Increased access to higher education, rapid expansion of the higher education sector, and the increasing mobility of university graduates have been several factors that have contributed to the growing preoccupation of quality assurance. There are now both regional and national agencies responsible for the oversight of institutional performance.

Agencies may provide "accreditation" or validation that an institution or a specific academic program meets minimum performance standards established by that agency. A directory of agencies worldwide with oversight for quality is available at the webstie of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
- Website: http://www.chea.org/intdb/list.asp?key=c

Each agency typically maintains a website that describes the criteria used for their assessments as well as a list of programs and/or universities that they have reviewed.

Reports

Learning Accountability from Bologna
The report, Learning Accountability from Bologna: a Higher Education Policy Primer, examines the reconstruction of those 46 European higher education systems—known as the “Bologna Process”—in terms of addressing challenges that lie at the core of current debates in the United States about documenting student learning. Written by higher education researcher Clifford Adelman, the study explores the core features of change in Europe that have been created jointly by higher education administrators, faculty, students, and national ministries of education.
- Website: http://www.ihep.org/Publications/publications-detail.cfm?id=112

Publications

World Bank Publications on Quality Assurance
Publications in English, Spanish and French as well as links to organizations that participate in quality assurance activities and policy.
- Website: http://www1.worldbank.org/education/tertiary/quality.asp

Sharing Quality Higher Education Across Borders: A checklist for good practice (May 2006)
A checklist of suggested good practice in quality higher education across borders developed by CHEA, the American Council on Education, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and the International Association of Universities.
- Website: http://www.chea.org/international/CrossBorderFinalweb.pdf

World of Difference: A global survey of university league tables
(February 2006). Educational Policy Institute.
As higher education becomes more costly for individuals and families, the demand for comparative information on universities tends to increase. As a result, university rankings are today a near-standard feature in many countries. In this document we discuss sixteen of these "national" league tables from ten countries (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States); as well as three "international" or "cross-national" league tables. The document contains a "table of league tables" which permits direct comparisons of indicators and weightings in all 19 rankings studies. On the basis of this table, significant regional and national differences in the implicit definition of "quality" used by league tables become evident. To the extent that international ranking schemes are taking on a quality assurance role in the growing international student market, this is a matter for concern, and suggests that the global higher education community needs to begin to look at how best to collect and report data on institutions that will permit thoughtful and responsible inter-institutional comparisons.
- Website: http://www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/World-of-Difference-200602162.pdf

Sharing Quality Higher Education Across Borders: A statement on behalf of higher education institutions worldwide (January 2005)
This statement was developed by CHEA, the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and the International Association of Universities (IAU).
- Website: http://www.chea.org/pdf/StatementFinal0105.pdf

Papers from the OECD Forum on Trade in Educational Services, Norway, November 2003

Accreditation and Recognition in the United States (pdf) by Judith Eaton, President of CHEA.
Review of Quality Assurance and Accreditation Systems in UNESCO Member States (pdf)
Enhancing Consumer Protection in Cross-Border Higher Education: Key Issues Related to Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (pdf)

Relavent Websites

Assessment in Higher Education
This is a web site devoted to world's best practice in student assessment in higher education, and related topics with links to online articles, books, journals, and other relevant information.?
- Website: http://ahe.cqu.edu.au/

Agencies and Organizations

The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)
The main purpose of the Network is to collect and disseminate information on current and developing theory and practice in the assessment, improvement and maintenance of quality in higher education. The site includes a comprehensive list of accreditation and evaluation agencies by country.
- Website: http://www.inqaahe.org/

ENQA
The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, disseminates information, experiences and good practices in the field of quality assurance (QA) in higher education to European QA agencies, public authorities and higher education institutions.
- Website: http://www.enqa.net/

Australia
Quality assurance in Australia's higher education system is based on a strong partnership between the Commonwealth (federal), State and Territory Governments and the higher education sector.
- Website: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/.../partners_in_quality_assurance.htm
The Quality Assurance Framework. (2001). Higher Education Division. Dept.of Education, Training, and Youth Affairs. Commonwealth of Australia.
- Report available online: http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/2D330154-5538-41BD-ACC2-321AAA741A57/1047/00g.pdf

The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) is an independent, not-for-profit national agency that will promote, audit, and report on quality assurance in Australian higher education. AUQA was formally established by the Ministerial Council on Education, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in March 2000. It operates independently of governments and the higher education sector under the direction of a Board of Directors.
- Website: http://www.auqa.edu.au

Canada
In Canada, there is no national system of educational quality assurance. Postsecondary education is the responsibility of the provincial and territorial governments, and each jurisdiction has its own quality assurance mechanisms.
- Website: http://www.cicic.ca/postsec/accreditation/accreditation.en.stm

La Commission d'évaluation de l'enseignement collégial du Québec est un organisme gouvernemental autonome dont la mission d'évaluation couvre la plupart des dimensions de l'enseignement collégial, avec un accent particulier sur les apprentissages et les programmes d'études. Le législateur lui a confié pour l'exercice de son mandat un pouvoir d'évaluation, un pouvoir de recommandation et un pouvoir déclaratoire.
- Website: http://www.ceec.gouv.qc.ca/

