INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY AND EVALUATION
HISTORY OF A DEGREE
LIFE OF A DEGREE
When a university considers including a new degree in its educational options, it must prepare and present a proposal for the degree in the form of a Verification Report, which describes its general characteristics and the commitments to be acquired for its correct implementation. All this is evaluated by the quality agency designated by the Community of Madrid, Fundación para el Conocimiento Madri+d. After its conformity, the degree is approved and verified by the Council of Universities and registered in the Registry of Universities, Centers and Degrees (RUCT) of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.
The external evaluation processes, regulated by current legislation, are mandatory for the design and implementation of official degrees. These processes are a shared responsibility between the quality agencies (the Madri+d Foundation in our case) and each university.
Royal Decree 822/2021, regulates and develops the structure of official university education, in accordance with the general lines defined in the European Higher Education Area.
Verification of the syllabus. The university, after a mandatory favorable report from the Autonomous Community on the academic and social need and viability of the degree, can begin the verification process.
It then submits the report on the syllabus of the degree that will be evaluated by the quality agency and must be resolved with a favorable result for its subsequent implementation and registration in the RUCT.
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION
As of RD 822/2021, differences are established in the external degree evaluation processes depending on whether or not the center, to which they belong, has institutional accreditation.
The Institutional Accreditation of the center has the fundamental purpose of guaranteeing the overall academic quality of a university center and is regulated by RD 420/2015.
Currently, Francisco de Vitoria University has Institutional Accreditation for all its undergraduate and master’s degree centers.
For more information about the institutionally accredited centers:
DEGREES OF CENTERS WITH INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION
External evaluation of bachelor’s and master’s degrees:
Modification Once the degree has been implemented, as a result of its improvement and updating of the original projects, a modification of the memory can be presented: The modification can be:
- Non-substantial modification when it does not imply a change in the nature, objectives and fundamental characteristics of the degree. It will be approved by the governing bodies of the university after a mandatory and binding favorable report from the IQAS of the center.
- Substantial modification when it affects the syllabus. It will be accompanied by a reasoned report on the academic and regulatory adequacy made by the IQAS of the center and will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the procedure for verification of curricula.
Follow-up is a cyclical process aimed at the continuous improvement of the degree and will be carried out in the monitoring area of the center in accordance with the provisions of RD 640/2021.
Renewal of accreditation degrees will renew accreditation as long as the center maintains institutional accreditation.
DEGREES FROM CENTERS WITHOUT INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION
It only applies to UFV doctoral programs since it currently has Institutional Accreditation of all undergraduate and master’s degree centers.
Modification once the degree has been implemented, as a consequence of its improvement and updating of the original projects, modifications to the reports can be presented. The modification can be:
- Not substantial: when it does not involve a change in the nature, aims and fundamental characteristics of the degree, approved by the governing bodies of the university after a favorable report from the IQAS, submitted to the competent quality agency for approval.
- Substantial of the syllabus: it will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the process of verification of the curricula contained in Article 26, or Article 27, as appropriate.
Monitoring is a cyclical process, aimed at continuous improvement. Official university degrees taught in non-institutionally accredited centers, new degrees that have been verified and those that have obtained the renewal of accreditation will be subject to monitoring.
Ordinary follow-up (monitoring). Its objective is to evaluate the correct implementation of the verified academic project. At least one monitoring report will be prepared after three years after the effective implementation or renewal of accreditation.
- Two cases are taken into consideration:
- Ordinary follow-up of degrees after verification
- Ordinary follow-up of degrees after renewal of accreditation
- Special follow-up. This will focus on the actions taken to comply with the recommendations for special follow-up (verification/modification), or the necessary modifications (renewal of accreditation) and, if applicable, the approved improvement plan. After one year after the date of verification or effective date of modification or renewal of accreditation
Renewal of accreditation must renew the accreditation of official university degrees in accordance with the procedure established by each Autonomous Community.
Doctorate: Maximum period of 6 years The universities must make the process public so that any person who wishes to do so may participate in the process, even if he/she is not part of the scheduled hearings.
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