India has over 4000 engineering colleges and not all of them have got NBA Accreditation yet. While the single most important point for students seeking admission is that the college must be approved by AICTE or All India Council for Technical Education, else the technical degrees are not recognized. But wait, it is just as important for the Engineering college to have NBA accreditation (National Board of Accreditation) that is awarded by an independent body under the AICTE.
Accreditation is a process of quality assurance and improvement, whereby a programme in an approved Institution is critically appraised to verify that the Institution or the programme continues to meet and/or exceed the Norms and Standards prescribed by regulator from time to time. It is a kind of recognition which indicates that a programme or Institution fulfills certain standards.
NBA, National Board of Accreditation, Quality Education, Technical Education, Engineering, Teaching Learning Process, Outcome Based Education
1. What's NBA Accreditation?
The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) was established in the year 1994 under Section 10 (u) of AICTE Act in order to assess the qualitative competence of programs offered by Technical Institutions from Diploma to Post graduate level in Engineering & Technology, Management, Pharmacy & Architecture, etc.
Accreditation is a process of quality assurance and improvement, whereby a programme in an approved Institution is critically appraised to verify that the Institution or the programme continues to meet and/or exceed the Norms and Standards prescribed by regulator from time to time. It is a kind of recognition which indicates that a programme or Institution fulfills certain standards.
2. Why NBA Accreditation is important in international arena?
NBA had become the permanent signatory member of the Washington Accord on 13th June 2014. This Accord is an international agreement between 20 countries and is entered into by authorities, like the NBA, responsible for accrediting engineering degree programs in their own countries.
The purpose of the accreditation by NBA is to promote and recognize excellence in technical education in colleges and universities - at both the undergraduate and post graduate levels. Institutions, students, employers, and the public at large all benefit from the external verification of quality provided through the NBA accreditation process. They also benefit from the process of continuous quality improvement that is encouraged by the NBA's developmental approach to promote excellence in technical education. Through accreditation, the following main purposes are served:
- Support and advice to technical institutions in the maintenance and enhancement of their quality of provision;
- confidence and assurance on quality to various stakeholders including students;
- assurance of the good standing of an Institution to government departments and other interested bodies;
- enabling an Institution to state publicly that it has voluntarily accepted independent inspection and has satisfied all the requirements for satisfactory operation and maintenance of quality in education.
This enables Indian graduates from accredited engineering programs to practice in or go for higher education to other Washington Accord countries.
The purpose and impact of accreditation goes far beyond quality assurance of an Institution and its programs. Major impacts of accreditation system are summarized below:
- Encourages quality improvement initiatives by Institutions.
- Improves student enrollment both in terms of quality and quantity.
- Helps the Institution in securing necessary funds.
- Enhances employability of graduates.
- Facilitates transnational recognition of degrees and mobility of graduates and professionals.
- Motivates faculty to participate actively in academic and related Institutional / departmental activities.
- Helps create sound and challenging academic environment in the Institution, andContributes to social and economic development of the country by producing high quality technical manpower.
This mostly applies to students who have graduated from NBA accredited programs offered by Tier – 1 institutions.
Who qualifies to be a Tier 1 engineering institution?
There are basically 2 categories for institutions to apply for NBA and the process of accreditation is different for Tier-I and Tier-II institutions.
TIER-I: All IITs, NITs, private universities running Engineering program, all autonomous colleges.
TIER-II: All engineering colleges which are not autonomous and are affiliated to UGC recognized universities.
Now that we have a better understanding of the NBA Accreditation process, here are the proven NBA accreditation benefits that approved colleges enjoy.
3. Why an NBA is critical process?
An engineering college that has NBA accreditation, carries the stamp of recognition for its education quality assurance both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Colleges are periodically evaluated for stringent NBA accreditation criteria with the purpose that they are on par with international best practices. It is mandated that all engineering colleges have NBA accreditation by 2022.
