Tartu Health Care College Has Fulfilled the Secondary Condition for Institutional Accreditation

The Higher Education Assessment Council of the Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education (HAKA) decided at its meeting on 24.08.2023 to consider the secondary condition set by the HAKA Council for the decision on the institutional accreditation of Tartu Health Care College taken on 27.04.2020 as fulfilled.

As strengths, HAKA found that the College is characterised by strong strategic leadership and clearly set and measurable objectives, and that the College’s staff are committed to achieving the objectives of the Development Plan.

It was also pointed out that the College is in a strong position to negotiate funding with the Ministry of Education and Research and that the College’s infrastructure, such as the simulation centre, is up to date.

The renewed quality management system was found to be in good alignment with the College’s Development Plan, quality management awareness is highly visible across the College and support systems ensure effective feedback and communication to all stakeholders.

The College has clearly defined research directions and procedures for obtaining funding for and conducting applied research, and research is supported by the College’s Research and Development Council.

The Assessment Council also identified suggestions for further developments. The strategy for interdisciplinary learning could be more clearly defined. It was recommended to increase efforts to broaden the sources of funding, in particular for research development and creation at the international level. Contacts with national and international partners could be intensified to develop new projects and better address the various challenges ahead. It was also felt that a clear plan on how to deal with the expanding possibilities of AI in education could be useful.

HAKA involved the following members of the expert panel in the assessment: Josette Denekens (Professor Emeritus, former Vice-Rector, University of Antwerpen, Belgium), Marjatta Häsänen (Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Well-being, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland), and Ruud Heijnen (Consultant in health care education, former Coordinator of International Cooperation for the Faculty of Health, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands).

The Council decided to consider the secondary condition attached to the decision on institutional accreditation of Tartu Health Care College adopted on 27.04.2020 as fulfilled and to maintain the decision on accreditation of Tartu Health Care College for seven years.