FACT BOOK 2019 - 2020
Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA)
Email: [email protected] Website: www.caa.ae
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction ______3 1.1 About the fact book ______3 1.2 CAA Strategy ______3
1.2.1 Mission ______3 1.2.2 Vision ______3 1.2.3 Core Values ______3 1.2.4 CAA Strategic Goals ______4
2. CAA Organizational Structure ______5 2.1 CAA Organizational Chart ______5 2.2 CAA Commissioners & Administrative Staff ______5 2.3 CAA Advisory Board ______6
3. Partnerships and Memorandums of Understanding ______8 4. Higher Education Institutions (HEis) in the UAE ______10 4.1 Institutions ______10
4.1.1 Distribution of Institutions ______10
4.2 Programs ______11
4.2.1 Distribution ______12
4.3 Applications ______15
4.3.1 Distribution ______15
5. Students ______19 5.1 Distribution ______19
6. Faculty ______23 6.1 Distribution ______23
7. CAA Activities And Achievements ______26 7.1 Summary ______26 7.2 Achievements ______26
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 About the fact book This fact book depicts CAA activities and information including the information pertaining to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their programs, displays trends observed over the academic year 2019-2020 and statistical graphs summarizing these activities.
1.2 CAA Strategy
1.2.1 Mission To work collaboratively with stakeholders to assure the quality, effectiveness and continuous improvement of higher education, safeguard its system, embrace its diversity and foster the quality culture.
1.2.2 Vision To provide leadership by upholding quality assurance standards that promote distinction, innovation and academic excellence within higher education.
1.2.3 Core Values
ACCREDITS:
A: Accountability We are accountable to the Ministry of Education and to the people of the UAE
C: Collaboration We work in a spirit of collaboration and partnership with Higher Education institutions
C: Communication We communicate clearly, accurately, and fully with partners and stakeholder and seek and welcome their feedback
R: Responsiveness We are responsive to the evolving needs of the higher education sector and its stakeholders
E: Excellence We aim to achieve the highest standards in what we do and to encourage institutions to meet their ambitions at the highest level
D: Diversity 4
We embrace diversity in the provision of higher education
I: Integrity We adhere to established standards, policies and procedures and to established professional ethics in all that we do
T: Transparency We are transparent in all our activities while respecting each institution’s confidentiality
S: Sustainability We are committed to sustainable practices
1.2.4 CAA Strategic Goals 1. Provide institutional licensure and program accreditation services using contemporary and internationally inspired Standards and efficient procedures that accommodate the expanding and diverse higher education landscape in the UAE
2. Foster capacity building activities and a creative work environment within the Commission to further enhance its efficiency and effectiveness
3. Cultivate an organizational culture that is based on a robust internal quality assurance system and inter-organizational collaboration with federal and local regulatory bodies
4. Adopt collaborative practices with other accreditation and education agencies to improve accreditation, to promote effective quality assurance processes and to share best practices
5. Advance the role of the Commission as a respected international leader of quality enhancement in higher education
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2. CAA Organizational Structure
2.1 CAA Organizational Chart
Figure 1: CAA Organizational Chart
2.2 CAA Commissioners & Administrative Staff The following tables represent the list of current director, commissioners, and administrative staff within the CAA Prof. Dr. Mohamed Yousif Director, Commission for Academic Accreditation Baniyas
