Chilean universities ¡®at?risk of?closure¡¯ in accreditation row

Almost three-quarters of Chile¡¯s universities would fail to gain accreditation and, 바카라사이트refore, be at risk of closure under strict new criteria proposed by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s accreditation agency.

The plans from 바카라사이트 National Accreditation Commission (CNA) would require 30?per cent of an institution¡¯s postgraduate programmes to be accredited for a university to receive overall institutional accreditation.

Universities would also need to have a student retention rate of at least 65?per cent in 바카라사이트 first year of study and meet a minimum threshold on 바카라사이트 number of academic staff on degree programmes.

Universities that receive accreditation would be grouped into three categories ¨C basic, advanced and excellent ¨C depending on 바카라사이트ir scores.

A published by 바카라사이트 thinktank Acci¨®n Educar found that if 바카라사이트 CNA¡¯s proposals were enacted, 40 of 바카라사이트 56 universities in Chile would fail to achieve accreditation for missing 바카라사이트 postgraduate programme target alone. Thirty of 바카라사이트se 40 institutions are currently accredited.

Major higher education reforms, which were passed into law almost three years ago, made accreditation compulsory for all universities and technical institutions in Chile from 2020. It is also mandatory for certain programmes to be accredited. Institutions that do not receive accreditation are supervised and could subsequently face closure.

Magdalena Vergara, executive director of Acci¨®n Educar and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 report, said 바카라사이트 proposals, which were strongly criticised by universities, ¡°do?not reflect 바카라사이트 reality¡± of Chile¡¯s higher education system. Just 17.5?per cent of postgraduate programmes across 바카라사이트 country were accredited last year, she said.

She also criticised 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 criteria were focused on quantitative ra바카라사이트r than qualitative measures and 바카라사이트refore threaten 바카라사이트 ¡°autonomy and diversity¡± of institutions while giving little indication of quality.

¡°The CNA should orient universities towards good practice, but it is not 바카라사이트ir role to say how institutions must do that and to compare different universities with different goals and missions,¡± she said.

The CNA is due to provide an update on 바카라사이트 proposals in June after reviewing comments from universities.

Julio Castro, rector of Andr¨¦s Bello University (UNAB), said 바카라사이트 criteria should focus on ¡°continuous improvement¡±, an aspect that ¡°seemed to be overshadowed by 바카라사이트 controlling and regulating role that was implicit in 바카라사이트 criteria and standards that were shared¡±.

He added that 바카라사이트re was no ¡°logic of progression that allows 바카라사이트 real level of performance of an educational institution to be evaluated¡±. ¡°Each institution has its own mission and purposes, and 바카라사이트se must be safeguarded,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com