History of PKA

The Polish Accreditation Committee (PKA) was established as State Accreditation Committee as of 1 January 2002 on the basis of Article 38(1) – amended on 20 July 2001. – Act of 12 September 1990 on Higher Education (Journal of Laws No. 65, item 385, as amended).

The Polish Accreditation Committee is an institution acting independently for the enhancement of the quality of education. The work of the Committee is guided by the principle of reliability, impartiality and transparency and the commitment to equal participation of men and women in it. Since its establishment, the PKA has covered all public and non-public higher education institutions, both those established on the basis of the Act of 26 June 1997 on Higher Vocational Schools and those operating on the basis of the Act of 12 September 1990 on Higher Education.

Historical analysis of the activities of the PKA up to now allows to distinguish 5 stages of its functioning, determined primarily by changes in legal regulations governing the sphere of higher education in Poland. Subsequent amendments to the regulations strengthened the position of the PKA in the higher education system by defining its competences and tasks in line with the evolutionary needs of the higher education system, and thus the quality assurance system in Poland. The organisational and functional structure of the PKA was also transformed at successive stages, while maintaining the integrity of the objectives expressed in its Mission.

Analysing the PKA’s activities so far, we can distinguish 5 stages of its functioning, conditioned primarily by changes in legal regulations governing the sphere of higher education in Poland. Subsequent changes in the regulations strengthened the position of the PKA in the higher education system by defining its competences and tasks in line with the evolutionary needs of the higher education system, and thus the quality assurance system in Poland. The organisational and functional structure of the PKA was also transformed at successive stages, while maintaining the integrity of the objectives expressed in its Mission.

Stage I 2002-2005

The term of office of the PKA

legal act

Objectives

I. 2002–2004
Ustawa z dnia 12 września 1990 r. o szkolnictwie wyższym
II. 2005-2007

The Polish Accreditation Committee was established by the minister responsible for higher education for a three-year term of office, covering the years 2002-2004. The Committee was appointed from among candidates proposed by higher education institutions, the Central Council for Higher Education, scientific, professional and artistic associations and employers’ organisations.

The Polish Accreditation Committee was established by the minister responsible for higher education for a three-year term of office, covering the years 2002-2004. The Committee was appointed from among candidates proposed by higher education institutions, the Central Council for Higher Education, scientific, professional and artistic associations and employers’ organisations..

Objectives:

1. evaluation of the quality of education in a given degree programme, 

2. opinions and recommendations on other matters: 

1) the establishment of a higher education institution; 

2) the authorisation for a higher education institution to provide degree programmes;

3) the establishment of a basic organisational unit by the higher education institution including branch campuses;

4) assigning the specialisations provided by higher vocational schools to an appropriate degree programmes;

5) granting permission to establish and provide a degree programme in a field of study other than that specified in the law.

Stage II 2005-2011

The term of office of the PKA

legal act

Objectives

III. 2008- 2011
The Law on Higher Education Act of 27 July 2005

1. evaluation of the quality of education in a given degree programme,

2. opinions and recommendations regarding:

1) the establishment of a higher education institution;

2) the authorisation for a higher education institution to provide degree programmes:

a) at a given level of study,

b) within an macro-disciplinary framework,

c) as an interdisciplinary programme,

3) the extension of the permission for a non-public higher education institution to continue its operations;

4) granting existing or newly established branch campus the right to provide degree programmes if the application concerns a unit/university authorised to provide second-cycle or long-cycle programmes;

5) the establishment of a higher education institution based on the territory of the Republic of Poland by a foreign higher education institution.

Stage III 2011-2016

The term of office of the PKA

Alegal act

 

Objectives

IV. 2012-2015
Act of 18 March 2011 amending the Act on Higher Education, the Act on Academic Degrees and Academic Title and on Degrees and Title in Art and on Amendment of other acts.

and

Act of 11 July 2014 amending the Act – Law on Higher Education and certain other acts, which introduced, among others, significant changes in the procedure for reviewing requests for reconsideration by the Committee.

1. programme evaluation, including teacher training,

2. institutional evaluation, including the quality of doctoral and non-degree postgraduate programmes,

3.opinions on matters concerning:

1) fulfilment of the conditions for the provision of education specified in the legislation,

2) the reinstatement of suspended authorisations to provide degree programmes,

3) the establishment of a higher education institution,

4) granting an organisational unit of a higher education institution the right to offer degree programmes if the degree programme concerns the area of education which do not correspond to the rights to confer the academic degree of doktor habilitowany held by that unit,

5) the establishment of a higher education institution or a branch established by a foreign higher education institution,

6) the quality of education in the institution applying for the right to confer the academic degrees of doktor and doktor habilitowany.

 

Stage IV 2016 – 2018

The term of office of the PKA

Alegal act

Objectives

V. 2016-2019
The Act of 23 June 2016 amending the Act – Higher Education Law and other acts

1. programme evaluation, including teacher training,

2. give opinions on matters concerning:

1) fulfilment of the conditions for the provision of degree programmes specified in the legislation,

2) the reinstatement of suspended authorisations to provide degree programmes,

3) the establishment of a higher education institution,

4) granting an organisational unit of a higher education institution the right to provide degree programmes if the field of study in question concerns the area of study and fields which do not correspond to the authorisation to confer the academic degree of doktor habilitowany held by that unit,

5) the establishment of a higher education institution or a branch by a foreign higher education institution,

6) the quality of education provided by the institution applying for the rights to award of the academic degree of doktor and doktor habilitowany.

 

Stage V – until now

The term of office of the PKA

Alegal act

Objectives

V. 2016-2019
Act of 20 July 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science

1. expressing an opinion on the registration of a non-public higher education institution;

2. expressing an opinion on the fulfilment of the requirements for the provision of degree programmes, and on the relationship of degree programmes with the strategy of a higher education institution;

3.conducting a programme evaluation;

4. carrying out a comprehensive evaluation;

5. conducting analytical and training activities and disseminating good practices in the quality of higher education;

6. cooperation with national and international institutions and organisations active in the area of higher education;

7. Issuing opinions on other issues raised by the Minister.