Evaluation and Accreditation Activities
ZİDEK has been authorized by Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK) since July 8, 2020 with a Quality Evaluation and Registration Certificate and started conducted accreditation processes of Faculties of Agriculture undergraduate programs that had applied in the I. Application Period of 2021-2022 evaluation period (1-31 January 2021). With the decision of the ZİDEK Executive Board in the meeting dated 03.05.2021 and numbered 2021/5, II. Application Period was cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic.
In the I. Application Period of 2021-2022 evaluation period (1-31 January 2021), 24 undergraduate programs applied for first general review. Among those 24 programs, evaluation teams were formed for 10 undergraduate programs and institution visits were conducted in December 2021. Accreditation Decisions were taken in 28.03.2022 for those 10 undergraduate programs and were announced in the ZİDEK Website (ZİDEK Accredited Program List)
On 8 July 2022, ZİDEK’s Quality Evaluation and Registration Certificate was extended for two years and ZİDEK was authorized to evaluate and accredit educational programs of faculties of forestry and aquaculture in addition to faculties of agriculture.
ZİDEK program evaluation activities are conducted by evaluation teams formed by ZAK (Agricultural Enigneering Programs Accreditation Board) according to evaluation criteria published by ZİDEK. These criteria determine the minimum conditions that each Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture educational program must meet for accreditation.
Evaluation teams consist of a team chair and at least one program evaluator for each program to be evaluated. Team Co-Chairs and/or co-evaluators and/or observers may be included in the team if necessary. Since 2021, at least one student evaluator has been included in the evaluation teams of institutions of which at least one program is in evaluation for a general review.
A separate evaluation team is formed for each different higher education institution of which faculties of agriculture, forestry or aquaculture educational programs are to be evaluated. Team Chairs and Team Co-Chairs are selected from current or past ZAK members or experienced program evaluators who served at least twice as program evaluators.
Program evaluators are selected from academics who are experts in their fields and have experience in Agricultural, Forestry or Aquacultural Engineering education and professional engineers. Every program evaluator must complete a program evaluator training workshop by ZİDEK before serving in institution visits. Since 2019, ZİDEK has an evaluator pool consisting of 233 evaluators who are experienced in relevant fields (Academics, Students, Agricultural, Forestry, Aqucaultural Engineers in Private Sector and Government Organizations, Agricultural, Forestry, Aquacultural Engineers from professional chambers and other professional organizations)
Since 2021, student evaluators have been selected by the ZİDEK Nominating Committee from the students recommended by the faculties whose programs are accredited. Every program evaluator must complete a student evaluator training workshop by ZİDEK before serving in evaluation teams.
Apart from ZİDEK administrative personnel, each and every person serving in ZİDEK boards, committees, work groups and accreditation evaluation teams serve voluntarily without receiving any payment or compensation.