Chile
La Comisión Nacional de Acreditación (CNAP), se constituyó en marzo de 1999 (ver decreto de creación) y sus funciones son conducir procesos experimentales de acreditación y diseñar y proponer el sistema nacional de aseguramiento de la calidad de la Educación Superior. Considera el financiamiento de proyectos de capacitación y apoyo a las instituciones de educación superior, el desarrollo de seminarios y talleres sobre evaluación, con participación de expertos nacionales y extranjeros, y el desarrollo de visitas de estudio para conocer experiencias relevantes en el campo del aseguramiento de la calidad.
- Website: http://www.cnap.cl/

Finland
Korkeakoulujen arviointineuvosto (KKA) on riippumaton asiantuntijaelin, jonka tehtävänä on avustaa korkeakouluja ja opetusministeriötä korkeakoulujen arvioinneissa. Arviointineuvosto toimii opetusministeriön yhteydessä.
The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) is an independent expert body assisting universities, polytechnics and the Ministry of Education in matters relating to evaluation.
- Website: http://www.kka.fi

France
Créé en 1984, le Comité national d'évaluation est une autorité administrative indépendante. Il a pour mission d'évaluer l'ensemble des établissements publics à caractère scientifique, culturel et professionnel : universités, écoles et grands établissements relevant de la tutelle du ministre chargé de l'enseignement supérieur.
The CNE aims at evaluating research, cultural and vocational public institutions, i-e universities, schools and "grands établissements" reporting to the higher education minister. The CNE may also evaluate higher education institutions reporting to other ministries.
The CNE evaluates the institutions in the areas linked to the missions of the higher education public sector, i-e initial and further education, students living conditions, research and the use of its results. The CNE also examines the way an institution is governed, its policy and management.
- Website: http://www.cne-evaluation.fr/

Germany
ACQUIN e.V. ist berechtigt, das Qualitätssiegel des deutschen Akkreditierungsrates an von ACQUIN akkreditierte Bachelor- und Masterstudiengänge an staatlichen und staatlich anerkannten Hochschulen zu vergeben. Als eingetragener gemeinnütziger Verein wird ACQUIN von seinen Mitgliedern getragen.
Akkreditierung soll die nationale und internationale Anerkennung der Studienabschlüsse durch die Sicherung der Qualität von Lehre und Studium gewährleisten und gleichzeitig Hochschulen, Studierenden und Arbeitgebern eine verl?ssliche Orientierung hinsichtlich der Qualität von Studienprogrammen geben.
- Website: http://www.acquin.org/acquincms/

Japan
Japan University Accreditation Association
The accreditation of a university by the Association can take one of two forms: accreditation and reaccreditation. The former is applicable to a university that is to be newly admitted as an formal member of the Association, and the latter is granted in 5-year intervals for the first time after accreditation and every 7 years thereafter to formal members that are accredited universities, after review by the Association. To be eligible for accreditation by the Association, a university must have been in existence for at least four years.
A university so accredited will be socially and publicly warranted to fill the role required of a successful university and to endeavor to improve and reform itself through self-study, with the aim of applying its own missons and realizing its own objectives.
- Website: http://www.juaa.or.jp/en/index.html

National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation
NIAD-UE was established based on the Law concerning the General Rules of Independent Administrative Institutions and the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation Law. The institution's mission is to contribute to further development of higher education in Japan. In order to raise the quality of education and research at higher education institutions (universities, junior colleges and colleges of technology) and inter-university research institutes NIAD-UE conducts evaluations of teaching conditions and research activities at these institutions. At the same time, in order to realize the society in which the outcomes learners earned at diversified higher education institutions, such as non- university institutions, are duly appreciated, NIAD-UE assesses the results of various learning provided at the higher education level and awards academic degrees to learners recognized as having fulfilled required academic standards.
- Website: http://www.niad.ac.jp/

Mexico
El Consejo para la Acreditación de la Educación Superior, A. C. (COPAES), fundado el 24 de octubre de 2000, es la única instancia validada por la Secretaria de Educación Publica para conferir reconocimiento oficial a los organismos acreditadores de los programas académicos que se imparten en este nivel educativo en México.
- Website: http://www.copaes.org.mx/

Russia
National Accreditation Centre of Russia The National Accreditation Centre is a state institution established by the Ministry of Education of Russian Federation. The overall aim of the Centre is to support higher educational institutions, educational establishments of vocational training, and the educational authorities of the Russian Federation in their state accreditation procedures.
- Website: http://www.nica.ru/

United Kingdom
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
Our mission is to safeguard the public interest in sound standards of higher education qualifications and to encourage continuous improvement in the management of the quality of higher education. We do this by working with higher education institutions to define academic standards and quality, and we carry out and publish reviews against these standards. We were established in 1997 and are an independent body funded by subscriptions from UK universities and colleges of higher education, and through contracts with the main UK higher education funding bodies.
- Website: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/

United States of America
Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a private, nonprofit national organization that coordinates accreditation activity in the United States.
- Website: http://www.chea.org/

Institutional accreditation for nearly all US post-secondary institutions is coordinated by six regional associations:
Middle States Association of Schools of Colleges: http://www.msache.org/
New England Association of Schools and Colleges: http://www.neasc.org/
North Central Association of Schools of Colleges: http://www.ncacasi.org
Northwestern Association of Schools of Colleges: http://www.nwccu.org/
Southern New England Association of Schools and Colleges: http://www.sacs.org/
Western Association of Schools of Colleges: http://www.wascweb.org/senior/accreditation.htm