Ombudsperson’s Office for Accreditation
The internal accreditation procedure within the framework of Q³UoC requires an assessment of the degree programme by internal and external experts (the so-called QM dialogue). Based on the assessment result, the internal accreditation committee issues an accreditation recommendation. The final accreditation decision is made by the Rectorate on the basis of the committee’s recommendation.
Deans’ offices have the opportunity to comment on the expert opinion and on the accreditation recommendation. This is to ensure that, in the event of disagreement, all opinions are equally considered. Nevertheless, the accreditation process can lead to unresolvable conflicts between the Deans’ offices and the departments on the one hand and the Rectorate on the other.
Responsibility and Organization of the Ombudsperson’s Office
In which cases can the ombudsperson’s office be contacted?
The Ombudsperson’s Office for Accreditation mediates between the Deans’ offices and the Rectorate in the event of unresolvable conflicts within the internal accreditation process. It can be consulted by the Deans’ offices in agreement with the degree programme representatives. This may be the case if:
- there is a disagreement with the Rectorate about the fulfilment of statutory criteria/accreditation-relevant criteria for teaching and studies,
- the Rectorate refuses accreditation despite a positive recommendation from the Accreditation Committee,
- the Rectorate does not consider conditions to be met,
- the accreditation decision is not based on criteria.
The ombudsperson’s office must be consulted no later than four weeks after the Rectorate has refused to change its decision. The documents needed to clarify the matter must be submitted within six weeks of consulting the Ombudsperson’s office.
What are the mediation options offered by the ombudsperson’s office?
The ombudsperson’s office obtains information about the case, talks to the parties involved and decides on further proceedings. The aim is to get those involved to talk to each other and to encourage critical reflection. At the same time, it makes sure that the process is completed quickly. The ombudsperson’s office can choose from the following measures:
- writing a statement with a request to the Rectorate or the Accreditation Committee for re-evaluation,
- writing a statement with a recommendation to the Rectorate to (not) grant a certain condition,
- organizing a round table with the parties involved and, if necessary, other advisory parties,
- recommending to the Rectorate that a new accreditation procedure be carried out, starting with a further QM dialogue,
- rejecting the complaint with a written or electronic justification.
How is the ombudsperson’s office staffed?
The ombudsperson’s office consists of one or more persons appointed by the Senate on the recommendation of the Vice-Dean for Teaching and Studies. They must be members of the faculty of the University of Cologne or another university and should have experience in academic self-administration, if possible as a former vice-dean. The term of office is three years.