Regulations

1. Preamble

The Central and Easter European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education was founded on October 13, 2001 in Krakow, Poland, and was formally established on October 19, 2002 in Vienna. It succeeds the Regional Sub-network of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, established November 19, 2000 in Budapest, Hungary.

The CEE Network is a non-governmental and non-profit organization.

2. The Objectives of the CEE Network

The objectives of the CEE Network are

• to share experiences and to foster cooperation among member agencies
• to exchange information about background, aims, procedures and outcomes of activities of member agencies
• to recommend experts
• to serve as a clearing house for issues on quality assurance in higher education in the Central and Eastern European countries
• to assist each other in elaborating measures for harmonizing activities in quality assurance, in order to participate in the European dimension of higher education, and to play a proactive role in shaping the European higher education area

• to open common possibilities in launching new projects for the sake of better quality in higher education and build consortia for joint activities, including the applications to funds.

3. Provisions regarding membership

3.1. Signatories to these Regulations as adopted at the inaugural meeting in Vienna on 19^th October 2002 are the founding members of the CEE Network.

3.2 Membership is open to agencies which are recognized as national or regional higher education quality assurance agencies by the lawful authority/ies in their respective CEE country.

3.3. Membership is open to new applicants who meet the requirements in section 3.2. above, on condition that they have supplied data about themselves to the CEE Network coordinator. Acceptance of new members will be discussed in the steering committee and on its proposal will be decided at the next General Assembly meeting.

3.4. Membership in the CEE Network does not exclude membership in any other international or national organization.

3.5. The General Assembly has the right to suspend membership under certain conditions proposed by the Steering Committee.

3.6. The list of members constitutes ANNEX 1 to the Regulations.

3a. Provisions regarding observer membership  

3a.1. Agencies which meet requirements in section 3.2. above or other organizations which approve the objectives of CEE Network can apply for the status of observer member.

3a.2. Applications referred to in section 3a.1. shall be discussed by the Steering Committee and on its proposal shall be decided at the next General Assembly meeting.

3a.3. The observer member, under the condition set down in section 3a.4, is entitled to participate in all tasks, initiatives and activities of the CEE Network, excluding participation in the CEE Network decision-making process, voting at the General Assembly and in the elections of the chairperson and membership in the Steering Committee.

3a.4. The observer member pays an annual fee in the amount decided by the General Assembly.

4. Provisions regarding organization, voting and elections

4.1. The main policy and decision-making body of the CEE Network is its General Assembly, which is composed of representatives of agencies making up the CEE Network.

4.2. The General Assembly of the CEE Network shall meet at least every two years. In the interval years a General Assembly meeting shall be held via electronic mail with voting by electronic mail.  

4.3. Member agencies may delegate one representative and an alternate to participate at the General Assembly of the CEE Network. The representative shall be authorized to pass decisions and sign documents on behalf of his/her agency.

4.4. The members present at the meeting of the General Assembly constitute a quorum for the meeting.

4.5. Decisions shall be adopted by ordinary majority. Each member represented in the General Assembly, and who has paid their annual membership fee, shall cast one vote.

4.6. Voting shall be open unless one or more member requests to vote on an issue by secret ballot.

4.7. For conducting work in the interval between the meetings of the General Assembly, the General Assembly shall elect a Steering Committee. The Steering Committee shall consist of seven members representing seven agencies. After the members of the Steering Committee are elected, the General Assembly shall elect the Chairperson from among the members of Steering Committee and may also elect one Steering Committee member as Vice-Chairperson.

4.8. The members of the Steering Committee, including the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, shall be elected for a term of four years, which may be renewed for one additional term.

4.9. Should a vacancy occur during a term in the position of Chairperson or Steering Committee member (Treasurer), the Steering Committee shall nominate an acting Chairperson or Steering Committee member to act as such until the next General Assembly.

4.10. The Steering Committee shall meet at least once a year.

4.11. The Steering Committee shall act in lieu of the General Assembly in matters which require action in the interim between the General Assembly meetings, excluding the acceptance of new members, the election of chairperson or Steering Committee members, and the final approval of the CEE Network budget, which can only be decided by the General Assembly.

4.12. The General Assembly shall also name a Secretary General to assist in the administration of the CEE Network.

4.13. The Steering Committee may propose and shall oversee the organization of actions and projects, such as workshops, by or for the CEE Network. Proposals for such actions and projects may be put forward any member.

5. Provisions regarding activities

5.1. The Steering Committee shall propose a rolling Activity Plan to the General Assembly for approval. The Activity Plan shall contain specific plans and actions for the coming term and the longer term.

5.2. The Steering Committee shall propose a budget for the actions and activities set down in the Activity Plan, to be approved by the General Assembly.

6. Fees  

6.1. The General Assembly shall determine at its meeting the amount and deadline of a yearly fee to be paid for CEE Network membership by each member and for CEE Network observer membership by each observer member.

6.2. Only such members shall have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to be elected to or propose candidates for the Steering Committee who have paid the annual fee as determined by the General Assembly.

6.3. Fees are to be paid by each member agency or committee, or observer member, as listed in ANNEX 1 to these Regulations. The Secretary General shall be responsible for presenting a financial report on income and expenditures as approved by the Steering Committee to the General Assembly at each General Assembly meeting.

7. Other provisions

7.1. Members authorize the chairperson of the CEE Network to carry out amendments to these Regulations and to act in such technical matters as required for the establishment of the CEE Network as a legal entity. The General Assembly shall approve such amendments at its next regular meeting.

7.5. Signatories authorize the Coordinating Secretary of the CEE Network to carry out such measures, including the right to sign relevant documents in the name of the CEE Network membership, as are required for the establishment of the CEE Network as a legal entity in accordance with the laws of the country in which the CEE Network is registered.

ANNEX 1

Members of the CEE Network

(in alphabetical order by country, by official English names of member agencies and committees)

1.a. Full Members

1. Public Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (PAAHE), Albania
2. Accreditation Council (ÖAR), Austria
3. Austrian Fachhochschul-Council (FHR), Austria
4. Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance (AQA), Austria
5. Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance (ADHEQA), Bosnia and Herzegovina
6. National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA), Republic of Bulgaria
7. Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE), Croatia
8. Accreditation Commission (ACCR), Czech Republic
9. Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency (EKKA), Estonia
10. Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute (ACQUIN), Germany
11. Akkreditierungsagentur für Studiengänge der Ingenieurwissenschaften, der Informatik, der Naturwissenschaften und der mathematic e.v., (ASIIN), Germany
12. Hungarian Accreditation Committee (HAC), Hungary
13. Accreditation Agency (KAA), Kosovo
14. Higher Education Quality Evaluation Center (HEQEC), Latvia
15. Center for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC), Lithuania
16. University Accreditation Commission (UKA), Poland
17. Polish State Accreditation Commission (PKA), Poland
18. Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS), Romania
19. National Accreditation Agency of the Russian Federation (NAA)
20. National Center for Public Accreditation (NCPA), Russian Federation
21. Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance and Career Development, Russian Federation
22. Accreditation Commission of the Slovak Republic, (AC)
23. Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (SQAA), Slovenia
24. European Association for Public Administration Accreditation (EAPAA), headquarters in The Netherlands

1b. Observer Members

25. Foundation for International business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA), Germany
26. Higher Education Accreditation Board, Macedonia