Criteria for Registration
The Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago Act, Chapter 39:06 (hereinafter ‘the Act’) requires all post-secondary and tertiary institutions operating in Trinidad and Tobago to be registered.
Institutions that meet the criteria for registration will be placed on a Register of Post-Secondary and Tertiary institutions as stated in Section 8 (3) of the Act. The criteria represent seven categories in which institutions are evaluated. Evidence must be provided that all criteria are met in order for an institution to be registered.
In order to determine if an institution meets these requirements, it is required to submit to an evaluation by ACTT to ensure compliance with the minimum quality requirements for post-secondary and tertiary education institutions in order to be registered.
An institution established after the proclamation of the Act on 9th July, 2004, must also secure ACTT’s approval to use the institutional title with which it wishes to be registered, for example, a new institution desirous of bearing one of the following titles: 'university', 'college', 'tertiary college', 'polytechnic', 'community college', 'technical institute' and 'technical university'. An institution that has met the registration criteria is then issued a Certificate of Registration and placed on the Register of Post-Secondary and Tertiary Institutions.
Registration shall be for a maximum period of three (3) years, after which the institution must re-apply to maintain its status. Registered institutions are required to submit an annual report on a prescribed form and pay an annual registration fee. Registered institutions are eligible to seek accreditation by ACTT.
Criterion 1.0: Legal, Policy and Regulatory Requirements
Criterion 2.0: Governance and Administration
Criterion 3.0: Quality Management System
Criterion 4.0: Resource Management
Criterion 5.0: Teaching-Learning Process
Criterion 7.0: Continuous Improvement
Criterion 1.0: | Legal, Policy and Regulatory Requirements |
Criterion Statement: | The institution’s activities comply with legal, policy and regulatory requirements. |
Standard 1.1: | The institution has been established as a legal entity. |
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Standard 1.2: | The institution demonstrates the ownership of, and responsibility for, assuring access to the learning facilities that support and facilitate the learning expected of its students. |
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Criterion 2.0: | Governance and Administration |
Criterion Statement: | The corporate governance body and management actively show their commitment to achieving the development and continual improvement of the Quality Management System. |
Standard 2.1: | Institution has a governance structure. |
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Standard 2.2: | Institution has a documented Vision Statement. |
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Standard 2.3 | Institution has a documented Mission Statement. |
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Standard 2.4: | Institution has an approved current Organisational Structure with supporting text that clearly identifies the role and responsibilities of all personnel. |
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Criterion 3.0: | Quality Management System |
Criterion Statement: | The institution has a well-planned Quality Management System that is in keeping with its vision, mission, policies, processes, organisational structure, responsibilities and resources, in order to assure the quality of educational outcomes. |
Standard 3.1: | Institution has a documented Quality Policy. |
Examples of evidence: | Quality Policy |
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Standard 3.2: | Appropriate personnel have been assigned the duty of establishing, implementing and maintaining the institution’s Quality Management System (QMS). |
Examples of evidence: | QMS representative’s job description contains the responsibility for |
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Standard 3.3 | Institution has documented student policies to ensure that quality services are delivered to them. |
Examples of evidence: | Equal Opportunity Policy which ensures that the institution does not discriminate against applicants |
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Equal Opportunity Policy which ensures that the institution does not discriminate against students by | |
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Standard 4.6Management of the institution plans, makes available and controls the financial resources which are necessary for achieving the institution’s objectives.
Criterion 4.0: | Resource Management |
Criterion Statement: | The resources essential to the institution’s operational activities are identified and available. |
Standard 4.1: | Institution has established and documented policies and/or procedures relating to the management of its resources. |
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Standard 4.2: | Members of staff are competent on the basis of appropriate education, skills and work experience to perform their teaching functions as they relate to quality programme delivery in the institution. |
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Standard 4.3 | Institution has established and documented a procedure for maintaining its infrastructure. |
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Standard 4.4 | Institution offers reliable access to student and/or guidance counseling services, whenever needed. |
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Standard 4.5 | Physical resources are relevant and sufficient to meet the institution’s needs. |
Examples of evidence: | Adequate modern classroom, library, laboratory and workshop facilities, storage room(s) and resources that are easily accessible. |
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Criterion 5.0: | Teaching-Learning Process |
Criterion Statement: | The institution has a plan for the various stages in its teaching-learning process. |
Standard 5.1: | Institution has established and documented an overall Quality Plan for its teaching-learning process. |
Examples of evidence: | Quality Plan includes or addresses |
Documented Policies and Procedures for | |
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Standard 5.2: | Curricula have been designed and developed to enable students to achieve the intended learning outcomes. |
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Standard 5.3 | Institution has established and documented policies for the teaching-learning process. |
Examples of evidence: | Policies for |
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Criterion 6.0: | Review |
Criterion Statement: | The institution’s management reviews the Quality Management System at planned intervals to ensure that it is suitable, adequate and effective. Records of the review are kept. |
Standard 6.1: | Institution’s management has established a process for collecting appropriate information. |
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Standard 6.2: | Institution has reliable methods for monitoring and measuring stakeholder satisfaction. |
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Standard 6.3 | Institution has established and documented methods for monitoring student learning outcomes. |
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Criterion 7.0: | Continuous Improvement |
Criterion Statement: | The institution continually reviews its Quality Management System. |
Standard 7.1: | Institution has documented a process to address all activities that do not comply with established criteria and standards for registration. |
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