Commissioners Area of Expertise Prof. AbdulSalam Yacoub Sciences Ghaith Prof. Aly Sadek Nazmy Engineering and Engineering Technology Prof. Amjad Mohd Qandil Pharmacy, Health Sciences and Health Education Prof. Dawit Teklu Social Sciences Dr. Dhayaneethie Perumal Health and Biosciences; Education Prof. Emad Abuelrub Computer Science and Engineering Prof. Jehad AlSadi Computer Science, e-Learning Prof. Rhys Rowland Jones Business Prof. Robin Brian Bunton Social Sciences and Health 6
Prof. Stephen Arkle Health and Biosciences Prof. Youssef Abdel Magid Engineering and Engineering Technology
Administrative staff Designation Ms. Fatima Mohammed Al Jefri Academic Expert Ms. Alia Alshamsi Programs Specialist Ms. Ayesha Almazrouei Administration Services Executive Ms. Eman Ghorab Administration Services Executive Ms. Lubna Abdul Nazar Assistant Programs Specialist Ms. Mouna AlKousi Senior Specialist, Quality and Operations Ms. Moza AlHamadi Administration Services Executive Ms. Nahed Saeed Al Ebri Administration Services Executive
2.3 CAA Advisory Board The CAA advisory board, established in 2020 constitutes of the following members
Name Title Entity Professor, College of United Arab Emirates Prof. Khaled Shuaib Information Technology University Professor, Electrical Engineering and Dr. Mahmoud Al-Qutayri Computer Science, Khalifa University Associate Dean, Graduate Studies Associate Professor - Pediatric Dentistry, Mohammed Bin Rashid Dr. Manal Al Halabi Hamadan Bin University of Medicine and Mohammed College of Health Sciences Dental Medicine Board Member, Chief National Institute for Dr. Naji AlMahdi Executive Officer Vocational Education 7
Professor, College of Prof. Rami Issa Al-Ruzouq University of Sharjah Engineering Higher Education Policy Abu Dhabi Department of Dr. Susanna Karakhanyan & Regulation Director Education and Knowledge Ras Al Khaimah Economic Director of Academic Mr. Taner Topcu Zone - Government of Ras Al Zone Khaimah Prof. Mohamed Baniyas CAA Director CAA Prof. Emad Abuelrub CAA Commissioner CAA Ms. Fatima Al Jefri CAA Academic Expert CAA
The following chart depicts the new hires and resignations of the CAA staff inclusive of number of commissioners and administrative staff over 2019 and 2020.
CAA Staff new hires and resignations by Commissioners and Admin staff
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4 2 2 2 1 Number of new hires Number of new hires Number of resigned Number of resigned0 (Admin (Commissioners) (Admin staff) (Commissioners) staff)
2019 2020
Figure 2: CAA Staff Turnover chart
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3. Partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding The following table depicts the external quality assurance agencies that the CAA has collaborated with and signed memorandums of understanding. The CAA is constantly striving in raising the bar of quality of the higher education landscape in the UAE and as of 2020; the following are its achievements -
External Quality External Quality Assurance Agencies Function Date of MoU Assurance signing Agencies The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education. TEQSA 29 November 2019 All organizations that offer higher education qualifications in or from Australia must be registered by TEQSA. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded in 10 September AACSB 1916 to provide accreditation to schools of business. It 2020 was formerly known as the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business and as the International Association for Management Education. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is the independent body entrusted with monitoring and advising on standards and quality in UK higher education. The QAA works across all four nations 16 September QAA of the UK and builds international partnerships to 2020 enhance and promote the reputation of UK higher education worldwide.
