Accreditation plays a significant role in the process of standardization, branding, and introducing the quality of higher education to the public. This was conveyed by the Rector of Universitas Brawijaya, Prof. Widodo, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. MedSc when delivering his views at the commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT) in Jakarta. Carrying the theme “Monitoring the Quality of Indonesian Higher Education” and attended by important figures in the world of higher education, such as Prof. Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro as the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia who also gave a speech, Prof. Dr. Khairul Munadi, S.T., M.Eng as Acting Director General of Higher Education, Dr. Ir. Hetifah Sjafudian, M.P.P as Chair of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, and Prof. Ari Purbayanto, Ph.D as Director of the Executive Board of BAN-PT. The speakers who attended included: Prof. Dwiwahju Sasongko (Chairman of the BAN-PT Accreditation Council for the 2016–2021 Period), Prof. Dr. E.S. Margianti, S.E., M.M (Rector of Gunadarma University), Prof. Dr. Toni Toharudin, S.Si., M.Sc (Head of LLDIKTI Region III), and Prof. Dr. Masnun Tahir (Rector of UIN Mataram).
As one of the key speakers, Widodo emphasized various important aspects related to accreditation and the development of a culture of quality in higher education in Indonesia. “There are three important points related to accreditation: first, accreditation is an important part of standardization; second, accreditation is important for branding; and third, accreditation introduces the quality of our education to the public,” said Prof. Widodo.
Although accreditation predicates such as “Excellent”, “A”, “B”, or “C” are indicators of quality, according to Widodo, a sustainable quality culture in higher education is much more important. He highlighted that the biggest challenge today is building a culture of quality among the public and stakeholders of higher education.
He also emphasized that a culture of quality in higher education reflects the character of society in general. “A culture of quality has not been fully formed, and this is a big challenge for all of us,” he explained. To ensure that a culture of quality is maintained, he added, Universitas Brawijaya has four units that play a role in quality management, namely the Quality Assurance Institute, Internal Supervisory Unit, Worker Accountability Unit and Bureaucratic Reform Unit.
The accreditation standards from BAN-PT, he added, are an important step in preparing study programs to achieve international accreditation. With integrated national and international accreditation, higher education institutions are increasingly recognized globally, facilitating collaboration with international partners.
Automation and Accreditation Challenges in the Digital Era
In facing the digital era, the use of the Online Higher Education Accreditation System (SAPTO) is an important milestone that makes the accreditation process more efficient and transparent. SAPTO, according to Widodo, has three benefits, namely a Green approach (environmentally friendly approach), efficiency of time and resources, and reducing the administrative burden on lecturers in preparing accreditation documents.
However, he also highlighted the weaknesses of SAPTO, namely data that is often not updated regularly. The solution needed is a more flexible time retention so that data can be clarified accurately. This automation also helps prevent fraudulent practices in the preparation of accreditation documents, or known as “Borang: lying and making up”.
“With an automation system that uses factual data such as SINTA and the Dikti database, data misuse can be minimized. This is very cool and must continue to be developed,” said Prof. Widodo.
International Accreditation as a Benchmark for Competitiveness
Widodo also welcomed the Ministry’s encouragement to achieve international accreditation as part of the Key Performance Indicators (IKU) of higher education. International accreditation not only increases global competitiveness, but also builds the confidence of lecturers, education personnel, and students.
He emphasized that this process brings long-term benefits since external assessments provide valuable input to improve the quality of education. In addition, international accreditation facilitates academic exchange activities (inbound and outbound). “I really appreciate BAN-PT which is now converting international accreditation to national accreditation. Consistency with accreditation institutions recognized by the Ministry is very important in realizing a sustainable quality culture. This step is expected to encourage the strengthening of quality culture and bring Indonesian higher education towards wider global recognition,” concluded the man who once led FMIPA UB. (VQ/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
