Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy (RCsDP) and its programs in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Dental Hygiene and Clinical Laboratory Science, are now officially accredited by the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA), the official governmental entity vested with the authority to accredit colleges and universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In two separate letters signed by Professor Abdullah Almusallam, NCAAA Secretary General, to Professor Abdullah R. Al Shammery, RCsDP Rector, NCAAA has conveyed the grant of the much-awaited and highly-valued accreditation to, first, the Colleges as the institution and, second, to its four academic programs as mentioned above. The accreditation has been granted for the period retroactive from May 1, 2010 up to April 30, 2017. In the same letters NCAAA has also authorized RCsDP that it "may now disclose its accredited status and those of its programs in informational and marketing publications, student recruiting presentations, media relations, websites and other electronic media" using a statement it has approved.
What does accreditation mean?
Accreditation is the formal certification that an institution or program meets required standards and it is given by the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment, the recognized authority for the purpose in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
NCAAA accreditation takes the forms of Institutional and Program Accreditation.
Institutional Accreditation-The accreditation of an institution certifying that its resources, processes and students learning outcomes meet required standards for an institution of its type and the level of qualifications it offers. (An institution in this context means the total institution including all its colleges, departments and programs, not any single college or department.)
Program Accreditation-The accreditation of an individual program of study certifying that the resources and facilities provided, processes of teaching and support services, and the quality and extent of students learning meet required standards for the qualifications that are offered. In Saudi Arabia, the Commission will carry out institutional and program accreditations. Professional accreditation may be introduced at a later stage. Some institutions have found it useful to seek accreditation for their programs from.
The NCAAA accreditation process was by no means a walk in the park for RcsDP. It entailed a long and arduous journey that spanned three years; (for some universities, even as much as five years).
In the beginning, RCSDP and the four academic programs were assessed by NCAAA against its standards and requirements for institutional quality assurance. When they were able to meet those requirements, they were issued provisional accreditation. Such provisional accreditation meant that the Ministry of Higher Education allowed the institution to continue operating and the programs continued with the license issued at the beginning.
In the meantime, quality assurance systems mechanisms were put in place where necessary and implemented in accordance with the NCAAA Quality Assurance standards. The RCsDP Quality Assurance Center and institutional quality committees were established to evaluate the existing level of quality in relation to quality standards, to develop strategic plans for improvement, and to provide leadership and support for academic and administrative units throughout the institution as the quality systems are introduced. The systems for quality assurance involved processes for strategic and operational planning that meet quality standards, and monitoring quality of performance using clearly defined evidence, and making adjustments over time as required. The systems for quality assurance were used for all programs and courses, and for each major operational area within the institution.
After the first students completed their programs, the RCsDP completed a self-study of itself and of its programs from 2008 up to May 2010. The completed self-studies and all the pertinent documentary requirements were submitted to the Commission on May 25, 2010. Revised self-studies and documents were submitted on June 24, 2010.
As part and parcel of NCAAA requirements, the self-studies were subjected to the independent evaluation of external experts from the Netherlands and Jeddah, KSA. The independent opinions were also submitted to the Commission.
In November and December 2010, NCAAA external review panels consisting of at least 15 evaluators from the NCAAA, the USA, UK , Australia and Egypt came to RCsDP to conduct five-day institutional and program evaluations, respectively.
Six months later, specifically on May 25, 2011, the Commission sent the reports of the evaluation from the external reviewers. Their reports included their commendations, recommendations and suggestions. The next month after the reports were received, specifically on July 7, 2011, RCsDP submitted to the Commission the required specific Action Plans to address each and every recommendation in the reports.
NCAAA criteria and standards have been met because accreditation has now been granted. But RCsDP cannot rest on its laurels because self-studies and independent external review will again be conducted towards the end of the seven-year accreditation period. Interim reports will also have to be submitted to the Commission at different intervals during the accreditation.
In the meantime, however, the whole of RCsDP intends to relish this achievement of its accreditation milestone.
|
