Programme Accreditation-Academic Registry

The purpose of the programme accreditation process is to ensure that the proposed programme:

is consistent with and contributes to the College's mission and strategic plan;
is at the appropriate standard for the level of the award involved and comparable with similar programmes elsewhere; and
has been thoroughly thought out and adequately documented on the offering of a valuable educational experience to students and the PPT is genuinely committed to it.

Accreditation Process

Following the planning approval of the ADC, a postal/on-site accreditation exercise would be required. The HKBU-QAC Chairman will decide in consultation with the Dean/Director on whether a postal or an on-site accreditation is in order. Postal accreditation should normally be conducted on new programmes if the discipline or area of study is not new to the College and the Faculty/School, or department/programme already has the required expertise and experience.

An on-site accreditation exercise would normally last for two days. Depending on the complexity and nature of the programme, the duration of the accreditation may vary.

Panel Membership for the Accreditation

Composition of the Panel

The size of the panel and the number of external members shall be determined by the complexity of the programme and the expertise available in the academic unit offering the programme. The HKBU-QAC Chairman shall decide on the composition of the panel, in consultation with the Dean/Director involved.

The panel shall comprise a minimum of three to a maximum of five members including both internal (HKBU) and external members; the number of external members shall be a maximum of three, one of whom should be non-local (non-HK).

The panel members should be academics at the rank of Associate Professor or above, or professionals/practitioners at a senior level with substantial relevant scholarly background or experience. To ensure credibility, the panel members should not have a close affiliation with the academic unit under review in the past three years.

Chair of the Panel

For postal and on-site accreditations, the Panel Chair shall be an external member appointed by the HKBU-QAC Chairman.

Appointment Procedures

The PPT is requested to recommend panel membership to the HKBU-QAC Chairman for approval. Curriculum vitae should be collected to ensure the appropriateness of the nominees to serve on the panel. Endorsement of the Dean/Director is required prior to submission of the panel membership nomination (for collaborative programmes across Faculty/School, mutual endorsement of the relevant Deans/Director would be required).
Following approval of the panel membership, the HKBU-AQSS would issue the appointment letters.

Accreditation Documentation

The accreditation documentation (i.e. full programme proposal) should provide the essential information on the proposed programme in the following areas:

general information (e.g., programme title, admission requirements, programme aims and objectives, PILOs, etc.)
programme structure and content
general regulations
QA implementation
programme administration and management
staff development and research
facilities and resources
tuition fees
course syllabi
faculty CV

Supplementary information can be attached to the accreditation documentation if considered helpful. The set of accreditation documents (i.e. full programme proposal) should be considered and endorsed by the Faculty Board* and forwarded to HKBU-AQSS six to eight weeks before the scheduled visit dates for submission to the accreditation panel for perusal and preparation.

*Note: Mutual endorsement of the relevant Faculty Boards is required for collaborative programmes across Faculty prior to submission.