Quality Commission
The seminar, organized by the CRUCH Quality Commission, allowed for reflection on the changes in the new institutional accreditation model and the sharing of best practices from universities that recently underwent the process: Catholic University of Temuco, University of Bío Bío, and University of Concepción..
The Rector of the University of the Andes, José Antonio Guzmán, and the Secretary General of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), Angélica Bosch, agreed that the lessons learned by the three institutions are valuable for other universities that have not yet begun the new accreditation process. The CNA commissioner, Daniela Torre, noted that these initial experiences are fundamental for strengthening and refining the new accreditation model.
The seminar was a success. “Lessons learned from the new institutional accreditation process”, organized by the Quality Commission of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH). The activity, held online and synchronously on Monday, May 26, brought together more than 200 people, including authorities, management teams, quality assurance personnel, and representatives from various higher education institutions in the country.
The purpose of the event was to promote collective reflection on the main changes of the new institutional accreditation model, as well as to systematize lessons learned and challenges identified by the first universities that have faced the new process.
The welcoming words of webinar They were led by the Secretary General of CRUCH, Angélica Bosch, and the Rector of the University of the Andes and head of the Commission, José Antonio Guzmán, who highlighted the importance of this type of forum to strengthen a culture of continuous improvement and inter-institutional collaboration.
“This meeting provides us with a space to discuss and reflect on a key process for our institutions, especially since almost two years have passed since the new criteria and standards of the National Accreditation Commission came into effect,” said Angélica Bosch. She also thanked “the institutions that will share their experiences today: the Catholic University of Temuco (UCT), the University of Bío Bío (UBB), and the University of Concepción (UdeC). Their insights will undoubtedly be a valuable contribution for those who have not yet begun this new accreditation process.” She also thanked CNA Commissioner Daniela Torre, adding that “her perspective and guidance will be fundamental in enriching this discussion.”.
Rector Guzmán emphasized that the three universities have recently undergone institutional accreditation processes, so "their experience is extremely valuable for the rest of the universities, which is why we are all looking forward to what they can tell us during this event.".
On the other hand, he highlighted and valued the progress of the Commission's work agenda, which aims to generate a shared perspective among the various universities of the Council of Rectors. He emphasized that "coming together towards a common vision that helps us contribute to making the quality assurance system increasingly better is an extremely important initiative for the Council," and commented that the information will be consolidated into a document "that will serve as a reference for the rest of the universities, for the system." In that sense, "the CRUCH Quality Commission intends to contribute," Guzmán affirmed.
Webinar Development
The first part of the seminar presented the experiences of UCT, UBB, and UdeC, focusing on four aspects: the main innovations of the new accreditation model compared to the previous process, and how they impact university activities, institutional management, and quality assurance; the substantive lessons that can be learned from these initial experiences and guidance for universities that have not yet begun the process; how the new evaluation model contributes to promoting a culture of quality at the institutional level; as well as the difficulties they faced during the process and their recommendations.
From the UCT's Academic Vice-Rector, Felisa Solar, and the Vice-Rector for Quality and Strategic Management, Boris Isla, presented the information., They shared their institution's experience in planning and conducting the new accreditation process, highlighting the importance of effective coordination between academic and management units.
On behalf of UBB, the Director of Quality Assurance, Pedro Campos, addressed the lessons learned during the preparation stage and the visit of peer evaluators, emphasizing the role of cross-cutting participation of the university community.
Meanwhile, the Director of Strategic Development at UdeC, Jorge Dresdner, The strategies developed to respond to the new demands of the model were presented, emphasizing the need to consolidate an integrated and forward-looking institutional perspective. Following the presentations, a dialogue was opened, allowing for a deeper exploration of the operational, methodological, and strategic aspects of the accreditation process, as well as the sharing of concerns and recommendations among the various universities present.
The seminar culminated with the participation of CNA Commissioner Daniela Torre, He praised the commitment shown by the CRUCH institutions and noted that these initial experiences are fundamental for strengthening and refining the new accreditation model. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining feedback channels between the CNA and the universities to ensure a progressive, participatory, and contextualized implementation of the public policy.
The conclusions of the seminar will be systematized by the CRUCH Quality Commission and formally sent to the CNA, with the purpose of contributing to the improvement of the model and guiding the institutions that will soon begin their institutional self-evaluation processes under the new criteria.
Watch the full webinar HERE
Text: CRUCH Communications
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