About EASPA

Mission and Aims

The European Alliance for Subject-Specific and Professional Accreditation and Quality Assurance (EASPA) is a non-profit association seeking to provide a platform for the cooperation between the European and international quality assurance networks and international organisations in the development and harmonisation of their activities in the field of quality assurance and quality improvement in higher education. It thus contributes towards the development and implementation of the European Higher Education Area. To this end, EASPA provides a collaborative forum for the community of disciplinary, field specific European networks of quality assurance that assess the quality of study programs, schools or professional individuals.

It was founded on November 29, 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

EASPA provides information and “best practice” examples in quality assurance and quality development in the European Higher Education Area. It works on the development of Europe-wide qualification frameworks, learning outcomes and competence profiles of graduates and professionals.

Objectives

Main objectives of EASPA in the area of accreditation and quality assessment are:

  • to assist the community of disciplinary, field-specific European networks of quality assurance in elaborating measures for harmonizing activities in quality assurance, in order to participate in the European dimension of higher education, and to play a proactive role in shaping the European higher education area by promoting European wide qualification frameworks and learning outcomes on the disciplinary level,
  • to address quality assurance issues in educational, governmental and public policy contexts and communicate with the public about quality assurance,
  • to advance good practices, knowledge, skills, and ethical commitments in the field of quality assurance, and to communicate the value of accreditation as a means of enhancing educational and professional quality,
  • to serve as a platform for issues on quality assurance in higher education, to exchange information about background, aims, procedures and outcomes of the activities of member agencies,
  • to provide continuing education for individuals or organizations with accreditation or quality assurance responsibilities.

EASPA Statutes

can be downloaded here.

Düsseldorf Declaration

can be downloaded here.

Executive Board

The Executive Board is appointed by the General Assembly for a period of three years. Members of the Executive Board may be re-elected twice. The main tasks of the Board are to:

  • prepare the working programme and manage the activities of EASPA e. V.
  • discuss and submit the budget of EASPA e.V. to the General Assembly
  • propose the Membership Fees
  • consider applications for Membership and make recommendations on them to the General Assembly
  • discuss proposals for expulsion of Members and make recommendations on them to the General Assembly.

The Executive Board for the term 2024-2025 is composed of:

  • Rui Costa (President)
  • Taco Brandsen (Vice-President)
  • Cristina Femoni

The General Assembly appointed Linda Messas as Treasurer and Dr. Iring Wasser as Secretary General.

The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of EASPA. It is composed of one delegate per full EASPA member-organization. The General Assembly meets at least once a year.

Representatives at EASPA General Assembly (Voting Members):

EQANIE – European Quality Assurance Network for Informatics Education, Maria Ribeira Sancho

MusiQuE – Music Quality Enhancement, Linda Messas

ECTN – European Chemistry Thematics Network Association, Sanjiv Prashar, Cristina Femoni

IFA – International Food Association, Rui Costa

EAPAA – European Network for Public Administration Accreditation, Taco Brandsen

EPS – European Physical Society, Anne Pawsey

Presentations

EASPA – Professional Accreditation based on Disciplinary Standards

EQ-Arts – Enhancing Quality in the Arts

ISEKI Food Association

ESSA – A shared European language for ICT professional development empowering mutual understanding and quality across the Information Technology Sector