About Accreditation and Quality Enhancement Cell (AQEC)

Quality enhancement in higher education is a process of building stakeholders' confidence that fulfils expectations as well as minimum requirements of education, learning and research. Quality assurance is the term covering all the policies, processes, procedures and actions through which quality of higher education is not simply maintained, but developed and enhanced. Although quality assurance in higher education is a global challenge which demands improving the quality of higher education on viable and sustainable basis the gaps in various aspects of educational quality demand an intensely focused approach to assure/enhance the quality of education as well as research in the universities.
Although some of the Pakistani universities are performing well and are included in the top universities of the world but quality of higher education in Pakistan, in general, does not meet international standards. Realizing the needs to improve the lot of Higher Education in the country, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan established Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in 2005 as a policy making and monitoring body for maintenance and enhancement of quality in higher education. National Quality Assurance Committee has been formed as advisory body to the specialties and senior academic managers. The Agency is engaged in systematic implementation of quality enhancement procedures/criteria to attain improved levels of international compatibility and competitiveness at institutional and program level. Furthermore, Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs) have been established in many public sector and private sector universities.
Sindh Madressatul Islam University has established a full-fledged Quality Enhancement Cell which is completed after induction of its Director and allied staff. Quality education has always been the prime priority of SMI University. The university management ensures quality in every dimension and in every manner whether it is to provide infrastructure and ancillary facilities to students or to develop intellect in them.
QAA Pakistan has devised a three-tier quality assurance mechanism. At the first step, self-assessment (SA) of programs is required to be conducted annually. Secondly, university are required to carry out an internal audit after every two years and at the third step that is to be followed by an external review on four yearly bases.
Self-assessment is an exercise conducted by the institution/department itself to assess whether its programs meet their educational objectives and outcomes with the purpose to improve quality of programs and enhance students' learning.
Self-Assessment is documented as Self-Assessment Report (SAR) which makes the basis of all future audits and reviews.
Self-Assessment is carried out with certain objectives and institutional goals, provision of feedback for quality assurance of academics.