1. COMMISSION FOR ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
Republic of Serbia
COMMISSION FOR ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
Accreditation of Public and Private Universities in the Republic of Serbia

2. 2005-2006 2005. – adoption of the Law on Higher Education
2006. – constitution of the National council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA)
2006. NCHE, after the CAQA suggestion, adopted:
Standards for accreditation of institutions and study programs
Standards for self-evaluation and assessment of institutional quality
Standards for external institutional quality assurance

3. Standards for accreditation of institutions
Standard 1: Basic tasks and aims of an institution of higher learning
Standard 2: Planning and control
Standard 3: Organization and management
Standard 4: Studies
Standard 5: Scientific-research and artistic work
Standard 6: Teaching staff
Standard 7: Non-teaching staff
Standard 8: Students
Standard 9: Facilities and equipment
Standard 10: Library, textbooks, and information technology (IT) support
Standard 11: Financial resources
Standard 12: Internal mechanisms of quality assurance
Standard 13. Activities open to the general public

4. Standards for accreditation of the study programs of I and II level of studies
Standard 1: Structure of the study program
Standard 2: Purpose of the study program
Standard 3: Aims of the study program
Standard 4: Competences of graduate students
Standard 5: Curriculum
Standard 6: Quality, up-to-datedness, and international co-ordination of the study program
Standard 7: Student admission
Standard 8: Student assessment and progress
Standard 9: Teachers
Standard 10: Organization and material resources
Standard 11: Quality control
Standard 12: Distance studies

5. Standards for accreditation of study programs of doctoral studies
Special standard: Competence of an institution of higher learning for the realization of doctoral studies
Standard 1: Study program structure
Standard 2: Study program purpose
Standard 3: Study program aims
Standard 4: Competences of graduate students
Standard 5: Curriculum
Standard 6: Quality, up-to-datedness, and international co-ordination of the study program
Standard 7: Student admission
Standard 8: Student assessment and progress
Standard 9: Teachers
Standard 10: Organization and material resources
Standard 11: Quality control

6.
CAQA selects 700 reviewers (10%)
There were 20 single day seminars in order to train the reviewers
There were 4 seminars with 856 participants from all the institutions in Serbia, dedicated to the preparation of accreditation documents

7. 2008-2010 Accreditation of universities
18 universities applied for accreditation:
8 public (7+1)
10 private (7+3)
Up to September 2010, the following were accredited:
7 public universities (87.5%)
Universities in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac, Priština, Novi Pazar, and the University of Defense
5 private universities (50%)
Singidunum, Megatrend, Educons, Academy of Economy, and Metropoliten

8. 2008-2010 Accreditation of all study programs
Up to September 2010, in all 18 universities the following were accredited:
959 study programs for students admitted to the first year, out of which
in public universities
791 study programs for students (84%)
in private universities
168 study programs for 9806 students (16%)

9. 2008-2010 Accreditation of study programs of doctoral studies
Up to September 2010, in all 18 universities, the total number of students admitted to the first year of doctoral studies at accredited study programs was 3027, out of which
in public universities: 2816 (93%)
in private universities: 211 (7%)

10. Structure of the accredited study programs
By their accreditation field, study programs can be divided into 5 groups:
In public universities:
ТТ (technic-technology): 40%; HS (humanities and social sciences: 30%; NM (natural sciences and mathematics: 9.5%; MS (medical sciences) 9.5%; A (arts): 10%
In private universities:
ТТ: 15%; HS: 55%; NM: 11%; MS: 2%; A: 17%

11. Outcomes of accreditation of faculties
83 public and 40 private faculties entered the accreditation process
According to the original accreditation decision, the outcomes were as follows:
Public: 67% accredited, 33% warning letter
Private: 15% accredited, 80% warning letter, 5% declined
After the amendments requested in warning letters:
Public : 93% accredited, 7% warning letter
Private: 55% accredited, 13% warning letter, 32% declined
After the decisions issued after the appeals to the NCHE
Private: 72% accredited, 15% declined

12. Outcomes of accreditation of study programs
1064 study programs from public and 262 from private faculties entered the accreditation process
According to the original accreditation decision, the outcomes were as follows :
Public: 64% accredited, 36% warning letter
Private: 25% accredited, 68% warning letter, 7% declined
After the amendments requested in warning letters :
Public : 88% accredited, 11% warning letter, 1% declined
Private : 59% accredited, 17% warning letter, 24% declined
After the decisions issued after the appeals to the NCHE
Public : 88% accredited, 1% declined
Private : 65% accredited, 18% declined

13. Future activities in quality improvement
Institutions have to prepare their self-evaluation reports (3 years);
CAQA is obliged to perform external quality control of all institutions and study programs (2011);
From 2012 onwards, the next accreditation of all institutions and study programs is to begin (5 years)

14. Future activities in quality improvement of the CAQA
Full membership in the ENQA
Steps taken:
Rectors’ Conference in Belgrade, October 2009.
“Mute Application” organized bу the European Council, December 2009.
The CAQA became a signee of the joint declaration about the ENQA membership of all regional accreditation bodies, May2010.
Visit of the five member delegation of the CAQA to the ENQA headquarters in Helsinki, organized by the WUS, June2010.
Application for “Candidate Membership”, August 2010.
Self-evaluation report preparation, October 2010.
Application for the visit of an expert tean, the positive report of which precedes full membership, 2011.