Information for Colleges
The student experience is seen as beginning with the recruitment and admission processes and these will be subject to particular scrutiny, including a review of systems for the appointment and management of agents and of the criteria used in assessing student applications. Similarly, there will be careful evaluation of the systems for monitoring the effectiveness as well as the frequency of student participation in the courses on which they are enrolled. A major element of accreditation will be to ensure that the colleges have efficient and transparent methods of tracking international students’ performance and attendance and that they have systems in place to inform the Border and Immigration Agency (Home Office) of non-compliance.
The accreditation will initially assess the college’s ability to meet the Home Office’s minimum criteria for acceptance on the DfES’s Register of Education and Training Providers (see Appendix 1 of the Accreditation Handbook). Indeed, the recognition of ASIC as an accrediting body is based on its ability to reassure the Home Office that these criteria are being met.
In order to satisfy the needs of other stakeholders as mentioned above, ASIC has identified the following Areas of Operation, which will each be assessed and given a grade of Commendable, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. These grades will not only be taken into account in deciding whether or not to award accreditation to a college, but will also be helpful in enabling students to make informed choices on where they might study.
Areas of Operation:
- A. Premises and Health and Safety
- B. Management and Staff Resources
- C. Learning and Teaching; Course Delivery
- D. Quality Assurance and Enhancement
- E. Student Welfare
- F. Qualifications and Awards
- G. Marketing and Student Recruitment
- H. Relationship with Government Offices and Reporting Mechanisms.
Also, in the interests of transparency, ASIC will highlight on this website, key aspects of a college’s inspection report, as it is felt that this will also be beneficial to students and their parents in helping with the decision-making process. This will, of course, also be accessible to others including government bodies and other sponsors, which may award scholarships to students. Further development of this site will include student comments, relevant international news and information from bodies such as the Home Office and British Council.
As ASIC is keen to encourage the private colleges to develop a student-centred approach to their operations, it is suggested that the colleges may wish to consider applying to become members of UKCISA for guidance in this respect.
Ongoing development with the accredited colleges will incorporate training programmes on topics such as high-quality and ethical student recruitment methods, recruiting and monitoring the work of agents, development of admission systems and assistance in the development of codes of practice and ethics policies.
Accredited Colleges are entitled to use the ASIC logo and any promotional materials produced by ASIC as long as they retain their accreditation. In the event of a college terminating its membership of ASIC or having its accreditation withdrawn, the college will be deemed to have given an implied undertaking to ASIC that its logo and promotional materials will not be used further.
