Quality assurance and accreditation

Our ambitions and plans for quality assurance within our organisation are set out in the Quality Assurance Plan 2015 -2021. The Quality Assurance Plan links in with the Institutional Strategic Plan 2022 - 2026. Quality assurance is a joint responsibility of the entire organisation. Supporting ArtEZ in assuring and optimising the quality of our courses and our research lies within the field of expertise of the Education and Quality department.

Internal quality assurance

The process around monitoring and improving the quality of education and research is recorded in our quality assurance system. Because this process is ongoing, the requirements that ArtEZ sets concerning the quality of its education and research are dynamic; they can change or be refined over time.

Ongoing dialogue

In the ArtEZ quality assurance system, the focus is on ongoing dialogue. Continual discussion of quality is the connecting thread within our quality culture. This discourse takes place not only internally but also with external parties. For example, it involves being critical of yourself, substantiating your position, talking to others about your own findings and those of third parties and proactively involving experts and the professional field in the dialogue.

The discourse is based on quantitative and qualitative data, for example, results of evaluations and surveys. We also use the PDCA model. PDCA stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act. In this way, we are systematically working to improve quality: we look at how we act, evaluate, reflect on and learn from what we do, and take steps to improve our actions. Going through the cycle helps to shape the discussion about the form and content of quality. 

Evaluation and co-participation

ArtEZ considers it important to know how students, lecturers, and alumni rate our education. What is going well? Is there room for improvement? We therefore regularly ask them to give their opinions in surveys and the employee satisfaction survey. 

Our students also participate in the annual National Student Survey (NSE). This is a national survey in which approximately 650,000 students annually are invited to give their opinions about courses at academic universities and universities of applied sciences. 

In addition, quality is discussed in the Course Committees, Advisory Councils, and the Representative Council. We ask leading representatives of the professional field to provide feedback on our education and research. For instance, each course has a professional field committee and external examiners from the professional field that are involved in final assessments. Based on their opinions, we strengthen and innovate i n our courses and lectorates, in line with current developments in professional practice.

External Quality Assurance

All ArtEZ courses are accredited. For this purpose, the quality of our education is assessed by external experts and benchmarked against the national requirements (issued by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation). In addition, between 2019 and 2024 ArtEZ is working on a large number of projects as part of the national quality commitments.

Accreditation: legally certified courses

All ArtEZ courses are ‘certified courses’. Among other things, this means that ArtEZ may issue certified diplomas and that students can apply for student grants and loans for those courses. In order to become a certified course, the course must be accredited. Accreditation is a quality mark that indicates that the course quality meets the national requirements for education set by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO). 

To this end, the ArtEZ courses are assessed by a review committee of independent external experts. This external assessment takes place for every course once every six years and is based on study documents and a self-evaluation report by the course. Besides, the review committee visits the course. During this visit, the committee talks to various stakeholders, from students to representatives of the professional field.

The development meeting

Since 2016, a development meeting has been part of the NVAO accreditation process. This involves the course inviting the review committee back to talk about improvements or developments which the course wants to or could implement. The results of these development meetings are not part of the assessment.