Why should you choose an accredited university?
From the moment we choose to study a university degree, diploma or postgraduate, millions of offers from institutes and faculties appear to us just by searching for it on Google. There are important things that we must take into account, such as the subjects that are taught, the duration, its modality or the location, but the most crucial thing about any career and university is its accreditation. Learn a little more about what an accredited university is, why you should pay attention to it, and what benefits it offers you.
What is the accreditation of a university?
That a university is accredited means that their careers have a Quality certificate. The body in charge of regulating and accrediting universities (and all their academic and study plans) is the National Council for University Evaluation and Accreditation of Panama (CONEAUPA), protected under Law 52 of June 26, 2015. Then the Executive Decree No. 539 of August 30, 2018 regulated it and the National Evaluation and Accreditation System for the improvement of the quality of higher university education in Panama was born.
In short, all the universities in Panama that request accreditation will be subjected to the same measurement of their services, educational plans and performance under the same standards by CONEAUPA.
What is the reaccreditation of the University?
You may find that some universities promote their reaccreditation, such as the Metropolitan University of Education, Science and Technology (UMECIT). This is simply when universities request to renew their institutional accreditations. CONEAUPA will also be the governing body that will evaluate the quality of the study plans, the administrative organization, the operation and the social work of the university.
To obtain reaccreditation, universities will first commit to a self appraisal where it will put the entire institution to the test and prepare a sincere final report that will include the achievements and the missing or critical aspects of itself. This will help the university to project improvements, being a participatory process.
Then, the specialists will take over and evaluate the self-report of the applicant university and prepare for the personal visit where they will observe the aspects highlighted in the report. When they go to the institution, they will check that the university complies not only with the points of their report, but also with the standards and indicators of the CONEAUPA reference model.
You see: here nothing is left to chance. So, if a university has accreditation and reaccreditation, you can be completely sure that you are in the right place.
What benefits can an accredited university give you if you are a student?
The benefits that an accredited and, even more, reaccredited university offers you are many. Mainly, you make sure that the study programs, including your career, diploma or postgraduate, adapt to changes in society and that everything is ultra-checked by a very serious state agency such as CONEAUPA. It also endorses that the programs meet the needs of the student body, in addition to the important power capacity transfer credits and be accepted into other programs at a higher level. You can also rest assured that this university and, therefore, all its careers, diplomas, master's degrees and specializations offer a quality professional training and that the will improve over time, each time they request re-accreditation.
CONEAUPA will speak with students and professors in addition to the board of directors, thus guaranteeing a transparent and multifocal evaluation.
What benefits can accreditation give you if you are a university?
From the point of view of educational leaders, the benefits also multiply. Preparing for and applying for accreditation and reaccreditation generates a climate of improvement, making it easier to define long- and short-term objectives regarding facilities, teaching, and study plans. Related to the latter, the accreditation plan helps to know the SWOT of the university, that is, the Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses and Threats, which will automatically translate into the optimization of resources and knowledge of the place where they are standing. Also, the institution obtains an evaluation not only from CONEAUPA, but also from its own students and teachers.
The CONEAUPA accreditation, in addition to the quality certificate and the good position in the educational society, gives in exchange less state control, since the government interprets that the National Council of University Evaluation and Accreditation of Panama was in charge, controlled and supervised that That university complies with the rules.
How many accredited universities are there in Panama?
According to the official website of CONEAUPA, the accredited universities in Panama are 23 out of 35 academic centers that are found throughout the country. One of these most prestigious universities is the Metropolitan University of Education, Science and Technology, which offers degrees in Health Sciences, Economic and Administrative Sciences, Law and Forensic Sciences, Humanities, Educational Sciences, Technology, Construction and Environment.
In addition, UMECIT has postgraduate programs (master's degrees and specializations), seminars, courses, and diplomas. One of the things that CONEAUPA surely took into account for its accreditation was its great social work that includes a Physiotherapy office, a Psychological office and a Legal office open to the community where its students can put into practice the knowledge acquired at the same time. that help society.
At the same time, they offer a wellness program to their students, where there is cultural and artistic expression (with a reading and film club), comprehensive health promotion (campaigns against cancer, nutrition workshops, in addition to the aforementioned clinics in Psychology and Physiotherapy), incentive to physical activity (with basketball team, flag football, volleyball and chess), among many other benefits for students.
Definitely, UMECIT is a clear example of what CONEAUPA looks for in a university to give it its respected accreditation.