Wittenborg Last Stop for NVAO as It Suspends Procedures Due to Coronavirus

02.04.2020

Wittenborg Seeking Approval to Provide Transnational Education in Munich

Two weeks ago, the Dutch accreditation and quality assurance body NVAO postponed all its site visits in light of the coronavirus COVID-19 – WUAS (WUAS) was its last visit to an institution of higher education last month. Its assessment procedures in the Netherlands will be suspended until at least 28 April. In Flanders all activities are suspended until further notice.

Wittenborg is applying for Transnational Education (TNE) approval for the full delivery of its programmes in Munich, Germany at the New European College (NEC) and seeking re-accreditation for its Master of Business Administration (MBA) as well as Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programmes. In October 2019, Wittenborg formed a partnership with NEC to deliver Wittenborg's bachelor's and master's programmes at their location in Munich. Student numbers there are eventually expected to grow to around 150. The terms of the delivery are set out in a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two institutions.

NVAO said in a statement: "In consultation with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, NVAO has established some guidelines to try to ensure that in the coming months the preparation of the accreditation procedures and site visits are postponed. So the institutions can focus their attention on the organisation and the progress of education.

In general, we follow the developments with regard to the virus closely. We use the guidelines of the Flemish and Belgian governments and the Dutch government and RIVM."

WUAS gained re-accreditation of its MBA from the German ‘Foundation of International Business Administration Accreditation’ (FIBAA) in 2019. The accreditation was carried out by an FIBAA panel that was NVAO approved, and the NVAO part of this re-accreditation was supposed to take place in July 2020, however may be postponed. WUAS bachelor's programmes were re-accredited by NVA) and FIBAA in 2018.

It is important for the Dutch ministry of education that the quality of the education provided by Wittenborg in Munich is the same as that in the Netherlands.