Accreditation

ATILIM UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
ACCREDITATION

Atılım University’s Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design initiated its accreditation efforts in 2022. The process gained momentum when the Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK) granted the “Quality Assessment Registration Certificate” to the Design and Planning Accreditation Association (TAPLAK) on May 25, 2022.

TAPLAK is authorized as a national accreditation body for educational programs in design and planning disciplines. It is the only national accreditation body recognized by YÖKAK that conducts accreditation, evaluation, and information dissemination for Interior Architecture and Interior Architecture and Environmental Design undergraduate programs, contributing to the enhancement of educational quality.

The “Accreditation Criteria for Interior Architecture/Interior Architecture and Environmental Design Undergraduate Programs” established by the “Interior Architecture Education Programs Accreditation Board (IMEPAK),” which operates under TAPLAK, served as a significant resource for the accreditation efforts of Atılım University’s Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design. These efforts were planned and executed within the framework of the defined criteria. The intensive process began on January 5, 2015, with IMEPAK values guiding the framework, based on:

The general principles of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI),
The professional qualifications framework of the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA),
The operational structure of accreditation processes established by the Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programs (MÜDEK), and
The values of program coherence and originality outlined by the Agency for Quality Assurance (AQAS).

All academic staff members of the department actively participated in the accreditation process. Defined criteria were structured into specific work topics, and individual faculty members were assigned to each topic. The tasks and responsibilities for each faculty member were established as departmental duties. The work topics and the faculty members assigned to them are listed below.

Accreditation Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif GÜNEŞ

1: Program Mission, Objectives, and Educational Goals
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif GÜNEŞ
Research Assistant İpek ŞENGÜL

2: Program Outcomes and Curriculum
Assoc. Prof. Dr. İpek MEMİKOĞLU
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çılga RESULOĞLU
Asst. Prof. Dr. Çağrı BULHAZ
Research Assistant Simay ÖZKAN

3: Students and Graduates
Asst. Prof. Dr. Gökçe N. AYKAÇ

4: Academic Staff
Asst. Prof. Dr. M. Selcan CİHANGİROĞLU

5: Continuous Improvement
Asst. Prof. Dr. Gizem YAKUPOĞLU

6: Physical Facilities and Resources
Lecturer Dr. Özlem ASLANTAMER
Research Assistant Dilek ŞAHİN

7: Governance and Financial Resources
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif GÜNEŞ
Asst. Prof. Dr. Doğan Can HATUNOĞLU

8: Community Relations
Asst. Prof. Dr. Dilşa GÜNAYDIN TEMEL
Research Assistant Büşra Nur ERDOĞAN

The accreditation efforts of the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Atılım University are ongoing. The department has actively participated in quality and accreditation training, information sessions, and workshops held internally, as well as those organized by TAPLAK. The department submitted its program accreditation application to TAPLAK in January 2024. Following the application, the process is planned to proceed according to the “accreditation process timeline” determined by TAPLAK (see Table 1).

Table 1. TAPLAK Accreditation Process Timeline

January 1 – January 31
Submission of the initial request for evaluation and accreditation by the program to TAPLAK in writing.

February 1 – February 28
Preliminary assessment by TAPLAK’s Executive Committee (OYK) to evaluate compliance with conditions; requesting additional information and documents if necessary; notifying applicant programs about their eligibility for evaluation, the determined accreditation fee, and payment conditions.

March 1 – March 31
Submission of a confirmation letter by programs to TAPLAK indicating acceptance of the conditions and notification; signing the contract; signing a commitment letter regarding the payment of the determined accreditation fee (failure to submit the confirmation letter and/or signing the commitment letter regarding payment will be considered as withdrawal of the application).

April 1 – July 31
Preparation of a Self-Evaluation Report (SER) by the program in the format and content specified by TAPLAK; submission of the report in both printed and electronic formats to TAPLAK.

August 1 – August 31
Preliminary review of the self-evaluation reports for compliance with format and content requirements; notifying institutions of deficiencies, if any, and addressing these deficiencies; selection of program evaluation teams.

September 1 – September 30
Initiation of evaluation processes for programs whose self-evaluation reports are deemed format-compliant and for those that address identified deficiencies; informing relevant institutions about the names and contact details of program evaluation team members; submission of self-evaluation reports in printed and/or electronic formats to the relevant team members; evaluation of self-evaluation reports by teams.

October 1 – October 31
Team leaders establish initial contact with the deans of the programs to be evaluated and prepare visit schedules covering mutually convenient dates for all parties; conducting three-day institutional visits.

November 1 – November 30
Submission of the electronic copy of the Program Evaluation Report by team leaders to the relevant accreditation board chair; submission of a copy of the Program Evaluation Report to TAPLAK’s Executive Committee for archiving; feedback from the program within 30 days (including recommendations for corrections and improvements).

December 1 – December 31
Submission of a copy of the 30-day feedback response to the relevant accreditation board chair and TAPLAK’s Executive Committee for archiving; team leaders review the Program Evaluation Forms with program evaluators and prepare a Draft Report in TAPLAK’s prescribed format using the data in the 30-day response; submission of the Draft Report along with “Post-Visit Recommendations” and “60-Day Recommendations” by team leaders to the relevant accreditation board chair.

January 1 – January 31
Consistency Control Committee conducts consistency checks among the reports prepared for institutions that applied during the same period; reviewing draft reports for format, typographical errors, and language style.

February 1 – February 28
Final revisions/corrections to draft reports by the relevant accreditation board with input from team leaders; preparation of final reports to be communicated to institutions; submission of final reports to the Executive Committee for evaluation; issuance of accreditation decisions and preparation of certificates for accredited programs by TAPLAK.

March 1 – March 31
Submission of appeals and complaints by the applicant institution to the Executive Committee; processing of appeals and complaints as per the Executive Committee’s Appeals and Complaints Directive; resolution of appeals and complaints and communication of the outcome to the relevant accreditation board chair.

Institutions and organizations considered beneficial within the scope of accreditation efforts and relevant connections are shared below.

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