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Sep 22
0

Webinar Series: AACSB 2020 – What you need to know?

By | Webinars

qed-academ-webinar-series

Using their combined expertise and knowledge, QED and RimaOne are partnering to provide a series of three webinars, covering the new AACSB 2020 Business Accreditation Standards. Whether you’re preparing for initial accreditation, or for a continuous improvement review, these webinars will provide a practical insight into the new standards.

The webinars will last 45 mins to an hour (including time for Q&A) and will provide an overview of some of the key changes arising, together with practical examples and advice of how schools should or can prepare. Registration is free and participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance.

All webinars will start at 1pm Central European Time.

Webinar 1: What do the changes mean for you?

Guest Speaker: Frank Bostyn – Dean UAEU & Board Member AACSB

Date: October 15th 2020

AACSB’s 2020 Business Accreditation Standards were approved in Summer 2020. Our first webinar is focused on providing an overview of the changes (both in terms of the standards and the related processes). Key topics include:

  • Summary of new standards & comparison with 2013 standards
  • What stays the same? What has changed?
  • Process changes overview – including transition arrangements
  • Scoping (including collaborative provision)

Register for Webinar 1 here

 

Webinar 2: Faculty Qualifications and Sufficiency (Standard 3)

Guest Speaker: Sarah Vaughan – Associate Dean Accreditations, ICN Business School, France.

Date: October 22nd 2020

The second webinar in the series focuses on Standard 3 (Faculty and Professional Staff Resources) with particular emphasis on Faculty Qualification and Tables 3.1 and 3.2 (previously 15.1 and 15.2). Key discussion points include:

  • 2013 vs 2020: What stays the same? What has changed?
  • Key points to consider when transitioning to Tables 3.1 and 3.2 (old tables 15.1 and 15.2)
  • The focus on ‘discipline’ rather than ‘department’ or ‘subject group’ within the 2020 Accreditation Standards.

Register for Webinar 2 here

 

Webinar 3: Assurance of Learning

Guest Speakers: Venkata Yanamandram (Associate Professor and Director of AoL, University of Wollongong, Australia) and Sara Isabel Marin-Zapata (International Accreditations, Universidad EAFIT, Columbia)

Date: October 29th 2020

Our final webinar in the series takes an overall look at Standard 5 (Assurance of Learning). In this we talk about the changes in language within the new standards, and the importance of taking time to really define the learning competencies for each programme. Key areas include:

  • 2013 vs 2020: What stays the same? What has changed?
  • Table 5.1 (“new” Assurance of Learning table)
  • Microlearning Credentials: what do I need to know?
  • Non-degree Executive Education: what’s required?
  • Latest insights into the moves by AACSB to allow leverage of work done for National/Regional Regulatory bodies.

Register for Webinar 3 here

For advice and further details on any of the above, please contact the QED Accreditation Team at info@QEDaccreditation.com.

Aug 04
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EQUIS: Updates to standards and guidance 2020

By | Resource

EQUIS Standards and Guidance: Updates 2020

EFMD revises the documentation supporting EQUIS periodically and updates are normally provided at the start of each calendar year.  QED’s overview of the updates made as part of the 2020 publication, together with an assessment of the significance of the change can be found in this downloadable PDF file.

Whilst most changes are unlikely to be significant, there are a small number which should be considered by institutions within the accreditation process OR preparing for re-accreditation.

NB: This document represents QED’s interpretation of the EQUIS Updates.  We recommend that you view the updated documents directly – which are available from EFMD’s website:

In addition, EFMD has provided its own summary of the main changes to the Standards.  This document (in tabular format) is available from the EFMD website here.

As above, QED’s summary of the updates across the key documents is available in this downloadable PDF file.

 

For advice and further details on any of the above, please contact the QED Accreditation Team at info@QEDaccreditation.com.

Jul 29
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AACSB: 2020 Standards now released

By | Resource

AACSB: New 2020 Business Accreditation Standards released

As anticipated, July 28th 2020 saw the release of AACSB’s newly approved 2020 Business Accreditation Standards.  This has been the culmination of two years of dialogue and review.  The new standards represent a streamlined, principles-based framework and provide flexibility for the Business School of the future.

