The Universitat Politècnica de València hosted an event on Thursday 11 June dedicated to institutional accreditation, focused on building certified, useful and sustainable quality systems for university centres.
The meeting, held in the Aula Espai-Natura in building 3G of the ETSIAMN, brought together professionals involved in the management, evaluation and improvement of university quality, with the aim of sharing experiences, reflecting on the progress made and continuing to promote quality models that are increasingly integrated into the day-to-day operation of university centres.
Representing the Agència Valenciana d’Avaluació i Prospectiva, AVAP, Javier Oliver Villarroya, Director General of the Agency, took part in the event’s round table, where issues related to institutional accreditation processes and the role of internal quality assurance systems in improving university centres were addressed.
The event was also attended by Reyes Giner Escrihuela, Head of the Higher Education Quality Service; Ana María Anaya Murria, Senior Administration Officer of the Higher Education Quality and Innovation Service; and Luis Miguel Martínez, from the Higher Education Quality Service.
Institutional accreditation as a tool for improvement
Institutional accreditation has become a key tool for strengthening the culture of quality within the university system. Its aim is not only to verify compliance with certain requirements, but also to recognise the maturity of internal quality assurance systems and their capacity to contribute to the continuous improvement of university centres.
This approach makes it possible to move towards more coherent, effective and sustainable models, where evaluation forms part of the regular management of universities and helps improve planning, degree monitoring, decision-making and coordination between the different stakeholders involved.
During the session, participants addressed the importance of building quality systems that are not only certified, but also genuinely useful for university centres. In other words, systems that provide relevant information, support the work of the teams responsible and make it possible to identify opportunities for improvement in a clear and structured way.
Useful quality systems for university centres
One of the main challenges of institutional accreditation is ensuring that internal quality systems are not perceived as an administrative burden, but as a practical tool at the service of university improvement.
To achieve this, procedures must be understandable, proportionate and aligned with the reality of each centre. University quality must be based on evidence, indicators and rigorous processes, but it must also be capable of adapting to the specific needs of degrees, teaching staff, students and management teams.
In this regard, the event provided an opportunity to share different perspectives on how to move towards more sustainable systems over time, capable of maintaining their effectiveness without generating unnecessarily complex structures. The sustainability of quality systems is an essential element in ensuring that continuous improvement can become firmly embedded within university institutions.
A space for exchange and shared reflection
AVAP’s participation in this activity forms part of its commitment to supporting Valencian universities in their evaluation, certification and accreditation processes. These meeting spaces make it possible to share criteria, resolve doubts, compare experiences and continue working in a coordinated way to improve the university system.
Institutional accreditation requires a shared vision among agencies, universities and centres. For this reason, events such as this help strengthen collaboration and foster a culture of quality based on trust, transparency and responsibility.
In his contribution to the round table, Javier Oliver Villarroya highlighted the role of evaluation as an instrument for strengthening the university system and moving towards models that bring real value to institutions. The attendance of Reyes Giner Escrihuela, Ana María Anaya Murria and Luis Miguel Martínez reinforced AVAP’s presence at a key event for continuing to address the present and future of institutional accreditation in the Valencian university context.
Commitment to university quality
AVAP continues to work to support universities in the development of rigorous, useful and continuous improvement-oriented evaluation tools. Institutional accreditation represents an opportunity to continue building stronger, more efficient university centres that are committed to the quality of their teaching.
Beyond the technical procedure, this model helps reinforce society’s trust in university institutions and promotes a more integrated, transparent and results-oriented approach to academic management.
The event held at the Universitat Politècnica de València was a further opportunity to continue deepening these objectives and to keep promoting a shared culture of quality across the Valencian university system.