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The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ), formerly the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation (HKCAA), was established in 1990 as an independent statutory body to provide authoritative advice on academic standards of degree programs in higher 22 September HKCAAVQ education institutions in Hong Kong. The HKCAAVQ 2020 took on responsibility for the vocational and professional education and training sector and statutory roles as the Accreditation Authority and Qualifications Register Authority under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework under the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance (Chapter 592). Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) is a non-profit US national accreditation agency recognized by Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the US Department of Education. It was established in 1932 as the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education ACPE 7 December 2020 and was renamed as the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in 2003. ACPE is based in Chicago. It accredits US pharmacy programs and certificates overseas pharmacy programs through its International Services Program. 10
4. Higher Education Institutions in the UAE
4.1 Institutions The following section represents data about CAA-licensed institutions. As of 2020, there are 74 licensed institutions in the UAE. The growth of the number of HEIs is observed below
Number of HEIs
78 81 74 74 76 74 70 64 59 62 54 47 50 41 37 28 21 24 16 18 19 8
Figure 3: UAE HEIs growth 2000-2020 4.1.1 Distribution of Institutions
By Type
LG), Semi-Local)محلي F), Local Government Supported)حكومي HEIs can be classified as Federal P). LG relies on total financial support)خاص S-LG), or Private)شبه محلي Government Supported from the Local Government while in the case of S-LG, the Local Government provides financial support to cover part of the expenditure. The distribution over 2019-2020 can be observed below 11
HE Institutions classified by type 50 45 44 45 40 35 30 25 20 17 14 15 13 8 10 5 5 5 0 Federal Local Government Private Semi-Local Government
2019 2020
Figure 4: HEIs Type Classification chart By Emirate The below distribution shows active HEIs over the different emirates of the UAE as of 2020
HEI classified by Emirate Sharjah Umm Al Quwain 10% 1%
Ras Al Khaimah 3% Abu Dhabi 40%
Fujairah 3%
Dubai Ajman 38% 5%
Abu Dhabi Ajman Dubai Fujairah Ras Al Khaimah Sharjah Umm Al Quwain
Figure 5: HEIs Location Classification chart
4.2 Programs The following section represents data about CAA accredited higher education programs in the UAE. As of November 2020, there were 1228 active programs across licensed institutions and the growth can be observed in the chart below –
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Number of CAA Accredited programs (2000-2020) 12031228 1064
868 814 750 711 621 542 453 394 310 271 230 160 195 91 125 45 66 9 13
Figure 6: Programs (2000-2020)
4.2.1 Distribution
By Status The following distribution shows the total number of Active, On Probation, and Inactive programs as of November 2020. The list of all these programs with their details can be found on the CAA website, www.caa.ae
Total Programs by STATUS
Inactive 276
On Probation 4
Active 1228
-150 50 250 450 650 850 1050 1250
Figure 7: Programs status classification chart 13
By Level The below bar chart depicts currently active CAA accredited programs based on the degree level namely Bachelors, Certificate, Diploma/Associate, PG Diploma, Masters, and PhD as of November 2020. It can be observed that the largest number of programs are Bachelors’ degrees in a wide variety of specializations.
Total Programs classified by Level
PhD 76 Masters 358 PG Diploma 47 Diploma/Associate 143 Certificate 17 Bachelors 583
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Figure 8: Programs Level Classification chart
Total Programs BY LEVEL PhD 6%
Masters 29% Bachelors 47%
PG Diploma 4%
Diploma/Associate Certificate 12% 2%
Figure 9: Programs Level Classification chart (percent)
By Area of subject/specialization The following distribution gives an overview of the total number of CAA accredited programs offered across various HEIs pertaining to different areas of specialization namely Arabic and Islamic Studies, Art and Design, Business and Management, Communication and Media, Computer Science and IT, Education, Engineering, Language and Literature, Health Sciences, Law, Natural and Quantitative Studies, Social and Behavioral, etc. 14
The two most widely offered areas of specialization are Business and Management, Engineering, and Health Sciences with 286, 261, and 152 programs respectively.
Total Programs classified by Area of specialization 350 286 300 261 250 200 152 150 97 100 68 79 48 44 44 52 57 50 19 17 0
Figure 10: Programs Specialization Classification chart
Total Programs classified by Area of specialization Arabic/Islamic Studies Social/Behavioural 4% 5% Other 1% Natural/Quantitative Art and Design 4% 4% Law 8% Business/Management 23%
Health Sciences 12%
Language/Literature 2% Communication/Media 4% Comp.Sci/IT 6% Engineering Education 21% 6%
Arabic/Islamic Studies Art and Design Business/Management Communication/Media Comp.Sci/IT Education Engineering Language/Literature Health Sciences Law Natural/Quantitative Social/Behavioural Other
Figure 11 Programs specifications classification chart (percent) 15
4.3 Applications The following section presents data about the applications CAA received from HEIs across the UAE and their status as they were reviewed in 2020. Between September 2019 and September 2020, the CAA has completed reviewing over 440 applications and the below chart represents the type of applications reviewed, categorized by application type.