QED will be providing plenty of guidance (including a series of webinars planned for the Autumn) – but  – for now – what are the key things you need to know?

What is the key difference between the 2013 and the 2020 standards?
The 2020 standards have a principles based approach –  providing some flexibility for different types of business schools and the changing needs of business schools into the future. This gives more scope for business schools to adapt to the individual requirements of their School.

Is that not just another way of saying that the standards are ‘easier’?
No – absolutely not!  Many of the same standards and targets apply – but there has been a huge effort to streamline the standards (now 9 standards, instead of 15) and to ensure that a focus on principles means that Schools continue to align with the ‘spirit’ or ‘intention’ of each standard in a way that directly supports high quality practices and processes.

For Schools that are already ‘in the process’ or are accredited, what areas are important to flag as potential areas for change?
There are several key areas of change and QED would always recommend that the School makes space for staff to become familiar with these.  Areas to which particular attention might be paid include:

  • Language changes: For example, students are referred to as ‘Learners’.  Instead of ‘learning goals’, the standards talk about ‘learning competencies’.  N.B. It is important to review the definitions provided by AACSB whenever relevant – as terminology and the meaning of words can vary internationally.
  • More detailed guidance around collaborative provision partnerships – and whether the related programmes fall in-scope or out-of-scope (part of the AACSB philosophy in the prequel to the standards);
  • New requirement (and standard) for ‘Engagement and Societal Impact’ (new Standard 9);
  • More attention paid to risk planning, including a formal risk analysis;
  • Faculty tables to be organised by ‘Discipline’ (not department or programme etc).  This is likely to be an easy transition for many schools, but potentially difficult for others….! It will highlight any short-comings in the academic underpinnings for individual subject areas within the School.  However, Schools have more flexibility in deployment of faculty, once the standard is met at the discipline level.
  • AoL: Schools are encouraged (and expected) to have a combination of direct and indirect measures – depending on how best to assure learning for each competency within a programme.

When do the 2020 standards become effective?
AACSB has established a transition time frame and all Schools with an interest in AACSB accreditation or re-accreditation should be aware of this. The transition time frame uses the Peer Review Visit as the key ‘transition point’ and Schools will need to work backwards from there to establish the point of planning and transition within the School.

  • 2020/21:  Only Schools with CIR visits that have been accepted onto the initial pilot phase will be accredited under the new standards between January and June 2021.
  • 2021/22: Schools expecting Peer Review Visits between July 1 2021 and June 30 2022 can CHOOSE whether to be accredited under the 2013 standards or the 2020 standards
  • 2022/23: Schools expecting Peer Review Visits between July 1 2022 and June 30 2023 can CHOOSE whether to be accredited under the 2013 standards or the 2020 standards.
  • 2023/24 onwards: Any school expecting a Peer Review Visit from 1 July 2023 will be required to align with the 2020 Standards.

Any school that is currently in the initial accreditation process, and expects to have a peer review visit after July 2021 should consult with their AACSB Staff Liaison to discuss their preferred transition time

Where can I learn more about the new Standards?
The new standards and AACSB’s Interpretative Guidance document are good places to start.  All of the new documentation is available on AACSB’s website.  Of course, AACSB will be rolling out a comprehensive set of learning events, to support Schools’ transition to the new standards.  In addition, QED will be partnering with RimaOne in Autumn 2020 to provide a set of three free webinars, targeting key areas of focus within the new standards.  QED will also be providing in-school workshops and briefings (virtual events, and – when travel permits – on-site) – tailored to the specifications of each client.  For any information on QED webinars, briefings or workshops, please contact QED directly.

For advice and further details on any of the above, please contact the QED Accreditation Team at info@QEDaccreditation.com.

Jun 16
0

QED Leadership Lens – Ep 2 – Retaining and Increasing Agility in Innovation

By | QED Leadership Lens, Resource

QED’s Leadership Lens

In Episode 2 of QED’s Leadership Lens, we reflect on the theme ‘Retaining and Increasing Agility in Innovation‘ with: Joanne Powell (QED), Jeanette Lemmergaard (Southern University of Denmark), Joan Baker (Leadership Consultant)  and Julie Perrin-Halot (Grenoble Ecole de Management).

