DEVELOPING A TOOL FOR QUALITY AND ACCREDITATION OF A NEW GENERATION UNIVERSITY IN THE DIGITALIZED SOCIETY: THE CASE OF A THEMATIC-TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

Abstract

In Turkey, digitalization of curricula, teachers, course materials, and educational technologies is
relatively slower when compared with the ones in economic sectors and state services in general. In
this study, we proposed a model for a new generation university in a digitalized society. The Council
of Higher Education classifies universities in three categories (mission) to respond to technological
and economic developments in the societal life: research, regional-development oriented and
thematic universities. At national level, a digital transformation office acts as a coordination and
orchestration body among governmental institutions in order to carry and transform public
services into digital environment. The private sector naturally has to be digitalized by national and
international severe competition.
The tool developed in this study based on the model developed by Toprak et al. (2019). That model
aims to compensate for coordination gaps in the traditional university hierarchical structure,
which is designed as department, faculty board, university board and senate, from administration
to governance. Five innovations can be mentioned in terms of organizational and functional
configuration of a university model proposed there: (i) profile of graduate and mission of the
new generation university in the fields of education, research and community services, (ii) policy
development and implementation offices, (iii) university ecosystem consultation and steering
committee and other committees and boards, (iv) concept courses and branded courses, (v) coop
education and solution partnerships. The Rector’s Office acts as an executive committee to prevent
coordination gap in the proposed model.
A checklist has been developed for the processing of that model and hence it is made possible to
measure the performance of an applied university and degree of compatibility with the model. Thus,
the framework and content of the mechanism and tools traditionally used in quality assurance and
accreditation will need to be updated in line with this model.