Total applications received Sept 2019- Sept 2020
Initial Institutional Licensure Renewal of 2% Institutional Licensure 4%
Substantive Change 22%
Initial Accreditation 46%
Renewal of Accreditation 26%
Initial Accreditation Renewal of Accreditation Substantive Change Initial Institutional Licensure Renewal of Institutional Licensure
Figure 12: Reviewed applications classification chart
4.3.1 Distribution
By Review Outcome Initial Program Accreditation (IPA) Of the 440 completed reviews over the period September 2019 to September 2020, a total of 203 Initial Program Accreditation (IPA) applications were reviewed by the Commissioners and their supporting External Review Team (ERT) members. The following distribution depicts their status. 16
Total IPA Applications by review outcome (Sept 2019 - Sept 2020) 160 149 140 120 100 80 60 40 40 20 13 1 0 Approved and Approved and Technical Review Site/Remote active as of inactive as of (Defer/Decline) Review (Denied) 16.11.20 16.11.20
Figure 13: Initial Program Applications by review outcome
Renewal of Program Accreditation (RPA) Of the 440 completed reviews over the period September 2019 to September 2020, a total of 113 Renewal of Program Accreditation (RPA) applications were reviewed by the Commissioners and their supporting ERT members. The following distribution depicts their status.
Total RPA Application by review outcome (Sept 2019 - Sept 2020) 120 102 100
80
60
40
20 6 5 0 0 Approved and Approved and Technical Review Site/Remote active as of inactive as of (Defer/Decline) Review (Denied) 16.11.20 16.11.20
Figure 14: RPA Applications by review outcome
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Substantive Change (SC) Of the 440 completed reviews over the period September 2019 to September 2020, a total of 98 Substantive Change (SC) applications were reviewed by the Commissioners and their supporting ERT members. The following distribution depicts their status.
Total SC Applications by review outcome (Sept 2019 - Sept 2020)
100 92 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 4 0 2 0 Approved and active Approved and Technical Review Site/Remote Review as of 16.11.20 inactive as of (Defer/Decline) (Denied) 16.11.20
Figure 15: SC Applications by review outcome
Initial Institutional Licensure (IIL) Of the 440 completed reviews over the period September 2019 to September 2020, a total of 8 Initial Institutional Licensure (IIL) applications were reviewed by the Commissioners and their supporting ERT members. The following distribution depicts their status.
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Total IIL Applications by review outcome (Sept 2019 - Sept 2020) 6 5 5
4 3 3
2
1
0 Approved Denied
Figure 16: IIL Applications by review outcome
Renewal of Institutional Licensure (RIL) Of the 440 completed reviews over the period September 2019 to September 2020, a total of 18 Renewal of Institutional Licensure (RIL) applications, now currently active, were reviewed by the Commissioners and their supporting ERT members.
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5. Students The following section represents data about current students in HEI) in the UAE. As of November 2020, based on the data provided by CHEDS, there were 131,314 students across various HEIs in the UAE.