QED launched its Leadership Portfolio in 2019.  Part of its remit is its mission to explore practical leadership themes with senior management teams in the higher education sector (not just Business Schools) – through a mix of workshops, training events, coaching and seminars. QED’s Leadership Lens is a series of short (20-30 minute) conversations about some key leadership topics that resonate with our experiences in the sector.

If you would like to discuss your organisation’s leadership needs with QED, please contact us to arrange a free, no-obligations initial consultation.

May 26
0

QED Leadership Lens – Ep 1 – Perfection slows you down

By | QED Leadership Lens, Resource

QED’s Leadership Lens

QED launched its Leadership Portfolio in 2019.  Part of its remit is its mission to explore practical leadership themes with senior management teams in the higher education sector – through a mix of workshops, training events, coaching and seminars.

QED’s Leadership Lens is a series of short (20-30 minute) conversations about some of the key leadership topics.  In Episode 1, join Jeanette Lemmergaard (Southern University of Denmark), Joan Baker (Leadership Consultant), Joanne Powell (QED) and Julie Perrin-Halot (Grenoble Ecole de Management) for some thoughtful consideration of the theme ‘Perfection slows you down‘.

If you would like to discuss your organisation’s leadership needs with QED, please contact us to arrange a free, no-obligations initial consultation.

Apr 28
0

AACSB: Approval Process for 2020 Business Accredition Standards

By | News, Resource

What you need to know …

AACSB’s Business Accreditation Task Force has released the proposed final draft of the revised 2020 Business Accreditation Standards.  What do you need to know?  Here is a summary of the top five questions…

 

1. If there are no physical meetings, how will the standards be approved?
AACSB is using a process call ‘Written Consent’ – which is applicable under local law.  The key steps are as follows:

  • The proposed standards have to be approved by a majority of the AACSB Accreditation Council.  The Accreditation Council comprises educational organisations holding AACSB accreditation.
  • The Official Representative of each of these organisations will receive a unique link (electronically) asking him/her for ‘written consent’ to approve the proposed standards;
  • These links were due to be issued yesterday – April 27th.  **If you are the Official Representative for an organisation that’s a member of the Accreditation Council, we suggest that you check you have received this link** (and check your spam folder!!)
  • Voting is open for 90 days – until July 27th.
  • AACSB expects to post results on July 28th.

More information on the process is available here.

2. Are the proposed standards available to review?
Yes, they are.  AACSB has released several documents:

AACSB has also published its virtual update on these standards (see video link).  This session is about an hour long, but provides a really good summary of the new standards directly from the Business Accreditation Task Force (BATF)

3. If the standards are approved, can we adopt them immediately?
Not quite…  As might be expected, there is a transition period, which is measured by when your Institution’s Accreditation Visit is due.

  • Visits due in 2020/21:  Optional Controlled pilot for pre-selected schools ONLY.  AACSB has advised that this will be a relatively small group of Schools (circa 15-20 schools) that are in the CIR process (i.e. not open to schools having an initial accreditation visit in 2020/21).
  • Visits due in 2021/22 and 2022/23:  It is optional to transition to the new standards.
  • Visits due from 2023/24:  It is mandatory to transition to the new standards.

Assuming the Proposed Standards are approved, AACSB will contact all schools (accredited or in-process) after the end of July to discuss the practicalities of transition to the new standards.  This will include information about becoming part of the pilot group. (Stephanie Bryant, at ICAM, also suggested that those schools that are interested in being part of the pilot in 2020/21 – and who are part of the CIR process –  should let her or their AACSB Staff Liaison know).

4. Will there be an Interpretative Guidance Document, as there was for the Exposure Drafts?
Yes – AACSB has said that this will be issued once the standards are approved (i.e. anticipated to the the end of July 2020).

5. What areas are most likely to be impacted, based on the 2013 Standards?
The new standards are much more streamlined (now 9 Standards, rather than 15).  The overall essentials still apply: The standards are mission-driven.  There’s still a focus on Engagement, Innovation and Impact.  Areas that are likely to be of particular interest to schools include:

  • Requirement for a formal risk analysis (Standard 1)
  • Changes to some of the guidance around reporting in faculty tables (now to be ordered by ‘discipline’ as the default);
  • Some changes to guidance and requirements around faculty qualifications (more principles based – giving Schools more flexibility);
  • Additional guidance relating to the potential scope of collaborative provision programmes is provided.
  • A new standard (Standard 9) on Engagement and Societal Impact

QED will be looking at the implications of the various changes for Schools in due course (but contact us if you have any questions)

For advice or comments on any of the above, please contact the QED Accreditation Team at info@QEDaccreditation.com.  

