LAUSR

The multiple criteria of ranking, rating and accrediting the higher education institutions in India and across the globe have de facto become the lens for viewing the institutions. There is an increasing number of assessment systems used by multiple agencies. With the public policy emphasis on assessing higher education institutions, it is necessary to use a systematic and systemic framework for assessment. For this purpose, this paper proposes an ontological framework for assessment of higher education institutions. The ontology’s dimensions, sub-dimensions, and their constituent elements are derived from higher-education assessment systems that are well known globally and in India. The framework can help higher-education institutions: (a) assess themselves systemically and systematically; (b) highlight the bright, light, blind, and blank spots in their performance; and (c) correct their trajectory to fulfil their vision. Such a framework would assist in identifying the gaps in and pathways to improve their position in assessments.