University College Maastricht measures up well to American Colleges
It does not happen too often that an auditing committee labels the academic level of graduates from a study as ‘excellent’. But this is what happened to the University College Maastricht. The committee was impressed with the quality of the final papers, with the Masters programmes to which students are admitted and their enthusiasm for the study.
Read article: Observant, 26 October 2006
Read also the University of Maastricht press release: Review committee praises programme and alumni
It seems likely that University College Maastricht (UCM) is set to become the very first officially accredited University College in the Netherlands. On Thursday 19th and Friday 20th Octobre, UCM was inspected by the review committee that is responsible for putting forward recommendations to the NVAO, which is the primary accreditation organisation for the Netherlands and Flanders. The initial signs are positive: at the end of the visit the committee gave a verbal account of its findings. Three scores of ‘excellent’ and an incredible eight ‘good’ scores were proof that the committee was highly impressed. In their opinion, UCM should serve as an example to colleges and universities around the world. The definitive report and the committee’s findings will be published in December, after which the NVAO will give its final verdict.
The dean of UCM, Prof. Louis Boon, was very surprised the day after the visit. ‘On reading other quality assurance assessments, I realised that morning that the score ‘good’ was an achievement in itself, never mind ‘excellent’. If you then consider that we were judged excellent in terms of both the programme and the standard of our graduates, I really am very impressed. Everyone here is.’ On behalf of the committee, the chairman Prof. Herman van den Bosch commented last Friday that he was extremely impressed by the achievements of UCM graduates. ‘The master’s programmes for which they qualify with ease are certainly no walk-over.’ According to the committee, the final projects, the so-called ‘capstones’, are of an exceptionally high quality for students just completing their bachelor’s degree.
This positive (initial) assessment is a jewel in the crown for all those who have spent the last five years working within or alongside UCM, says Louis Boon. Of course a few points for improvement were also mentioned, such as in the area of the ‘academic advisors’, the personal supervisors who provide students with intensive coaching for three years. Louis Boon: ‘It is sometimes difficult for the academic advisors who are ‘hired in’ from other faculties (about two-thirds) to plumb the depths of the entire curriculum. This is understandable. It is an area for special attention that has been high on the UCM agenda for some time now.’
Source: University of Maastricht, 30 October 2006
