In relative terms, Mexico is the largest economy in Latin America, after Brazil. According to the Mexican National Association of University and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES), in 2015 the country had:
It isn’t easy to understand how the Mexican accreditation of universities and higher education institutions work, with a nation with a large number of institutions and students. What are the main features in the accreditation of colleges in Mexico? Let's revise some of its primary characteristics.
Unlike other countries, Mexico has set a line between a college evaluation from an institution accreditation:
Despite having a large set of educational review boards, Mexico doesn’t have a statewide institutional quality evaluation program. However, it is common that Mexican universities and institutes apply for assessment programs in order to join specific associations, such as the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES), the Federation of Private Higher Education Institutions (FIMPES) or the Consortium of Mexican universities (Cumex). They also apply for regional accreditation with agencies such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
The Mexican Undersecretariat for Higher Education gave the Consejo para la Acreditación de la Educación Superior (COPAES) a non-governmental institution, the authority to certify the accreditation for universities and institutes’ undergraduate programs.
COPAES defines an accredited college program as “the public recognition tan a non-governmental and formally recognized accrediting organization, as the program complies with certain principles, indicators and quality standards in its structure, organization, administration, input and teaching process, services, and results."
COPAES empowers a series of accreditation agencies denominated accrediting organizations (OA in Spanish) to assess academic programs by applying a set of common standards. By 2013, there were 27 OAs, mainly civil society associations specialized in disciplines such as law, engineering, medicine, and humanities.
In order to qualify for accreditation, higher education programs must follow five steps:
Framework for the accreditation process
The Mexican system revises several elements of the higher education program:
1. Faculty
Checks how the recruitment, selection and hiring of teachers is developed. It revises their contracts and obligations, their academic background and how they distribute their academic workload. It also reviews their evaluation systems as well as any career development program.
2. Students
Analyzes how they select students and compare how they have historically enrolled new undergrads. It also studies figures such as the number of pupils by program or classroom, student retention rates and academic performance.
3. Study plan
Revises how is the academic project sustained, as well as their entry and graduation profile. They also review the regulation each institution applies for the continuation and validation of studies, as well as graduation. They look at the curriculum of each class, their content, its flexibility and evaluation system.
4. Learning evaluations
It looks at the methods the institution uses to evaluate different knowledge levels of students, such as academic stimuli or recognitions, scholarships or awards.
5. Comprehensive training
Reviews the comprehensive training programs, such as entrepreneurship, cultural and sports activities. It also examines student orientation and psychological help, medical services and family outreach.
6. Learning support services
It reviews the tutorials and academic advisory services, as well as the use of the library.
7. Outreach
It examines how the program extends its relationships with private and social stakeholders. It considers how the project follows its alumni, promotes social work and uses career services.
8. Research
Reviews the lines and types of research, how they are funded, promoted and analyzed.
9. Infrastructure and equipment
Reviews both the use of buildings and maintenance of classroom as well as the availability and use of different devices.
10. Financial and economic management
Audits how the program is planned, evaluated and organized in terms of management.
This brief introduction to accreditation in Mexico is only the first of a series of trends in higher education in Latin America we will talk about.
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