Introduction

The accreditation renewal process (ACREDITA program) is the final evaluation phase of an official degree and must be completed periodically, starting from the date of verification or the date of its last accreditation. For undergraduate and doctoral degrees, it must be completed before the end of the sixth year, and for master's degrees, before the end of the fourth year.

This is a crucial process for universities, their institutions, and their degrees. The continuity of the degrees and, therefore, their renewal and official retention in the institution will depend on the adequacy of the results obtained and the final report issued after the evaluation process. Registry of Universities, Centers and Degrees (RUCT).

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Evaluation process

Information and Prior Training

As a starting point, various information and awareness-raising activities are being carried out on the importance of the process and the implications of its results for the ULL: training sessions, courses, and workshops for those involved in degree evaluation, meetings with center leaders, etc.

Internal Assessment – Self-Assessment

The internal phase of Self-assessment, in which the Degree Directors and the Center Quality Committees and/or Degree Committees prepare a self-assessment report in which they describe, analyze, assess, and reflect on the implementation of the degree, its results, and proposals for improvement, following the provisions of the evaluation model for accreditation renewal. To do so, they must have the information and evidence (indicators, documentation, regulations, teaching guides, meeting minutes, satisfaction results reports, etc.) on which the analysis is based and justified. These data must be submitted along with the self-report as part of the degree accreditation dossier. This data will be reviewed and verified during the visit by the Committee of Experts appointed by the ACCUEE.

This phase of the evaluation process requires the participation and involvement of all stakeholders involved in the training programs: the governing team, the dean's/school management team, faculty, students, graduates, administrative and service staff, external tutors, employers, etc.

External Evaluation – Self-Evaluation

Phase of external evaluation, in which ACCUEE assesses the achievement of the degree objectives and the adequacy of its results: verification of the acquisition of competencies/learning outcomes by students, human and material resources planned for the development of the degree, and analysis of the evolution of the results.

This external evaluation phase consists of two distinct parts:

• Visit Panel of Experts, In this process, a group of external evaluators (ACCUEE) from the university analyzes the information and visits the center(s) where the degree is taught to verify and compare the data provided in the degree accreditation dossier.s They will carry out different actions: work meetings, review of teaching guides, review of exams and assessment criteria for the subjects selected by the panel, review of final degree/master's projects with different grades, interviews with various groups (teachers and students, PTGAS, graduates, employers, etc.), visit to facilities, infrastructure, etc. The Panel of Experts will prepare a provisional report, to which the university may submit allegations that in no case will involve a discussion of the assessments made. As a final result, a visit results report.
• Final evaluation for accreditation, in which an ACCUEE Accreditation Committee will analyze the data and results of the evaluation, obtained in the visit report and in the degree self-assessment dossier. The Committee will prepare a provisional report, to which the university may submit any objections it deems appropriate. The final result will be a final accreditation renewal report.

Accreditation Results

The process of renewing the accreditation of a degree ends with the issuance of a final accreditation report, which may be issued in favorable or unfavorable terms with the following implications:

• Favorable Report: It allows the degree to continue to be taught in subsequent courses and its permanence in the Registry of Universities, Centers and Degrees.
• Unfavorable Report: It leads to the exit from the RUCT, and the consequent extinction of the title as an official title.

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Documentation and information

The planning, coordination, and advisory work on the ULL accreditation renewal process—drafting framework documents, instructions, and work plans, organizing and compiling institutional evidence, scheduling work with external evaluation agencies, etc.—will be carried out by the Technical Quality Unit of the Vice-Rectorate for Teaching in coordination with the schools.

Based on the experience gained and the improvement proposals made during the external evaluation, the framework documentation will be updated, and the importance and implications of this process will be disseminated among the centers and various stakeholders (faculty, students, PTGAS, etc.). This information and documentation, as well as the identified best practices, will serve as a reference in the planning and organization of the degrees that will undergo the accreditation renewal process.