Jun 11
0

QED sponsors ESCP

By | News, Resource

QED sponsors ESCP Student Award

QED was delighted to sponsor ESCP London’s Social Impact Project of the Year 2020 at the recent Annual Student Gala.  This prize is awarded to those students who, as early-stage social entrepreneurs, have participated in ESCP supported projects that have helped to address or to tackle important societal challenges locally, nationally and/or internationally.

 

escp-gala-award-2020-2-resized

 

For enquiries or comments on any of the above, please contact the QED Accreditation Team at info@QEDaccreditation.com.  

Jan 23
0

EOCCS

By | Resource

EOCCS

EFMD’s Online Course Certification System (EOCCS)  evaluates the quality of online business/management courses.  Unlike EPAS or AMBA, the focus is on individual courses (or modules) which may or may not be part of a wider programme set. It also considers programmes from undergraduate up to doctoral level, including executive education provision.  The underlying benefits are:
  • to provide an international quality benchmark for online courses (and these may include blended delivery, where some elements of the course are delivered face-to-face);
  • to promote a culture of continuous improvement;
  • to enhance the potential for peer-to-peer networking and learning.

Entry Criteria
The entry criteria are straightforward: the course must have had one successful ‘run’; have had at least 20 participants and must offer at least 20 learning hours.

Process
The EOCCS process involves a thorough review of the relevant courses or modules, and is usually completed online.  It can take as little as 12 weeks from submission of application.  The application is in two parts: the Data Sheet and the Course Self-Assessment Report (covering the four EOCCS standards: see below).

Once the application is accepted by EFMD, it is considered by an Online Review Panel.  The Online Review is scheduled with the School, using online video conferencing software (The meeting takes approx 3 hours).  Certification recommendations are submitted to the EOCCS Certification Board for a final decision. Certification (where successful) lasts for three years.

EOCCS Standards
The EOCCS framework is based on four inter-related standards:

  1. Institutional Context: is the course sustainable?  Does it have qualified and experienced staff? How is it linked to the organisation’s mission?  Is it supported appropriately?
  2. Course Composition: What is the target population? How is learning designed?  How is course content and delivery designed and agreed?  How does technology impact the delivery?
  3. Course Delivery and Operations; What are the processes for recruitment and admission of students? How is the course content conveyed?  What about academic and technical support?
  4. Quality Assurance Processes: This covers all elements of quality assurance – from institutional systems (course planning, faculty appointments etc) through to course review assessment of students; and monitoring of teaching and learning.
How can QED help?
QED is well positioned to support schools interested in EOCCS. We have unparalleled expertise in preparing accreditation documentation and supporting business schools with continuous improvement processes.
Further information on EOCCS is available directly from the EFMD website.  If you’re interested in EOCCS, QED is happy to provide an initial 30 minute consultation at no obligation – to discuss whether your course is likely to be suitable for EOCCS certification and to consider what supports might be required.  Email us directly to set up a time.
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Nov 26
0

Accreditation Fees & Costs – Nov 2019

By | Archive, Resource

Accreditation Costs

There are several facets to the costs of accreditation:
  1. Payments made to the relevant accreditation bodies and comprise a mix of membership fees, accreditation fees and other expenses etc.  These are relatively fixed and easy to estimate (see link below).
  2. Staffing and advisory costs to support accreditation.  These are harder to estimate, and depend on several factors.  Will there be an accreditation team with sufficient time and experience to manage the full accreditation process? Are there additional faculty allowances given to accreditation?  Will the School require some external input, to support the internal resources?
  3. Investment Costs:  These vary hugely from school to school and naturally depend on each School’s strategic priorities.  Of course, strategic investment costs are not always linked to accreditation: Some strategic decisions will be made regardless of accreditation plans.  Others may only be made as a consequence of accreditation.

QED has listed the costs and fees associated with each of the accreditation bodies (#1 above).  These can be viewed here.

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