Acreditation International Process (Picture: Dok. Pribadi)

Semarang — International accreditation is one of the targets to be achieved by all universities. To be internationally accredited, universities must meet several requirements. Faculties that feel ready to go through the accreditation process are required to choose several study programs to be submitted. Having an International Undergraduate Program (IUP) class is the first requirement that must be possessed so that the program can be recognized internationally.

The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Diponegoro University has chosen two study programs that have had IUPs for a long period of time, namely Communication Studies since 2018 and Business Administration since 2019. For now, the chosen international accreditation is the European Union EQAR because the ministry has determined which international accreditation is recognized.

S. Rouli Manalu, Ph.D. as the Head of the Undip Communication Studies S-1 Study Program said that there was a slight change in the national accreditation scheme, namely changes in standards and the accreditation period.

“Starting 2021, a slight revision will be applied to 9 standards of accreditation criteria and the results are excellent, very good, good accreditation. The ministry said that accreditation now doesn’t have to be every 5 years and doesn’t have to be mandatory,” said Rouli.

Similar to BAN-PT accreditation, there is no special preparation to be made for international accreditation, only reporting what has been done so far.

“What is being done is to improve the quality of learning, the conditions being assessed, not to change something to be assessed. We also keep doing it every day, improving procedures, better learning in class, training lecturers. This condition is assessed by the assessor, does not carry out treatment for accreditation, “explained Rouli.

Dr. Nurul Hasfi, S.Sos., M.A., Head of the Undip Ilkom Department who was also involved in the preparation of international accreditation, added that the study program only needed to prepare some of the required documents and visit them online.

“Of course, prepare all the documents needed to be filled out completely, preparation for the visitation which is carried out online (otherwise Covid is usually offline). This visit includes interviews with all managers at the university, faculty, department, and study program levels, as well as from students and alumni,” he explained.

Furthermore, Rouli explained which lecturers were involved in the international accreditation process that had been prepared since the end of 2020, especially in this pandemic situation which made the preparation of all accreditation data remote, in the sense that coordination was carried out online.

“In our own (Ilkom study program) not all lecturers, almost all of them, there are 10 lecturers ranging from senior to junior lecturers, starting from Mas Tan to Amida as the newest lecturer, we form a team, make a schedule. After that, we work to divide the tasks, from 10 people divided again, 5 people looking for data, 5 writing, I as the head of the study program organize, “he explained.

After the assessment or visitation is complete, the study program is just waiting for the results. If accredited, then Communication Studies has a superior accredited status from Dikti. The internationally accredited status will expand students’ opportunities to gain international exposure.

“With this status, the Communication Studies Study Program will expand the opportunity to get international exposure and have a greater opportunity to get international students to develop regular programs and IUP international classes,” concluded Nurul.

Writer: Salsabila Febryant

Reporter: Dinda Khansa / Kartika Conny B.

Editor: Annisa Qonita Andini

Source: komunikasi.fisip.undip.ac.id