What is ISA?
Institutional Standards Assessment (ISA) refers to Stage 2 of the two-stage Institutional Accreditation Process. Each Higher Education Institution (HEI) undergoes ISA every five years.
How is ISA Carried Out?
ISA is conducted by a Panel of locally-based and international External Reviewers, selected from the
Register of External Reviewers (RER ) and guided in the process by a Review Director. It commences with the submission by the HEI of an Institutional Standards Assessment Application (ISAA) and Supporting Materials (SMs), reviewed by the Panel, and includes a Panel Visit during which interviews are conducted with different stakeholders, such as the HEI’s governance, management, staff and students.
What is the purpose of ISA?
ISA is a summative process designed to determine whether an HEI meets the applicable national standards and criteria or not. It results in an Accreditation Outcome and a detailed report containing the ratings against the applicable standards and criteria and providing a rationale for the Panel’s decision. The Accreditation Outcome and the ratings against the standards and criteria are published on the
Reports and Results page.
What are ‘Accreditation Outcomes’?
An ISA process can result in one of three possible Accreditation Outcomes, depending on the HEI’s performance: Accredited, if the HEI meets the standards, as specified in the ISA Manual; Conditionally Accredited, if the HEI fails to meet one or two of the applicable standards, and On Probation, if the HEI fails to meet three or more of the applicable standards.
Where can further information on ISA be found?
All activities included in the ISA process are conducted in accordance with the rules and regulations contained in the
ISA Manual.