NAAC wants regular academic audits in higher education institutions

Higher educational institutions are also expected to update recent trends in academic and administrative audit.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) wants all institutions of higher education to formally prepare guidelines, statues and ordinances for academic and administrative audit (AAA) so that it becomes an institutionalised practice on all campuses.

NAAC has issued an advisory to all accredited higher education institutions (HEIs) which volunteer to undertake AAA for meeting targets set for excellence. (HT File Photo)

The organisation also wants these temples of higher learning to update recent trends in AAA as tool for continuous quality improvement.

For this, NAAC has issued an advisory to all accredited higher education institutions (HEIs) who volunteer to undertake AAA for meeting targets set for excellence.

Major objectives of the audit

To understand the existing system and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Departments and Administrative Units and to suggest the methods for improvement and for overcoming the weaknesses.

To identify the bottlenecks in the existing administrative mechanisms and to identify the opportunities for academic reforms, administrative reforms and examination reforms etc.

To evaluate the optimum utilization of financial and other resources.

To suggest the methods for continuous improvement of quality keeping in mind criteria and reports by NAAC and other bodies.

In the advisory note issued by NAAC director prof DP Singh, NAAC has made clear that as the facilitator of quality culture in higher education, it was striving to promote any good practices of AAA brought to its attention.

According to the advisory, “NAAC has evolved tools and guidelines for improving quality in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and for its sustenance. By establishing Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and undergoing External Quality Assurance process it’s possible to continuously strive for excellence.”

NAAC has made plain that it expects the institutions to undertake continuous academic and administrative audits.

NAAC has defined academic audit as a scientific and systematic method of reviewing the quality of academic process in the institution. Likewise, administrative audit has been denied as a process of evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative procedure. It includes assessment of policies, strategies and functions of the various administrative departments and control of the overall administrative system.