The ECOO accreditation team started its practical work in 2008, following the establishment of the European Diploma in Optometry. After piloting the accreditation process and application of a competency framework with a number of university institutions the accreditation system was established in 2015. This was built on with the development of the European Qualifications in Optics in 2017.
In 2020, the ECOO Accreditation Agency was formally established as a separate but linked entity to ECOO, solidifying its structure and organisation.
Operation of the Accreditation Agency
The ECOO Accreditation Agency is led by two co-chairs: Professor Julie-Anne Little and Professor Brendan Barrett, supported by Michele Cornely, the Accreditation Officer.
The two co-chairs are supported by a strong team of Education visitors who have been carefully selected based on their academic track record and experience in the field. ECOO is also delighted to include student representatives on their visitor panel to ensure their perspective is taken into consideration.
© ECOO – All documents and its annexes relating and including the European Diploma in Optometry and the Qualification in Optics are copyright protected by ECOO and the copying of its content without permission is strictly prohibited.
The ECOO Accreditation Agency is currently preparing for its quality assurance review by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). ENQA is a recognised body that evaluates and endorses quality assurance agencies across Europe, ensuring that they operate in line with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). This process will involve a rigorous external evaluation of ECOO’s governance, procedures, and assessment practices.
Achieving ENQA quality assurance signifies that ECOO’s accreditation activities meet internationally accepted standards of transparency, consistency, and fairness. This recognition is an important milestone, strengthening trust among stakeholders, enhancing the agency’s credibility, and ensuring that its qualifications remain comparable and respected within the European higher education landscape.
Complaints
The Accreditation Agency aims to deliver a fair and transparent accreditation process. However, we recognise that on occasion individuals/organisations may have an issue that they wish to raise in a formal way. In these circumstances you can access information on ECOO’s complaints process here.
Contact
For any questions on the work of the Accreditation Agency, please contact our Accreditation Officer, Michele Cornely: accreditation@ecoo.info