BM 67 – Uphold the accreditation of individual study programmes in the Netherlands

The European Students’ Union (ESU) calls upon the Dutch government and accreditation organization (NVAO) not to abolish the accreditation of individual study programmes, by only continuing with accreditation of higher education institutions (HEIs). Especially when the only argument is to reduce administrative burdens. Quality should not be compromised over efficiency measures.

When the quality of the HEI is in order, this does not necessarily mean that the quality of individual study programmes is of a good standard. There is always the possibility of underachieving programmes.  Next to that, it is a stimulus to engage in a discussion on the quality of the individual study program.

Both the higher education institution and the individual study programmes should be accredited, by being assessed on their mission statements and intended learning outcomes, also taking into consideration the quality assurance framework. In this process, all relevant stakeholders should be included.