The Organization of Program Peer Evaluation Workshop II was undertaken by the Atatürk University Quality Coordination Office. Students, faculty deans, directors of vocational schools, Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı, the senior management team, and program managers were in attendance at the program, which was conducted in the Cultural Center Blue Hall.

Rector Çomaklı delivered the program's inaugural address. He said that the initial meeting of the New Generation University Design and Transformation Project was conducted at Atatürk University on April 30, 2019. The purpose of that meeting was to enhance the quality of education and program accreditation. Presently, we have gathered for our second meeting under the same auspices. During the inaugural session of the program, Rector Çomaklı addressed the significance of accreditation. He stated that it ensures quality, improves education and research standards, facilitates the comparison of diplomas and titles, and facilitates graduates' entry into the professional world. In the second segment of the meeting, the participants will concentrate on the rapid progress that the university has achieved.

Rector Çomaklı stated, "We attained notable advancements through the cultivation of a culture of excellence."

As of today, there are 53 accredited programs, up from six at the time the Quality Coordinatorship was established, according to Rector Çomaklı. Additionally, the accreditation process for 28 undergraduate programs is ongoing and the Institute of Health Sciences has obtained accreditation. Çomaklı stated that their objective is to grant accreditation to all undergraduate programs that are administered by an accredited institution. For programs lacking an accreditation institution, our Rectorate conducts pre-accreditation and peer evaluation. The peer assessment procedures shall be conducted exclusively using the YÖKAK evaluation format and in strict adherence to the YÖKAK criteria. Our goal in Peer Review is; to ensure that the programs gain external evaluation practice, to ensure the dissemination of good practice examples in the programs, to identify the aspects of the programs that are open to improvement in their self-evaluation reports, and to develop the Quality Culture in our university."

Çomaklı expressed his conviction that the workshop arranged in this manner will serve as a paradigm of good practice for other universities, warranting a recurrence for all. During the workshop, participants will deliberate on matters including the establishment of evaluation teams, the scheduling of peer evaluations for ten unaccredited programs, the evaluation processes themselves, and the calendar.

Quality Coordinator Yılmaz stated, "Efforts Were Made to Promote a Culture of Quality." 

The Atatürk University Quality Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Bilal Yılmaz addressed the audience regarding the research that had been conducted.  Yılmaz discussed the endeavors that were undertaken to establish and propagate the quality culture. Prof. Dr. Yılmaz asserted that significant strides have been made to establish a cultural comprehension of quality, adding: "The quality policy of Atatürk University was formulated and disseminated throughout all academic departments. Meetings were conducted by the Unit Quality Commissions that were established within the Faculty/Vocational School. Publication of the Atatürk University Quality Handbook and the publication of the Atatürk University Quality Action Plan were available on the institution's website. The annual operations of the quality subcommittees were executed in accordance with a predetermined schedule. For the university, academic and administrative personnel, students, and graduates, indicators were established. "The module integrated into the SIS system to periodically determine the level of provision of program qualifications (outcomes) was introduced to all faculty members. This was an essential step that was followed by the implementation of updated curricula and training in accordance with them."

A considerable proportion of the endeavors aimed at accomplishing in 2023 have been realized.

Yılmaz asserted that Atatürk University is one of the eight pilot universities in digital transformation and mentioned that the Council of Higher Education has designated it as one of twenty priority pilot universities in internationalization. Furthermore, he stated that a substantial portion of the improvement and development endeavors aimed at 2023 have been executed with the anticipated degree of success. Effective dissemination of a quality culture throughout all units of our university via the Research Universities Performance Monitoring Index; Periodic monitoring and evaluation of indicators falling under the headings "Research Capacity," "Research Quality," and "Interaction and Cooperation" will be prioritized in quality-related studies beginning in 2024 and moving forward. Monitoring and enhancing the Learning Excellence Model Implementation and Educational Programs Transformation Project to guarantee that the undergraduate and graduate programs of our esteemed university incorporate cutting-edge pedagogies and current content of global caliber. This will enable us to maximize the institution's potential in the realm of internationalization, attract a greater number of international students and researchers, and ultimately establish our university as a premier institution in the field.

Presentations on peer evaluation then followed the introductory remarks at the workshop.

Directorate of Corporate Communications – December 25, 2023