reward/recognition for innovative initiatives and progress monitoring report;
  • List of evidence(s) of initiatives taken and implemented to improve the governance, and teaching learning environment at the PoE;
  • Document that shows the financial allocations and authority of the PoE to implement the innovative initiatives.

Standard 3: Institutional Integrity and Transparency

The HEI/PoE must act responsively to meet the needs of the stakeholders and manage the academic program maintaining institutional integrity with transparency and accountability.

Criterion 3.1: Recruitment policy

HEI/PoE maintains a well-defined and well-communicated transparent, fair and appropriate policy for recruitment of both faculty and professional staff.

Documentation and evidence:
  • Documented copy of faculty and professional staff recruitment policy.
  • Rules related to service for the faculty and professional staff and minutes of meeting where the rules were approved.
  • Documents that describe the use of recruitment policy in selection of faculty and professional staff for appointment during last two years.

Criterion 3.2: Code of conduct

HEI/PoE maintains well- defined and well-communicated code of conduct for the students, faculty and professional staff, and policy to promote and recognize morale values and ethical practices.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Up to date printed copy of Code of practice and handbook for faculty and professional staff,
  • List of programs organized, in last one year, to make internal stakeholders aware about code of conduct, morale and ethical issues;
  • Documented policy to promote and recognize ethical practices;
  • Records of issues, agendas & minutes of meeting related to breach of ethical practices, code of conduct and to promote the ethical practices.

Criterion 3.3: Admission transparency

The admission process ensures transparency and fairness in selecting the right candidate for admission in the academic program.

Documentation and evidence:
  • Copy of admission notice, web link and published admission policy including selection criterion for the program.
  • Survey data in the SA report and opinion of students during site visit regarding transparency and fairness of admission process.

Criterion 3.4: Student handbook

The HEI/PoE regularly publishes and provides student handbook containing mission and objectives of the PoE, curriculum of the program, graduate profile, academic calendar, disciplinary rules, academic and examination rules etc.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Up to date printed copy (downloadable copy for online/blended learning) of student handbook containing mission and objectives of the PoE, curriculum of the program, graduate attributes, academic calendar, disciplinary rules, academic and examination rules etc.
  • Committee working to update and print the Handbook
  • Minutes of meeting as evidence to printing of handbook
  • Evidence that shows the students have the copy of the handbook.

Criterion 3.5: Website

The HEI/PoE has a well-designed and informative website with easy access for all.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Staff to take care of website
  • Documents relating to last updates
  • Feedback on the recently updated website
  • Access to the informative and interactive website and records on number of viewers.

Criterion 3.6: Grievance redressal

The HEI/PoE has well-defined and well-communicated policy and procedure to redress student grievances and complaints on issues like abusive behavior, bullying, cybercrime etc. with fairness and transparency avoiding discrimination.

Documentation and Evidence:
  • Documented policy and procedure to redress student grievances and complaints;
  • List and name of the members of committee(s) to redress student grievances and complaints;
  • Number of complaints received and resolved at least in last one year under this policy and procedures;
  • Contact details of the person(s) responsible to receive the complaints.
  • Communication link that shows the way policy is well-communicated among the concerned stakeholders.

Additional Standards

This document includes Standards 1-3 in detail. The complete BAC accreditation framework includes additional standards covering Curriculum (Standard 4), Teaching-Learning & Assessment (Standard 5), Student Admission & Support Services (Standard 6), Faculty and Professional Staff (Standard 7), Facilities & Resources (Standard 8), Research & Scholarly Activities (Standard 9), and Monitoring, Evaluation & Continual Improvement (Standard 10).

Note: There are also discipline-specific requirements that will be provided by discipline-specific expert committees during the accreditation process.

Discipline Specific Requirements for Program Accreditation

It is to be noted that the abovementioned standards and criteria are generalized and applicable for all disciplines. There are some criteria need to be discipline-specific for meaningful self-assessment. There will be discipline-specific expert committee consisting of recognized academics. The discipline-specific expert committee will provide discipline specific requirements relating to the identified criteria. The Accreditation Committee during external quality assessment will check the availability, adequacy and appropriateness of these requirements for quality education.