Accreditation

All educational programmes of International Black Sea University are accredited.
Accreditation is a type of external evaluation mechanism, which determines the compatibility of an educational programme with standards. State funding goes only to accredited programmes. Accreditation is mandatory for doctoral programmes and regulated professions as well as Teacher training and Georgian language.
The accreditation shall aim at the establishment of regular self-evaluation of educational institutions for the improvement of educational quality and promotion of the development of quality assurance mechanisms through the establishment of the compatibility of an educational programme of an educational institution with the following accreditation standards:
• The goals of an educational programme, learning outcomes and the compatibility of the programme with them;
• Methodology and organisation of teaching, adequacy of the assessment of programme mastering;
• Student Performance, Individual Work with Them;
• Provision with teaching resources;
• Potential to further enhance the educational quality.

Accreditation Procedure

The accreditation procedure shall include the following steps:
a) Self-evaluation of an application for accreditation and submission of an accreditation application;
b) Setting-up of an accreditation expert commission;
c) Accreditation visit;
d) Preparation of the opinion of the accreditation expert commission and familiarisation thereof to the interested persons;
e) Holding of an oral hearing on accreditation related issues;
f) Making and publication of a decision.
2. A decision on granting accreditation or refusal to accreditation shall be made within timelines set by law.

Self-evaluation

1. Self-evaluation shall be carried out according to accreditation standards.
2. The findings of self-evaluation shall be recorded in a self-evaluation report.
1. An application filed with the NCEQE for the purpose of accreditation of an educational programme of an educational institution shall be supplemented with the following documents:
a) Accreditation self-evaluation report for each educational programme;
b) Electronic version of the relevant educational programme/programmes;
c) Document certifying the payment of the fees for the review of an accreditation application.
2. An accreditation applicant shall pay the accreditation fee according the number of submitted programmes, against a letter of the NCEQE.

Setting up an Accreditation Expert Commission

1. Following the payment of the accreditation fee the NCEQE shall issue an individual administrative law act on setting up of an accreditation expert commission and visit to the institution applying for accreditation.
2. A member of the accreditation expert commission shall be required to self-challenge it he/she has a conflict of interests with the institution applying for accreditation which he/she is supposed to visit.
3. An institution applying for accreditation shall be entitled to submit a challenge for the accreditation expert commission within a period of 2 days following the familiarization with the individual administrative law act mentioned in Paragraph 1 of this Article.
4. The institution shall be required to demonstrate the challenge of a member of the accreditation expert commission. The grounds for challenge can be a conflict of interests the chairperson or/and a member of the accreditation expert commission.
5. For the purposes of this Charter the conflict of interest shall mean the existence of circumstances envisaged by Article 92 of the General Administrative Code of Georgia.
6. The NCEQE shall review an application within a period of 3 days. In the case of satisfaction of a challenge petition the NCEQE shall make a decision on the amendment of the composition of the accreditation expert commission.
7. In the case of abandonment of the challenge of a member of an accreditation expert commission the commission shall undertake the accreditation visit.
8. By its individual administrative law act mentioned in Paragraph 1 of this Article the NCEQE shall define the duration of the visit and the number of the members of the accreditation expert commission according to the number of the programmes and the resources of the institution.

Composition of the Accreditation Expert Commission

1. The procedure of selection of the accreditation experts shall be approved by an individual administrative law act of the NCEQE.
2. Amongst the members of the accreditation expert commission can be a student and NCEQE employee and in the case of a regulated educational programme – also a representative of respective professional association.

Accreditation Visit

1. The chairperson of the accreditation expert commission shall manage the accreditation expert commission and ensure the distribution of tasks between the members of the commission.
2. A member of the accreditation expert commission shall participate in the work of the commission, ensure the preparation of the opinon within the terms of reference identified for him/her by the Chairperson.
3. An accreditation expert shall be required:
a) to study the accreditation self-evaluation report and the educational programme of the applicant for accreditation institution in the context of their compatibility with accreditation standards;
b) to investigate all the issues during the accreditation visit which are necessary for the preparation of the opinion, to request the necessary document and whenever so required, to interview the personnel and students.
4. The NCEQE shall be entitled to monitor the performance of the accreditation expert commission.
5. The institution shall be required to assist the accreditation expert commission in the course of accreditation visit and preparation of the respective opinion, provide them with all the documents necessary for accreditation purposes.
6. In the case of obstruction of the accreditation expert commission by the institution the NCEQE shall be entitled to terminate the proceedings.

