Yalova University organised an Institutional Accreditation Programme (IAP) Introduction and Preparation Meeting to ensure the effective implementation of quality and accreditation processes and to ensure thorough preparation for the upcoming external evaluation process.
The meeting was held on Thursday, 18 September 2025, between 10:00 and 12:00 at the Mehmet Okul Congress and Culture Centre.
In his opening speech, Rector Prof. Mehmet Bahçekapılı emphasised the strategic importance of the institutional accreditation process for Yalova University. Prof. Bahçekapılı stated that accreditation efforts would strengthen the university's education, teaching, and research quality at the national and international levels, stressing the necessity of active participation in the process by all academic and administrative units.
In his presentation covering the topics ‘Introduction to the Field Visit Preparation Handbook,’ ‘Introduction to the Field Visit Question and Answer Book,’ and ‘Sharing the planned internal field visit schedule,’ Rector Prof. Bahçekapılı emphasised that the quality assurance system in higher education is not a process limited to documents alone. Bahçekapılı noted that these documents are critical tools representing institutional culture, stakeholder participation, and a continuous improvement approach.
He stated, ‘Our preparation guide clarifies the steps to be followed by the units; the question-and-answer document provides a strong guide for the interaction with the evaluation teams during the field visit. These two works provide a common language and institutional integrity in Yalova University's accreditation journey.’
The meeting also highlighted that the handbook serves as a guide for units on topics such as the site visit process, strategic plan objectives, quality organisational structure, and checklists; while the Q&A document provides a practical preparation tool by reflecting institutional performance based on sub-criteria.
Vice-Rector Prof. Senay Yürür Karslıoğlu then gave a comprehensive presentation on the roadmap to be followed during the preparation process. Karslıoğlu emphasised the importance of cooperation and coordination, particularly addressing issues that academic units should pay attention to before the field visit.
In this context, the standards to be applied during field visits, evaluation criteria, and the schedule were shared in detail with academic and administrative units.
All academic and administrative representatives within the university's quality organisation structure attended the meeting. The programme, which was met with keen interest, concluded with a question-and-answer session.