Educational institutions eligible for NBA accreditation can offer courses from diploma level to postgraduate level, in the fields of engineering and technology, computer applications, pharmacy, management, hotel management and catering technology and architecture.
It is indeed an honor to have the badge of accreditation stamped on your engineering programs. You are sending out a message that your programs have been assessed by experts in the field and found to have met premier quality standards. This is the biggest advantage of NBA program outcomes to both engineering colleges and their students.
4. What's the accreditation process?
5. What's the accreditation documents?
The documents required and criteria are mentioned in the following documents
- Faculty Guidelines
- General Manual for Accreditation
- Current Document
- Tier I Pre-Qualifier (UG)
- Tier II Pre-Qualifier (UG)
- Pre-Qualifier Pharmacy(UG)
- Pre-Qualifier Diploma(Engg)
- Pre-Qualifier Engg(PG)
- Pre-Qualifier Management
The interested institutions and individuals can go through the NBA website for more details
The website is
www.nbaind.org
6. How NBA Accreditation benefits to institutions?
NBA Accreditation Benefits
1. Validates quality standards
Accreditation for an engineering program signifies to students that the program outcomes of NBA approved colleges has met stringent quality standards. These rules out the necessity of students having to conduct detailed analysis of their own to evaluate an institution and its programs when making a decision on college admission.
This is borne out by the fact that NBA accredited engineering colleges usually have higher student enrolments.
It is an indicator to aspiring students of the college’s level of commitment to excellence. Students also benefit from the process of continuity in improvement of quality that is a part of the NBA’s approach to promote excellence in technical education.
2. Fosters trust in the institution
Accreditation makes it necessary that institutions go all-out to meet and maintain their high standards. This in turn increases trust and confidence in them among the public and also helps to boost accountability. This helps potential students and their families to place a certain level of trust on the institution for which the accreditation is received. After all, the future career goals depend on the education they receive.
3. Improves student performance
Students getting their degree from a college that has its programs given the stamp of quality can be confident about the education they have received. An NBA accredited program uses Outcome Based Education OBE to measure students on 3 criteria – knowledge, skills and attitude. Also, the facilities and curriculum ensure the student is employment ready when they graduate.
4. Helps in SWOT analysis and bettering outcomes
Accreditation helps engineering institutions to do a SWOT analysis i.e. evaluate their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities / threats. While a SWOT is a good starting point for evaluation, it helps the college understand where it currently stands and how it should move forward. As a result, the college gets insight into how to improve its programs on a continuous basis. You can enhance the quality of your programs such that it sets you apart from other engineering colleges.
5. Provides basis for fund-raising
Helps institutions in securing necessary funds from the government. With funding increasingly linked to performance and outcomes, accreditation would help engineering colleges to avail performance-linked funding and incentives.
A college that has attained a Category 1 status is a big achievement not only for credibility of its NBA program outcomes but also for the many opportunities it opens up. Category 1 technical colleges are given the autonomy to include new programs, open learning centers, increase student intake both at local and global level. Category 1 accredited colleges can more easily tie-up with Global universities for twinning programs as well as apply for research grants.
6. Edge in the job market
The advantages of NBA accreditation to students include enhanced chances of career success. One of the biggest NBA accreditation benefits is that more companies will find it advantageous to take part in your college’s placement programs.
Students armed with quality education passing out of accredited colleges are more likely to find appropriate employment. Potential employers accord more value to degrees from accredited programs secure in the knowledge that the candidate has been taught at an institution that has met and maintained strong quality measures aligned to industry.
7. Better mobility going forward
NBA’s membership of the Washington Accord provides us with the opportunity to benchmark the quality of undergraduate engineering education offered by India with that of other member countries. It encourages and makes possible ease of mobility of engineering graduates and professionals at international level.
STEM courses (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are the most popular among Indian students going to do their Masters abroad. This makes NBA accreditation all the more important.
