Among the recommendations of the Action Plan of CRES 2008 directed to governments of Latin America and the Caribbean is Expanding Higher Education undergraduate and graduate levels with quality, relevance, and social inclusion. The goal is to reach the goal of 40% of expected quality coverage by the year 2015, taking into consideration appropriate standards. Currently, gross coverage rate in the region is 32%, and the average percentage for developed countries is 55%. .

UNESCO-IESALC interviewed Dr. Sueli Pires, co-coordinator of the bookHacia una política regional de aseguramiento de la calidad en la Educación Superior para América Latina y el Caribe recient published by UNESCO-IESALC

Do you see any immediate implications of the recommendations made in the book Toward a regional policy for assuring the quality of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean?

The recommendations made in chapter 2 of the book “Toward a regional policy for assuring the quality of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean” have all, in nearly their totality and substance, been practically incorporated into the final text of the Declaration of CRES 2008, as well as in the respective Plan of Action. Besides the fact that accreditation and assessment agencies of LAC are already taking actions in regard to many of the subjects treated, in the cited chapter we note the good will of actors – governments, agencies, networks, and universities – to put into place some of the measures that are necessary for a true integration of graduate programs. On the other hand, one must remember that some of the challenges noted in that chapter will not be solved in the short term. Although we are optimistic, there are measures that depend of a series of factors – within and outside of countries – above all in terms of the reformulation of laws and the search for funds for achieving this purpose. However, for their part, the new needs that appear often require innovative attitudes and solutions on the part of all actors involved in higher education educational activities.

In your article you emphasize the differences between systems in terms of the methodology of accreditation processes and the institutions that carry them out. What do you believe is the principal barrier that prevents the development of a regional graduate program accreditation system?

Frankly, the major barrier is the influence that still persists in the models of developed countries over our systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Building quality standards with their own Latin American and Caribbean identity is not an easy task, in a context of the internationalization of knowledge, above all when one thinks about graduate programs and research. But little by little, with the leadership of some countries, we are progressing in concepts and application that are more appropriate to our multiple political, socio-economic, and cultural realities.

Is accreditation a characteristic of education in developing countries?

Accreditation is a world trend, and it applies to our region as well. It's major motivation is due to two factors: globalization and the massive expansion of higher education. Moreover, it is a necessity that if faced by countries and regions in order to make possible public recognition and dialogue between different education systems. On the other hand, what must be avoided is the preponderance of criteria and procedures that principally serve the interests of developed countries, without taking into consideration the different needs of developing countries.

How is it possible to link the outcome of accreditation processes to their acceptance by institutions of higher education?

First of all, it is necessary to distinguish between national accreditation processes that are voluntary or compulsory on the part of institutions from those that are applied by international agencies. However, in both cases the institutions that take part in such processes have an enormous interest in achieving the best rating possible in order to earn credibility and visibility internally in their countries or in the international academic world. What happens in some cases is that, if a particular institution of higher education does not achieve good results in a specific accreditation process in it's own country, it tends to participate in other external accreditation processes as a strategy for validating it's policies and activities. In my opinion, these alternative means do not contribute to the strengthening of institutions, while they generate fragmentations in the education policies of member states, and consequently of regional quality assurance policies.

What is the importance of the choice of the use of a qualitative rather than a quantitative methodology, or the contrary, in accreditation processes?

The ideal thing would be always to design and apply methodology that is balanced between qualitative and quantitative assessment and accreditation criteria. However, one notes that quantitative criteria are more prevalent than qualitative ones as an instrument of more immediate and broader applicability in institutions and courses. Unquestionably, quantitative criteria favour a higher degree of comparability between institutions and courses, generating greater reliability and rapidity of processes. Qualitative criteria, for their part, make possible a more profound and specific knowledge of the educational proposals carried out in each institution or course, providing means of qualitative improvement and growth without being restricted to quantitative expansion.

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Sueli Pires

Prof. Sueli Pires is Knowledge Managment Director of the Inhotim Institute . Dr. Pires was Associate Director of UNESCO-IESALC from 2006-2008, and coordinator of the research that resulted in the book Toward a regional policy for assuring the quality of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean . She is a former Dean of Graduate Studies of the Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil.

 

Leonor Suarez
UNESCO-IESALC

www.iesalc.unesco.org.ve