Abstract:

This article addresses the development and current practice of accreditation processes in the field of communication in Türkiye. It is based on the author's experiences as an evaluator of the Communication Education Evaluation Accreditation Board (ILEDAK) and in departments that have undergone ILEDAK accreditation. In this context, the article uses a reflexive method in which the researcher approaches the process she participated in from an ethnographic perspective. With the neoliberal understanding that has become widespread since the 1980s and the signing of the Bologna Declaration in 1999, the restructuring of universities has started. In this context, quality assurance and accreditation processes came to the agenda, and the Higher Education Quality Board (YÖKAK) was established in 2015 within the scope of the European Higher Education Area (EHA). Authorised by YÖKAK in 2018, Association for Communication Research (İLAD) provides programme accreditation through İLEDAK in the field of communication education in Türkiye. As of 2023, 69 programmes from 29 universities have been accredited. Although communication education accreditation processes are relatively new in the Turkish higher education system, they are becoming more widespread. The participation of academics in quality assurance and accreditation processes with a critical perspective will enable these processes to function more rationally and realistically.

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