5.1 Distribution
Per institute The following table lists total number of students per HEI in the UAE
Institute Name Total Students Abu Dhabi Polytechnic 1359 Abu Dhabi School of Management 383 Abu Dhabi University 7365 Abu Dhabi Vocational Education & Training Institute 2439 Ajman University 6384 Al Ain University of Science and Technology 5350 Al Dar University College 1063 Al Falah University 701 Al Ghurair University 953 Al Khawarizmi International College 1612 Al Wasl University 1408 American College of Dubai 321 American University in Dubai 1798 American University in the Emirates 2204 American University of Ras Al Khaimah 972 American University of Sharjah 5131 British University in Dubai 1128 Canadian University of Dubai 1740 City University College of Ajman 1993 Dubai Institute Of Design And Innovation 83 Dubai Medical College for Girls 339 Dubai Pharmacy College 259 Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management 234 Emirates Aviation University 1474 Emirates College for Advanced Education 132 Emirates College for Management & Information Technology 75 Emirates College of Technology 1506 Emirates Diplomatic Academy 77 Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies 453 Emirates Institute for Citizenship and Residence 155 20
European International College 48 European University College 30 Fatima College Of Health Sciences 1607 Gulf Medical University 1817 Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University 913 Higher Colleges of Technology 20986 Imam Malik College for Islamic Sharia' and Law 603 Institute of Management Technology - Dubai 508 Jumeira University 281 Khalifa University 3419 Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government 253 Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine And Health Sciences 254 Mohammed V University Abu Dhabi 749 New York Institute of Technology 100 New York University, Abu Dhabi 1523 Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi 618 RABDAN Academy 588 Ras Al Khaimah Medical And Health Sciences University 1237 Rochester Institute of Technology - Dubai 794 Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland- Dubai 119 Saint Joseph University 88 Skyline University College 1228 Syscoms College 212 The College of Fashion and Design 45 Umm Al Quwain University 414 United Arab Emirates University 13078 University College of Mother & Family Sciences 257 University of Balamand in Dubai 77 University of Dubai 942 University of Fujairah 387 University of Modern Sciences 162 University of Sharjah 15379 University of Strathclyde Business School- UAE 107 University of Wollongong in Dubai 2648 Zayed University 10752
Total 131314
Per nationality (UAE vs International) The following chart presents the distribution of National students and non-National students currently enrolled in HEIs in the UAE 21
Total students classified by Nationality
Non-National 37%
National 63%
National Non-National
Figure 17: Students Nationality Classification chart
Per area of specialization The chart below shows the 2020 distribution of students across various areas of specialization classified by CHEDS. A majority of them are in the Business, Engineering, and Health Sciences fields.
Total Students classified by Area of Specialization 35000 33616
30000 25652 25000
20000 15963 15000 11737 10195 10000 7946 5939 6799 4908 3961 5000 2465 1780 353 0
Figure 18: Students Specialization Classification chart
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Per level (Graduate vs Undergraduate) The following chart portrays the student distribution based on the degree level namely Bachelors, Certificate, Diploma/Associate, Doctorate, Foundation, Graduate Diploma, Higher Diploma, and Master’s as of 2020. It can be observed that the largest number of students are currently pursuing Bachelors’ degrees in a wide variety of specializations.
Total students classified by Program level
Total Students
120000 110830
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000 11092 1549 1236 2361 856 1014 1645 731 0 Foundation Certificate Diploma Higher Bachelors Graduate Masters Doctorate Other Diploma Diploma
Figure 19: Students Program level classification chart 23
6. Faculty The following section represents data about current faculty employed in HEIs in the UAE. As of November 2020, based on the data provided by CHEDS, there are 18545 faculty members of various disciplines across HEIs in the UAE.