Opinion

1. The accreditation visit shall be followed by drawing up an opinion on the educational programme.
2. The opinion shall describe the accuracy of the data of the self-evaluation report and compatibility of the educational programme with the accreditation standards.
3. The format of the opinion shall be approved by an individual administrative law act of the NCEQE.

Oral Hearing

1. The Educational Programme Accreditation Board (hereinafter the “Board”) shall make a decision on granting accreditation on the basis of the accreditation documents, opinion of the accreditation expert commission and oral hearing.
2. The Board session shall be convoked by Board chairperson or the NCEQE Director.
3. The interested party shall be given, at least 7 days prior notice about the oral hearing. The interested party shall be entitled to participate in oral hearing.
4. The session shall be chaired by Board chairperson, and in the case of absence thereof – by the deputy chairperson. In the case of inability of the Board secretary to perform his/her duties, his/her functions shall be discharged by one of the Board members under the assignment of the Board.
5. The session shall be fully authorised if more than half of the listed members of the Board are present. A decision shall be made by the majority of votes of present members of the Board.
6. The Board sessions shall be public. The chairperson shall be entitled to close the session in cases envisaged by law.
7. The representatives of the NCEQE and applicant for accreditation institution as well as the members of the accreditation expert commission shall be entitled to participate in oral hearing.
8. The other person may as well be invited to oral hearing by decision of the Board.
9. The session chairperson shall be entitled to investigate the issues, which are of essential importance for the case, at oral hearing.
10. The interested person shall be entitled to make a solicitation with respect to investigation of circumstances, which are of essential importance for the case, to provide the board with oral and written explanations. to present additional evidences, justify its claim or repudiate data, standpoints and evidences contained in the opinion,
11. The document, which was elaborated after the visit shall not be taken into consideration upon making a decision at oral hearing.
12. The minutes of the board session and the resolution shall be officially documented within a period of 10 business days following the Board session and shall be signed by the chairperson and the Board Secretary.

Composition of the Accreditation Board

1. The Board shall consist of 9 members, the term of office of which shall constitute 2 years. The members of the Board shall be appointed under the submission of the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia and dismissed by the Prime-Minister of Georgia.
2. The authorisation of a member of the Board may be terminated pre-term under the initiative of the Prime-Minister of Georgia or the submission of the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia:
a) against a personal application;
b) upon the entry of a sentence of guilty delivered by the court against the person concerned;
c) in the case of recognition as incapable of the person concerned by the court;
d) in the case of non-appearance at Board sessions for a period of six months;
e) in the case of commitment of a such action, which is incompatible with the authority of a member of the Accreditation Board.
f) in the case of working for such sub-division of an educational institution which is regularly engaged in quality management;
3. In the case of pre-term termination of authorisation the Prime-Minister of Georgia shall appoint a net Member of the Board under the submission of the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia for the remaining term of office of the members, whose authority was terminated.

Accreditation Related Decisions

1. Based on oral hearing and opinions of the accreditation expert commission the Board shall make one of the following decisions:
a) On the accreditation of an educational programme;
b) On the refusal to accredit an educational programme;
c) On the cancellation of accreditation of an educational programme.

2. The Board shall make a decision on the accreditation of an educational programme if the programme, presented by the applicant meets all the standards;
3. A decision on the refusal to accredit an educational programme or the cancellation of accreditation of an educational programme shall be made when the educational programme of the educational institution does not meet one of the accreditation standards.
4. A member of the Board shall not be entitled to refrain from voting.
5. The Board shall be required to duly substantiate its decision.
6. The decision shall be published on the official webpage of the NCEQE within a period of 10 days following the adoption thereof.
7. The Board shall be entitled to set the date of entry of the decisions, envisaged by Paragraph 1 of This Article, into force.
8. The accreditation shall be granted for a period of 5 years.