Reference Guide for EAQUALS inspections - Support

IntroductionAccreditation by EAQUALS is the primary means by which providers of language courses candemonstrate their compliance with high international standards designed specifically for languagelearning services. Accreditation by and full membership of EAQUALS are awarded after a rigorousquality assessment process. The main element of this process is an EAQUALS inspection based ontransparent assessment criteria, reflecting the content of the EAQUALS Charters. Re-inspections takeplace every four years so that the quality of the services provided by Accredited Members can beregularly verified.As well as verifying that institutions are complying with EAQUALS standards prior to accreditation orre-accreditation, the inspection plays an important role in maintaining the momentum of continuousimprovement and providing independent advice as to how this may be done.This Reference Guide describes the EAQUALS Inspection Scheme, the assessment criteria that areused, and the way they are applied in practice. Its aim is to give institutions interested in EAQUALSaccreditation a clear view of EAQUALS standards and methods of inspection. It is distilled from themore comprehensive Inspection Scheme Manual used by inspectors and institutions for actualinspections.Methodology and principles of the EAQUALS inspection schemeThe EAQUALS inspection scheme is integrated in a valid and reliable quality accreditationsystem and EAQUALS inspections are based on a principled and effective methodology.The EAQUALS Charters are at the core of the quality assessment system. They state all the valueswhich underpin the inspections. These are the commitments to fair dealing with all the stakeholdersinvolved, to giving comprehensive and honest information about the services to be provided; to fullcompliance with legal requirements, and the commitment not to discriminate in any way. TheCharters also state the promises and guarantees that members of EAQUALS make to their directand indirect clients –in the Charters for Course Participants, Staff and Information. The inspectionprocess verifies that all these promises are respected by the members or prospective members andensures that the accreditation process involves comprehensive coverage of all an institution’sactivities.The methodology of the inspection combines direct observation of all aspects of an institution’sactivities with verification, on the basis of documentary evidence, of the systems of academicmanagement and quality assurance procedures which can ensure sustained and consistent quality ofservices. The inspectors observe a full and representative selection of the teaching, inspect resources,meet focus groups of course participants and staff, and interview members of administrative staff.They also verify the processes of the institution’s management to find out how course delivery isbacked up by curriculum and syllabus; how the assessment processes work, from placement ofparticipants’to final certificate; and what systems of quality assurance through regular observationand gathering of participant feedback exist. Institutions provide documentation on these processesand on all legal and safety requirements.The EAQUALS inspection scheme is more than just a coherent and effective system for accreditinginstitutions; it seeks to make a constructive, consultative contribution to the improvement of theinstitutions inspected and to language learning and teaching in general. In addition to the inspectionprocess the inspectors also make recommendations for improvement which mean that the inspectionand accreditation include an element of consultancy.Pre-inspection advisory visits and EAQUALS consultancies, as well as a complete Self-AssessmentHandbook and a great variety of resource materials available to members on the EAQUALS website,are designed specifically to help institutions reach the required standards. Some of the abovematerials are also available to potential members through the EAQUALS Secretariat.3Reference Guide to the Inspection Scheme for Institutionsversion 6.2© EAQUALS 2011