UNAIR NEWS – International accreditation is an essential indicator of a program’s quality. To prepare for this, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), in collaboration with the Higher Education Participation Initiative (HEPI), organized a workshop titled “Writing Effective Self Study Reports (SSR).” It took place on Friday, July 19, 2024, in Kahuripan Room 301, at MERR-C Campus Management Office of UNAIR.
The workshop aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to write high-quality SSRs that meet the criteria of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The SSR is essential for the international accreditation process, requiring programs to conduct comprehensive self-evaluations.
Dr. Abdul Rahman, Director of USAID HEPI, highlighted in his opening remarks that this workshop is part of HEPI’s efforts to improve the quality of academic programs in Indonesia. “Through the HEPI Project, we aim to assist universities in achieving their goals for international accreditation and educational quality improvement,” he stated.
Symbolic collaboration
Tofan Agung Eka Prasetya, PhD, Head of Research and International Collaboration at Airlangga Global Engagement (AGE), emphasized that collaboration is crucial for achieving common objectives. As a demonstration of this partnership, UNAIR invited 16 leaderships from affiliate universities in Surabaya area to participate in the workshop. “This event is a significant step in building a strong foundation where collaboration and partnership initiatives are key,” Tofan remarked.
The event also featured an exchange of tokens, symbolizing the partnership between USAID HEPI and UNAIR. This exchange marks the beginning of their collaboration aimed at achieving mutual goals, with hopes that this partnership will benefit both institutions and the wider community.
Philosophy and writing practice
The workshop featured Dr. Jack Rutherford, Head of Accreditation Services at ABET, as the keynote speaker. In his presentation, Dr. Rutherford explained that the SSR is a requirement for all accreditation systems. “The SSR represents an internal assessment of a program’s strengths and limitations, making it a crucial document in the evaluation process,” he said.
Dr. Rutherford emphasized that writing an effective SSR requires understanding its philosophy and best practices. He noted that the report should be clear, concise, and it provides evidence that the program meets all relevant accreditation criteria. ” Equally important, the SSR should not be written by a single person but should result from collaboration among program leaders, academic staff, and students,” he concluded.
Author: Hana Mufidatuz Zuhrah
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
