The document discusses quality assurance and institutional accreditation by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in India and the role of Internal Quality Assurance Cells (IQACs). It outlines the seven criteria used by NAAC to evaluate institutions, including curricular aspects, teaching-learning and evaluation, research, infrastructure, student support, governance, and innovations. It also describes the composition, aims, and functions of IQACs, which are meant to help institutions develop and maintain quality.

1. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND
INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION: NAAC
AND IQAC
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
MIZORAM UNIVERSITY

2. QUALITY
Quality is no longer perceived as an institutional internal matter but as one
which is of concern to various stakeholders both internally and externally. The
existence of Quality Assurance (QA) system establishes a sense of
accountability and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of providers of higher
education, local authorities, investors, future employers, students and other
delivery partners in ensuring that programs of study and their related support
infrastructure are of the highest standards. It takes into account the method
through which students’ learning will be managed and supported and how
resources will effectively be deployed to support the institution’s growth and
well-being.

3. ACCREDITATION
Accreditation is both a status and a process. As a status,
accreditation provides public notification that an institution or
program meets standards of quality set forth by an
accrediting agency. The accreditation status indicates that
the particular institute meets the standards of quality set by
the accreditation agency in terms of its performance related
to the educational process and outcomes.

4. ACCREDITATION
Accreditation is inextricably linked to institutional and
educational system improvement and quality assurance.
The accreditation process asks institutions and systems to
critically evaluate their vision, strategies, priorities,
leadership, programs and resources.

5. ROLE OF ACCREDITATION IN QUALITY ASSURANCE
Accreditation is a form of external quality assurance process
under which services and operations of educational institutions or
programs are evaluated by an external body (accrediting agency) to
determine if applicable standards are met.

6. BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
 Institution to know its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities through an informed review
process
 Identification of internal areas of planning and resource allocation
 Funding agencies look for objective data for performance funding
 Institutions to initiate innovative and modern methods of pedagogy
 New sense of direction and identity for institutions
 The society look for reliable information on quality education offered
 Employers look for reliable information on the quality of education offered to the prospective
recruits
 Intra and inter-institutional interactions

8. NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL
 The NAAC has been set up to facilitate the volunteering institutions to assess their
performance vis-a-vis set parameters through introspection and a process that provides
space for participation of the institution.
 The NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC) conducts
assessment and accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) such as colleges,
universities or other recognised institutions to derive an understanding of the ‘Quality Status’
of the institution. NAAC evaluates the institutions for its conformance to the standards of
quality in terms of its performance related to the educational processes and outcomes,
curriculum coverage, teaching-learning processes, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning
resources, organisation, governance, financial well being and student services.

9. MISSION OF NAAC
 To arrange for periodic assessment and accreditation of institutions of higher
education or units thereof, or specific academic programmes or projects;
 To stimulate the academic environment for promotion of quality of teaching-
learning and research in higher education institutions;
 To encourage self-evaluation, accountability, autonomy and innovations in
higher education;
 To undertake quality-related research studies, consultancy and training
programmes
 To collaborate with other stakeholders of higher education for quality
evaluation, promotion and sustenance.

10. CORE VALUES OF NAAC
NAAC has developed five core values:
• Contributing to national development
• Fostering global competencies among students
• Inculcating a value system in students
• Promoting the use of technology
• Quest for excellence

11. SEVEN CRITERIA OF NAAC
 Curricular aspects;
 Teaching, learning and evaluation;
 Research, consultancy and extension;
 Infrastructure and learning resources;
 Student support and progression;
 Governance, leadership and management;
 Innovations and Best Practices

12. CRITERION 1: CURRICULAR ASPECTS
Curriculum is in the core of education. It is important to have a relevant, well structured curriculum that
answers all the questions about the future and equips the student with all the necessary skills and
knowledge.
The key aspects to consider while complying with this criteria are:
 Curriculum design and development,
 Curriculum planning and implementation,
 Academic flexibility,
 Curriculum enrichment,
 Feedback system.

13. CRITERION 2: TEACHING-LEARNING AND EVALUATION...
This criterion addresses the regular academic activities of the
institution. The teaching-learning processes, students results,
desired outcomes etc comes under this criterion. As the first criteria
deals with a “WHAT” in learning, this one assess the “HOW” the
learning happens. Various evaluation and assessment practices are
also a point of interest for this one.

14. CRITERION 2: TEACHING-LEARNING AND EVALUATION
Here are some important areas to focus on to improve this criterion.
 Student enrollment and profile,
 Catering student diversity,
 Teaching-Learning process,
 Teacher quality,
 Evaluation process and reforms,
 Student performance and learning outcomes.

15. KEY ASPECTS OF TEACHING-LEARNING AND EVALUATION
The key aspects to consider while complying with this criteria are:
 Student enrollment and profile,
 Catering student diversity,
 Teaching-Learning process,
 Teacher quality,
 Evaluation process and reforms,
 Student performance and learning outcomes.

