The transformation of accreditation processes: challenges and recommendations - doi: 10.4025/actascieduc.v36i1.19391

Abstract

Some recommendations are provided to the challenges that the evaluation and accreditation processes raise to higher education systems in Latin-American and theCaribbean. Necessary and urgent changes are required in the systems of evaluation and accreditation in the region. We have identified seven challenges: Inequity; formalism and bureaucracy; uncritical acceptance of the ‘World Class Universities’ model; preference of indicators measuring economic growth (often not sustainable) to the detriment of indicators that measure key values such as equity, social harmony and environment sustainability; the challenge of ‘academic corruption’; the challenge of international accreditation; and the challenge of innovation. Some policies and actions are recommended to face adequately these challenges and to carry out a transformation within the evaluation and accreditation processes.