OUVS
Open University Validation Services ( OUVS ) offers a comprehensive institutional approval and program validation service for providers of higher education worldwide. Its approach to institutional approval and validation is based on the following key principles:
- Establishing a partnership with the approved institution to enable the institution to offer programs leading to Open University validated degrees;
- Providing a supportive framework within which approved institutions take responsibility for the quality assurance and day-to-day management of their own academic programs;
- Recognizing that approved institutions should decide the range of academic programs that they wish to offer subject to meeting the Open University's established institutional approval criteria;
- Using groups of experts from academic institutions, the professions, the business community and other appropriate organizations to make peer judgments about the quality of institutions and the learning programs that they offer.
The institutional approval and validation processes involve a series of interactions between OUVS and the institution, culminating in a visit by a 'peer review' panel lasting one or two days, depending on the complexity of the proposal.
The AOU has been in partnership with the OUVS since 2002. This partnership led to 2 institutional accreditation and program validation periods. The process helped the AOU improve its degree programs and the associated delivery modes.
