Overview

Once the Self-Evaluation Report has been completed it will be passed on to the Accreditation Review Panel. This stage will commence with a pre-analysis by the Accreditation Review Panel which performs a check for any unclear areas that can be solved before the review.

Review formats

There are three main forms of review that can be undertaken:

On-site review

Reviewers physically attend the Programme. This is the most common form for initial accreditation cycles. It involves a panel of three and a rapporteur (though on some occasions, a reviewer can also operate as a rapporteur). A possible timeframe for such a meeting is given in the Accreditation Manual.

Online review

The second type of review consists of an online review. This type of review is available for fully online programmes and programmes seeking re-accreditation that have successfully achieved full accreditation status during the preceding accreditation cycle. An illustrative example schedule, which can be administered as the example or separated into smaller timeframes spread over a longer period of time, is presented in the Accreditation Manual.

Hybrid review

Finally, there is a hybrid review which consists of a mixture of onsite and online reviewers. This can be undertaken if there are difficulties establishing onsite Accreditation Review Panels. Hybrid meetings are quite difficult for both reviewers and attendees. Therefore, it is recommended that for hybrid reviews everybody involved should be on individual screens rather than room video conferencing. The host will need to make arrangements for technical assistance and ensuring constant internet and power supplies.

Reporting

After completing the review, the Accreditation Review Panel will take up to 8 weeks to write a report which, once drafted, will be sent to the applicant for an accuracy check. The applicant will have two weeks to reply with any factual corrections before the report is finalised and forwarded to the Accreditation Review Board. At this stage, the review team will also inform the Accreditation Review Board of their recommendation of the accreditation category to be assigned. After reviewing the report and considering the review team’s recommendation, the Accreditation Review Board will issue a decision.