Institutional audit

Since 2011 universities have been able to apply for a special audit on the quality of their institution. If the institutional audit is positive, then the university does not need to have existing programmes assessed as comprehensively as was formerly the case.

Virtually all universities have now successfully undergone an institutional audit.

Steps of the institutional audit
The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) carries out the audit. The institutional audit comprises the following steps:

• Institution writes a critical self-evaluation
• NVAO puts together the audit panel
• Panel studies self-evaluation
• Fact-finding visit by the panel to the institution
• In-depth visit with discussion about concerns