6.1 Distribution
Per institute The following table conveys the total number of faculty members per HEI in the UAE
Institute Name Total Faculty Abu Dhabi Polytechnic 167 Abu Dhabi School of Management 53 Abu Dhabi University 548 Ajman University 906 Al Ain University of Science and Technology 409 Al Dar University College 112 Al Falah University 79 Al Ghurair University 127 Al Khawarizmi International College 167 Al Wasl University 95 American College of Dubai 45 American University in Dubai 342 American University in the Emirates 247 American University of Ras Al Khaimah 230 American University of Sharjah 1107 British University in Dubai 71 Canadian University of Dubai 175 City University College of Ajman 98 Dubai Institute Of Design And Innovation 19 Dubai Medical College for Girls 46 Dubai Pharmacy College 54 Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management 50 Emirates Aviation University 122 Emirates College for Advanced Education 99 Emirates College for Management & Information Technology 19 Emirates College of Technology 165 Emirates Diplomatic Academy 42 Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies 18 Emirates Institute for Citizenship and Residence 51 European International College 14 European University College 42 24
Fatima College Of Health Sciences 145 Gulf Medical University 405 Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University 177 Higher Colleges of Technology 2065 Imam Malik College for Islamic Sharia' and Law 83 Institute of Management Technology 57 Jumeira University 64 Khalifa University 1137 Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government 82 Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine And Health Sciences 150 Mohammed V University Abu Dhabi 96 New York Institute of Technology 18 New York University, Abu Dhabi 1268 Saint Joseph University 32 Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi 181 RABDAN Academy 141 Ras Al Khaimah Medical And Health Sciences University 227 Rochester Institute of Technology - Dubai 55 Skyline University College 143 Syscoms College 23 The College of Fashion and Design 25 Umm Al Quwain University 63 United Arab Emirates University 2542 University College of Mother & Family Sciences 55 University of Balamand in Dubai 23 University of Dubai 125 University of Fujairah 36 University of Modern Sciences 25 University of Sharjah 2032 University of Wollongong in Dubai 267 Zayed University 1084
Total 18545
Per level The following chart portrays the faculty and teaching staff distribution based on their highest degree qualification as of 2020. It can be observed that a third of faculty and teaching staff are doctorally qualified.
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Total Faculty and teaching staff classified by qualification degree 7000
6029 6000
5000 4629 4145 4000
3000 2565
2000
1000 637 298 52 89 13 88 0 Foundation Certificate Diploma Higher Bachelors Graduate Graduate Masters Doctorate Other Diploma Certificate Diploma
Figure 20: Faculty Qualification chart 26
7. CAA Activities and Achievements
7.1 Summary This sections enumerates significant achievement and activities of the CAA for the year (2019- 2020) 1. 2019 standards implemented from 1st November 2019. 2. Development of protocols for joint review with professional bodies (ex. ACPE, AACSB, ABET (in process)). 3. Piloted first joint CAA and professional body (ACPE) accreditation review 4. A reviewer training program in 2020 to develop and certify local reviewers based in UAE HEIs to undertake ERT roles in CAA institutional licensure and accreditation of academic programs 5. Reform of education, in collaboration with HEIs, in the areas of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, engineering, and Arabic and Islamic programs. 6. A review and publication of the CAA Vision, Mission, and Goals,and associated KPIs . 7. Assessment of e-learning readiness of HEIs in the UAE, in collaboration with other MOE departments.
7.2 Achievements 1. Implementation of the New 2019 Standards The revised Standards for Institutional Licensure and Program Accreditation came into force on November 1st, 2019. The Standards mirror the ambition of the UAE National Higher Education Strategy 2030, and reflect the increasing complexity of international higher education, the challenges for quality assurance, and the maintenance of high standards across the higher education sector. The development of the Standards has been supported by considerable engagement and consultation with international accreditation bodies as well as Universities and Colleges throughout the Emirates.
The Standards have adopted a ‘risk-based approach’ that assesses the Commission’s confidence in the ability of institutions to manage the quality and standards of their programs. Low risk institutions are granted extended licensure and accreditation periods with the prospect of a lighter touch in future accreditations, while high risk institutions have a shorter licensure 27
period. Other developments include expansion of the Standards for improved regulation of e- learning, clinical learning placements and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Greater recognition is given to accreditation of institutions and their programs by international bodies, which can also lead to higher institutional confidence rating by the Commission.
2. Joint Accreditation with International Agencies Additional to the greater recognition of international accreditation in the Standards, the Commission continues strengthening its links with accreditation agencies and professional bodies to support internationalization. This has led to the formalization of relationships with overseas national accreditation agencies through memoranda of agreement and partnership working with professional bodies. Two recently signed memoranda of agreement include joint- review visits to academic programs. These memoranda are with the AACSB and the ACPE for accreditation of business and pharmacy programs, respectively. Joint reviews increase the efficiency of the review process of academic programs and decrease the physical and financial burden of the institutions thus encouraging more of these programs to seek international accreditation. Additionally, the implementation of these memoranda will improve the international recognition of the Commission, the academic programs, their graduates, and the higher education sector in the UAE. Furthermore, these memoranda include the exchange of information and experience between the Commission and the international accreditation bodies which will ultimately enhance the practices and international profile of the Commission.