16. CRITERION 3: RESEARCH, CONSULTANCY AND EXTENSION
This criterion, as the name suggests, is about the academic research, extended consultancy services from
the side of institution towards the industry and the field of study, and extension which is the outreach of
institution towards the society, addressing various real-life problems, finding solutions, and other extra-
curricular activities to improve the overall quality of the institution.The key aspects of this criterion are:
 Promotion of research,
 Resource mobilization for research,
 Research facilities,
 Research publications and awards,
 Consultancy,
 Extension activities and institutional social responsibility,
 Collaborations.

17. CRITERION 4: INFRASTRUCTURE AND LEARNING RESOURCES
Criterion 4 is to assess the physical academic facilities and support system. Having a good learning
environment and necessary facilities are important while working towards the quality of education.
Classrooms, labs, technology, facilities for physical fitness and medical purposes, proper and sufficient
reference materials are all vital for assuring higher educational quality of the institution. Introducing ICT in
education comes under this criterion.
The major factors to consider while improving this criterion are:
 Physical facilities including hostel, playgrounds, internet wifi, medical emergency addressal etc,
 Library as a learning resource,
 IT infrastructure,
 Maintenance of campus facilities.

18. CRITERION 5: STUDENT SUPPORT AND PROGRESSION
The major field of focus for this criterion is on ensuring proper participation of students
in academics, and students support for the side of the institution. Mentoring and
providing guidance for the students in various aspects of education and their field of
study also matters. Helping and guiding students in their education contributes into the
overall quality of education. How the institution facilitate the progression of students to
higher level of education and/or towards employment is also an important factor while
working on this criterion.
To comply with this criteria, the institution need to focus on the following:
 Student mentoring and support,
 Student progression,
 Student participation and activities.

19. CRITERION 6: GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND
MANAGEMENT
 Governance and management are the backbone of the institution. Having a well-structured governing
body and a management helps to find and address gaps in practices, and efficiently implement proper
counter mechanisms on time. The quality and future of the institution depends on it. Internal quality
assurance, faculty empowerment, financial resource management, strategy development, all comes
down to this criterion.
 The key aspects of this criterion are:
 Institutional vision and leadership,
 Strategy development and deployment,
 Faculty empowerment strategies,
 Financial management and resource mobilization,
 Internal quality assurance system.

20. CRITERION 7 : INNOVATIONS AND BEST PRACTICES
These all proclaims the nature perspectives of the institution towards the outside world, and its moral values. The ‘Best
practises’ includes anything that have contributed towards the institutional objectives and quality improvement.
This criterion is to assess factors like
 The approach of institution towards a greener, eco-friendly campus,
 Energy conservation in the institution,
 Innovative ideas implemented in the institution, and
 Practises towards a common, better future. Etc.
The institution need to focus on the following to comply with this criterion:
 Environment consciousness of management, staff and students,
 Innovations and their implementation, and its results,
 Best practices.

21. IQAC
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) proposed that every accredited
institution should establish an Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) as a post-accreditation
quality sustenance measure.
Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) has established in each of the HEIs that would be help to
develop and raise their capabilities as institutions.cation institution.The IQAC has to ensure that
whatever is done in the institution for “Education” is done efficiently and effectively at self defined
standards.
Outcomes of the IQAC
Internalization and institutionalization of quality

22. IQAC – VISION
 To ensure quality culture as the prime concern for the Higher
Education Institutions through
 institutionalizing and internalizing all the initiatives taken with
internal and external support.

23. AIMS OF ESTABLISHMENT OF IQAC
 To develop a system for conscious, consistent and catalytic action
to improve the academic and administrative performance of the
institution.
 To promote measures for institutional functioning towards quality
enhancement through internalization of quality culture and
institutionalization of best practices.

24. COMPOSITION OF IQAC
IQAC may be constituted in every institution under the Chairmanship of the Head of the institution with heads of important academic and
administrative units and a few teachers and a few distinguished educationists and representatives of local management and stakeholders.
The composition of the IQAC may be as follows:
1. Chairperson: Head of the Institution
2. Teachers to represent all level (Three to eight)
3. One member from the Management
4. Few Senior administrative officers
5. One nominee each from local society, Students and Alumni
6. One nominee each from Employers /Industrialists/Stakeholders
7. One of the senior teachers as the coordinator/Director of the IQAC

25. FUNCTIONS OF IQAC
 Development and implementation of quality benchmarks/parameters for various academic and administrative
activities of the institution.
 Development of Quality Culture in the institution and faculty maturation to adopt the required knowledge and
technology for participatory teaching and learning process.
 Conducting internal Academic as well as Administrative Audits.
 Arrangement for feedback response from students, parents and other stakeholders on quality-related institutional
processes.
 Dissemination of information on various quality parameters of higher education.
 Organization of inter and intra institutional workshops, seminars on quality related themes.
 Documentation of the various programmes/activities leading to quality improvement and maintenance of institutional
database for the purpose of maintaining /enhancing the institutional quality.
 Preparation of the Annual Quality Assurance Report (AQAR) as per guidelines and parameters of NAAC, to be
submitted to NAAC.

26. Thank you!