By being a signatory to the Washington Accord, NBA enables students graduating from accredited programs of engineering colleges to pursue advanced studies in universities of other countries which are also signatories to the Washington Accord. This facilitates higher mobility of engineering graduates looking to pursue higher studies abroad.
India’s higher education needs the course correction of NBA accreditation. Engineering colleges must actively participate in such course correction by adopting the accreditation process to garner the benefits of NBA program outcomes for their institutions and their students
7. How to make strategies for achieving NBA Accreditation without any problem?
What factors ultimately lead to success that is to be determined?
We identify eight main elements that allow top institutions to thrive.
Shared Values
Institutions with shared values have a strong advantage over others, as Inc. notes. People feel a sense of common ground. They may have greater trust and appreciation for one another. After all, they believe in the same principles.
Research shows the top values across Fortune 500 companies:
- Integrity
- Teamwork
- Innovation
- Customer service
- Respect
Never assume values are obvious—articulate and reinforce them.
Leadership Approach
Leadership approach greatly influences success, from the CEO to mid-level supervisors. Great leaders connect people to purpose and build strong relationships. They also innovate, creating new and better ways of doing things.
Focus
A strong vision acts as the backbone of success, steering the group’s direction. Having the vision isn’t enough—every employee needs to understand it. This gives them a strong understanding of their mission.
Strategy
In addition to the vision, top organizations have a clear plan for fulfilling it. Having great strategic minds on board results in an optimal strategy.
Flexibility
Successful companies strive to be agile enough to jump on new opportunities. After all, no one can predict every challenge or possibility that will emerge. Being nimble allows companies to make changes and try new ideas.
Culture
Workplace cultures that prioritize open communication and transparency enhance success. Employees must feel safe to voice ideas. The culture must create psychological safety. This helps everyone feel supported. Plus, employees must trust that leaders are sharing info that concerns them.
Apart from the above follow these advised
# Don't leave small mistakes too
# Use prescribed format only
# Make evidence based reports.
# Don't submit unless documents for all legible points are available with you.
# Assign the task most knowledgeable and having quest for quality as a person
# Proof reading is essential followed by cross checking of documents.
# Make filling of generated document in sequence and they should be traceable in no time.
8. Conclusions
Promote strong communication between Management Representative (MR) and faculty and between coworkers. Here are a few ways of boosting communication to enhance organizational success:
- Use instant feedback tools to foster clear communication.
- Faculty can easily share advice and feedback—both constructive and positive—with each other. And, of course, so can MR.
- Hold regular team meetings to keep team members up to date. That’s especially important for hybrid and remote teams.
- Create an organizational map of functions.
- Write up a short blurb for each person, showing their areas of focus.
- Then, employees will know where to turn with specific questions.
- Design a clear visual showing workflow processes.
- Adapt it to specific projects, adding roles and target dates, and share it with team members.
- Then, people will know who to discuss any issues with—and by when.
With clear, consistent communication, people will resolve problems without delay. They’ll also gain timely guidance on how to improve. So enjoy NBA Accreditation process without any problem.
9. FAQs
Q. Who can apply for accreditation by NBA?
Ans. : Your Institution can:
If your Institution and the programs run by it are approved by the AICTE; and
If at least two batches of students have passed out of the programme proposed for accreditation except for the management programmes. In case of a Management programme, at least three batches should have graduated.
Q. What is Washington Accord?
Ans.: The Washington Accord, originally signed among six countries in 1989, is an International Agreement among bodies responsible for accrediting undergraduate engineering degree programs. It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programs accredited by those bodies and recommends that graduates of programs accredited by any of the signatory bodies be recognized by the other bodies as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering in the area of their jurisdiction.
Q. What's the possible outcome of NBA Accreditation process?
Ans.: Possible Outcomes based on the decision of the visiting team, if everything falls in line, your institution may get,
NBA Accreditation for 3 years
NBA Accreditation for 6 years
Or, you may not get the NBA accreditation!
References
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