Special procedure for accreditation renewal

A3ES Decision no. 158/2015

Special procedure for accreditation renewal

(PERA – Procedimento Especial de Renovação da Acreditação)

Study programmes with prior accreditation or non-aligned with the regular assessment/accreditation cycle

Article 37 of A3ES Regulation 392/2013, published in Diário da República no. 200, of 16 October, regulates the accreditation period of a study programme as follows:

“1. The accreditation is valid for a six-year period, notwithstanding the provisions laid down in articles 41 §4 b) and c), 42 §2, 43 and 44.
2. The Management Board may determine a shorter or longer accreditation period, up to a limit of eight years, for study programmes integrating some specific education areas, so that the eventual procedures for accreditation renewal will take place in the academic year defined in article 46.”

In accordance with the aforementioned §1 of article 37, the normal accreditation period of a study programme, initially set at five years, was increased to six years, so that the normal accreditation validity period would match the foreseen periodicity for each regular 5-year study programme assessment/accreditation cycle, by area of education and training, increased by one year for institutional assessment and database updating.
In turn, article 40 of the same Regulation 392/2013 determines that “the institution willing to maintain the operation of the accredited study programmes must apply for accreditation renewal before the end of the academic year preceding the year when the current accreditation period prescribes”.
To maintain the operability of the assessment/accreditation process it must be ensured that in the case of new study programmes which received prior accreditation, and in the case of study programmes which were assessed/accredited outside the regular cycle (both, henceforth, referred to as “non-aligned study programmes”), the year of assessment for renewal of accreditation purposes will be, as much as possible, aligned with the year for assessment of the corresponding education and training area in the regular assessment/accreditation cycle.
In view of the aforementioned alignment, the following methodology is adopted:a in the regular assessment/accreditation cycle:
1. 5.1. Each year of the regular assessment/accreditation cycle will include non-aligned study programmes that are integrated in the education and training areas under assessment in that particular year, which complete five, six or seven years of accreditation.
2. 5.2. For the remaining non-aligned study programmes, whose accreditation period does not allow their inclusion under 5.1, the institution interested in maintaining the operation of one such study programme will present to the Agency, until the 28th December of the year preceding the end of the accreditation validity, an application for accreditation renewal, by completing the guidelines available in the Agency’s electronic platform.
After analysing the information submitted through the guidelines referred to under 5.2., the Management Board will decide:
1. 6.1. To extend the accreditation period of the study programme, eventually with additional conditions or recommendations, for a number of years that will ensure its alignment with the regular assessment/accreditation cycle.
2. 6.2. To immediately submit the study programme to a full assessment, including a site-visit.
Fees to charge for this special procedure of accreditation renewal:
1. 7.1. The fee for the special accreditation renewal procedure of a non-aligned study programme shall be 2,000 € (two thousand Euros);
2. 7.2. This fee will be deducted from the normal assessment/accreditation fees if the Management Board decides that a full assessment is necessary, as foreseen under paragraph 6.2.;
3. 7.3. The above-mentioned fee is paid to A3ES by bank transfer or an equivalent method until the end of the period determined for submitting the accreditation renewal application. This payment is a necessary condition for admission of the application and the opening of its appreciation.