Mission Statement

Mission Statement

(Resolution of the Accreditation Council of 27.06.2024)

I. Mission statement of the German Accreditation Council

The German Accreditation Council is a joint institution of the federal states for the external quality assurance of studies and teaching in Germany. It fulfills the tasks assigned to it in the interstate study accreditation treaty and actively participates in the design and further development of the objectives and requirements of the accreditation system in Germany.

1. The Foundation is committed to academic freedom and university autonomy and sees the primary responsibility for the quality of teaching and studies as lying with the higher education institutions.
2. The Foundation understands accreditation as regular, external quality assurance, which is carried out as a science-led procedure with peer evaluation involving the relevant stakeholders.
3. The German Accreditation Council ensures that the accreditation procedures are carried out quickly, reliably, on time and transparently, from the application to the resolution by the Accreditation Council. In particular, the administrative effort for higher education institutions and Agencies associated with the application should be kept to a minimum.
4. The Foundation acts in accordance with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) and the interstate study accreditation treaty and its implementation through corresponding state ordinances.
5. It ensures that accreditation decisions are made independently of third parties and that possible conflicts of interest are prevented by means of suitable measures.
6. It promotes dialog between all stakeholders involved in the accreditation system and works towards cooperation based on trust.
7. The German Accreditation Council reflects on the implementation of its tasks and regularly evaluates the feedback from higher education institutions and Agencies in order to use the results for an experience-based further development of the quality assurance system and the application procedures in accordance with the Law.

(Resolution of the Accreditation Council of 04.06.2019)

II Vision of the Accreditation Council

We make quality-assured decisions on the accreditation of study programmes, higher education quality management systems and Alternative Procedures. On behalf of the federal states, we thus generate visible added value for society by ensuring that students acquire qualified skills.

We award our seal of accreditation as a seal of quality and distinction for studies and teaching – recognized throughout Germany and internationally.

III Mission of the Accreditation Council

1. We are the decision-making body set up by the federal states for the accreditation of study programmes, higher education quality management systems and Alternative Procedures.
2. We carry out the mandate given to us by Law by examining criteria-based quality standards. We define accreditation as the interaction of design and dialog for quality development and control for quality assurance.
3. We ensure that the perspectives and expertise of university lecturers, students, the German Rectors’ Conference, the Länder, Professional Practice, accreditation agencies and international experts are taken into account in accreditation decisions. When implementing and further developing the accreditation system, we also pay attention to the participation of stakeholder groups that are not directly represented in the Accreditation Council and to international developments, particularly in the European Higher Education Area.
4. In trusting and efficient cooperation with all stakeholder groups in the field of accreditation, we ensure transparency, orientation and security through consistent decisions.
5. We maintain and demand an open exchange with all stakeholder groups and provide quality impulses for the continuous further development of the accreditation system.
6. We, the members, deputy members and regular guests of the Accreditation Council, act as multipliers in our stakeholder groups – both in the implementation and in the further development of the accreditation system.
7. The Head Office of the Accreditation Council supports us as a body of the accreditation council by preparing the organization and content of all decisions, taking into account the relevant regulations and Laws. With the role of reporting by a member of the Accreditation Council, we ensure intensive participation of the members before decisions are made in the Accreditation Council.