Complaints procedure

1. Appellations, requests for repeated analysis and repeated on-site visits can be made only in response to the recommendation of the expert commission “To Abstain from Accreditation”. The appeals for the repeated analysis can be based only on the fact that the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation” was wrong due to factual mistakes or incompliance to the valid document of the AEER AC “Accreditation Criteria and Procedure”. The AEER AC accepts the appeals for the repeated analysis, taking into consideration the conditions actual for the moment of the on-site visit. In case of the appeal for the repeated visit the factual improvements of the educational program made prior to the appeal and duly fixed by the HEI will be taken into account as well.
   
   
2. Instead of the appellation the HEI can ask as an initial step for the repeated analysis or for the repeated visit. The requests for the repeated analysis or for the repeated visit should be made in written form to the AEER AC Director not later than in 30 days upon the receipt of the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation”.
   
   
3. The appellations should be made in written form to the AEER AC Director not later than in 30 days upon the receipt of the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation” or upon the rejection of the request for the repeated analysis or for the repeated visit.
   
   
4. The AEER AC Director and HEI advise each other to choose the best course of actions.
   
   
5. The Earliest Repeated Visit
   
   5a. The program with the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation” can be chosen for the repeated visit if duly fixed improvements will be presented before the next cycle of the accreditation begins. In this case HEI has to request in written form for the repeated visit to the AEER AC Director in 30 days upon the receipt of the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation”. This request should be supported by 5 copies of the report about the action undertaken to eliminate the defaults marked in the Report on the Evaluation of the Educational Program sent by the AEE AC to the HEI. The HEI should keep in mind that if the corrective actions were inefficient the repeated visit can be nonproductive.
   
   5b. The AEER AC Board of Directors has to accept or reject in 15 days upon the receipt the HEI’s request for the repeated visit. This decision will be based solely on the presented by the HEI report on the undertaken actions and supportive documentation that clearly states the elimination of defaults which reasoned the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation”.
   
   5c. If the AEER AC Board of Directors decides that the repeated visit cannot be guaranteed the request of the HEI is rejected with the indication of reasons and the right for the future appellation.
   
   5d. If the repeated visit cannot be appointed by the AEER AC Board of Directors, the new contract for the repeated visit is concluded between the AEER and HEI.
   
   5e. If after the repeated visit the AEER AC Board of Directors unanimously takes the decision that the HEI had undertaken the necessary improvements of the educational program, the previous recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation” can be cancelled and the report on the evaluation of the educational program can be transferred for the analysis of the AEER Accreditation Board.
   
   
6. Repeated Analysis
   
   6a. The program with the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation” can be chosen for the repeated analysis if it will demonstrate the important and duly fixed mistakes in information received by the expert commission which reasoned such negative recommendation. In this case the HEI has to request in written form for the repeated analysis to the AEER AC Director in 30 days upon the receipt of the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation”. This request should be supported by 5 copies of the report with the supportive documents about the important and duly fixed mistakes and facts which reasoned the expert commission negative recommendation.
   
   6b. The AEER AC Board of Directors has to accept or reject in 15 days upon the receipt the HEI’s request for the repeated analysis. This decision will be based solely on the presented by the HEI report with the supportive documents about the important and duly fixed mistakes and facts which reasoned the expert commission negative recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation”.
   
   6c. If the AEER AC Board of Directors decides that the repeated analysis cannot be guaranteed the request of the HEI is rejected with the indication of reasons and the right for the future appellation.
   
   6d. If the repeated analysis can be appointed by the AEER AC Board of Directors and in accordance with it the unanimous decision was taken that the HEI proved the information on important and duly fixed mistakes and facts which reasoned the expert commission negative recommendation, the AEER AC Board of Directors can cancel the previous recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation” and transfer the report for further analysis by the AEER Accreditation Board.
   
   
7. Appellation
   
   7a. Can be applied only to the recommendation of the expert commission “To Abstain from Accreditation”. The appellation should be presented in written form to the AEER AC Director in 30 days upon the receipt of the recommendation “To Abstain from Accreditation”. The appellation should state the reasons why the negative recommendation is considered wrong (due to the factual mistakes or due to the incompliance with the valid document of the AEER AC “Accreditation Criteria and Procedure”).
   
   7b. Upon the receipt of the Appellation the AEER President appoints 3 or more members of the Board of Directors as members of the Appellation Committee. At least one member of the Committee should be a certified expert on the educational programs evaluation. At least one member of the Committee should be a specialist in sphere of the accredited program. The AEER President appoints the Committee Chair.
   
   7c. The Appellation Committee is provided by copies of the full set of documentation available to the HEI during the different stages of the accreditation cycle, including the Report on the Educational Program Evaluation.
   
   7d. The HEI has to give a brief answer to the Expert Commission Recommendations, which were prior sent to the HEI. The HEI can also give other materials necessary for the verification of the Appellation. However, the materials presented should be strictly compliant with the time of the expert commission work and the information available to the expert commission.
   
   7e. The Appellation Committee does not consider the educational program improvements made after the expert commission work.
   
   7f. The AEER AC can present to the Appellation Committee the explanation of its position in written form. These materials should be available to the HEI and the Appellation Committee in 60 days before the Committee session. Any counterarguments of the HEI should be presented to the Committee in 30 days before the session.
   
   7g. The Appellation Committee while making the recommendations only considers the materials in written form presented by the HEI and the AEER AC. The Committee session is conducted in private. The presence of the HEI and the AEER AC representatives is prohibited. The decision of the Committee is limited by the choice in accordance with the document PO 08-02-11: “To Accredit for full term (5 years)”, “To Accredit for a shorter period” and “To Abstain from Accreditation”. The Chair of the Committee informs the AEER Board of Directors on its Decision in written form. The decision taken by the Appellation Committee is final decision of the AEER.
   
   7h. The AEER AC Director informs the HEI about the decision taken and its verification in 15 days upon the decision was made.