3. Recognition by the World Federation for Medical Education The Commission was officially recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) in June 2019, being the first in the GCC region to do so. In addition to providing international recognition to the medicine programs in the UAE, this is particularly important for the graduates of these programs. WFME recognition fulfills the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates’ requirement that medical graduates wishing to work in the US and/or seek postgraduate residency must, from 2024, have graduated from a medical school that has been appropriately accredited. The WFME recognition is for a period of 10 years contingent upon approval of the progress report submitted by the Commission annually.
4. The Certified Reviewer Project This initiative, launched in December 2019, aims at building the capacity and capabilities of UAE-based academics to join Commission review teams to undertake licensure and 28
accreditation reviews. Participants must actively attend three week-long workshops, and complete additional activities including shadow participation in a Commission review team. Those successfully completing the three workshops are recognized as Certified Reviewer and their names are entered into the Commission’s register of reviewers. This program has concluded a full round of workshops, producing the first batch of UAE-based academic reviewers, and now it is in its second round. Two more rounds are to follow in the second half of 2020/2021. The program is enthusiastically received by participants and their institutions. Although this project was incepted, planned, and launched before the COVID-19 pandemic, it will allow the Commission to mitigate future risks that might interrupt international travel by allowing the continuity of the onsite component of reviews performed by the Commission.
5. Reform of Academic Programs The Commission has been leading program reform forums with leaders of programs in Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Business, Law, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Police and Military Sciences. The forums have led to enhanced admission criteria, increased requirements for internships and clinical training placements, activation of high caliber program advisory boards that represent stakeholders and experts, in addition to a strong advice to seek international accreditation. These improvements have been officially implemented in Medicine, Pharmacy and Law programs and will soon be implemented in the rest of the programs. In addition to the forums, these improvements are based on ongoing dialogue with international accreditation agencies (such WFME, ACPE and AACSB) and the graduates’ employment sectors. The reforms aim to achieve advancement in academic programs in the UAE and to position graduates in the marketplace as their performance in the marketplace is a key indicator of success of the education sector. These forums are strengthening the Commission’s partnership with higher education institutions to improve the quality of higher education UAE.
6. A review and publication of the CAA KPIs, Vision, Mission, and Goals. The CAA KPIs are intended to measure the performance of the CAA in the achievement of its strategic goals and mission. The development of the KPIs was integral part of the strategic planning of the CAA. After the CAA has revised its mission, it then determined its goals that will support the achievement of the mission. Then set of objectives were formulated to achieve these goals. This was followed by designing projects that fulfills the objectives. As a part of the operational plan, the assignment of responsibility, support personnel and resources and time 29
frames were determined, in addition to designing KPIs to measure the extent to which the projects were accomplished. Ultimately, maintenance, determination, analysis and review of these KPIs will ultimately measure the performance of the CAA in achieving its mission.
7. Assessment of e-learning readiness of HEIs in the UAE Due to current crisis of COVID-19, the universities and colleges in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have responded with energy and skill to engage online learning in their institutions at least until the end of the Academic Year 2020-2021. As part of the Ministry of Education’s responsibilities; the Commission of Academic Accreditation (CAA) need to assess progress amongst higher education institutions on changes to the delivery of their educational programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to gather the needed information and to investigate the readiness of the institutes to engage distance learning, an e-Learning Readiness Criteria Form (e-LRCF) was designed, it consists of seven categories of criteria, each criteria contains a set of parameters aims to examine wither a certain institute fulfil this criteria or there are some shortages that are needed to be improved. Every institute should therefore complete the Institutional Evidence column of the designed e-LRCF evaluation form and return it to the CAA, together with supporting documents. The provided information was reviewed by a team from the CAA to assist the institutes about their readiness of engaging distance learning.