Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) achieved a grant of Foster Care Program for Superior Higher Education and Department by Directorate General of Belmawa of Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti). The program aims at encouraging ‘A’-accredited higher education institution to help quality assurance of higher education accredited ‘C’. In the program, UMY fosters five Muhammadiyah institutions in various areas of Indonesia.

“UMY is accredited ‘A’ and considered as a superior university by Kemenristekdikti. To perform the program, UMY applied Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI),” told Drs. Mujiyana, S.H., M.Si. as Head of Internal Quality Assurance of UMY in an interview after a discussion of Enhancing the Implementation of Quality Assurance System at meeting hall of A.R. Fachruddin A of UMY on Wednesday (12/7).

The program was conducted from Tuesday (11/7) to Friday (14/7), while the five institutions were Universitas Muhammadiyah Luwuk, Universitas Muhammadiyah Tasikmalaya, STISIP Muhammadiyah Sinjai, STIP Muhammadiyah Sinjai and IAIM Sinjai.

Mujiyana told that several aspects impede higher education to gain better accreditation. “The great number of C-accredited Muhammadiyah higher education institutions show irregularities of the quality assurance. They do not possess documentation, planning, and procedures of the quality assurance. Hence, we attempt to ameliorate the system,” she declared.

In the implementation of SPMI, there were several programs to enhance the quality. “one of the programs is procurement of a quality assurance unit in a university, faculty, and department level. Another program is documenting policies, manuals, and forms of quality standards. Then, the university can implement quality standards which should be monitored as an audit practice from the quality assurance,” emphasized Mujiyana.

Besides, the participants also looked at the implementation of SPMI at UMY in a department level that Department of Pharmacy and Department of English Education became the models since BPM of UMY considered that the accreditation achievement of both departments was great.

Mujiyana expected that the program facilitated by UMY could enhance the quality assurance in their institution. “The better the quality assurance, the better the accreditation,” she maintained.