A Qualitative Study on Management Information Systems Faculty Members’ Perceptions of Accreditation in Türkiye

Abstract

In recent years, the accreditation of universities and programs has gained special importance worldwide and in our country, and higher education institutions have set various accreditation targets. Accreditation, which documents the compliance and quality of an institution or program with specific standards, includes an audit process that evaluates and approves the compliance of the institution or program with national or international standards. Although a successful accreditation process depends on many factors, one of the obstacles is the lack of ownership and support by faculty members and even resistance to accreditation. The fact that accreditation processes are new in Management Information Systems (MIS) departments in Türkiye and that no MIS department with international program accreditation has been evaluated using program-specific criteria reveals the importance of measuring MIS faculty members’ perceptions toward accreditation. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the current status evaluations of MIS bachelor programs in Türkiye, examine the perceptions and perspectives of faculty members regarding accreditation, and reveal the problems encountered in the process. Within the scope of the research, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 faculty members working in the MIS department in Türkiye using a semi-structured interview form. The questions in the interview form were divided into three categories: perception and perspective on accreditation, Accreditation of MIS programs, problematic areas encountered during the accreditation process, and the benefits of accreditation. Comparisons between participants were presented, and a descriptive analysis of the categories was performed. The findings revealed that faculty members have a positive perspective on the accreditation process regarding quality education, continuous improvement, and process management. However, documentation, monitoring of processes, and the associated workload are seen as difficulties in accreditation. Therefore, university administrators must make necessary arrangements to handle paperwork and routine data collection. Staff members and faculty members should be able to focus on their primary activities, such as increasing the quality of teaching and producing high-impact research.

Keywords

• Accreditation
• higher education
• management information systems
• qualitative analysis

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