Complaints
A higher education institution shall have the right to submit a request to the Centre for Quality Assessment of Studies (hereinafter referred to as "the Centre") to replace a member of the expert group formed to carry out the assessment if there are reasonable doubts about the competence, impartiality and ability of the expert to objectively perform the task. This must be accompanied by arguments and evidence, for example, that the expert has not declared a conflict of interest on grounds of kinship, has publicly expressed a negative opinion about the institution being evaluated, has had a conflict in employment relations, has been involved in the activities of the institution being evaluated, etc.
The requests shall be examined by a panel set up by the Centre, which shall make an appropriate proposal to the Director of the Centre to remove a member of the panel and replace him/her with another expert, to remove the expert from part of the assignment, or to reject the higher education institution's request. The higher education institution shall be informed in writing of the outcome of the examination of the complaint within 20 working days at the latest.
Feedback shall be gathered from the HEIs on the work of the expert panel and the work of the Centre's evaluation coordinator and on the organisation of the whole evaluation process. A HEI may lodge a complaint about the inadequate quality of the Centre's work or suggestions for improving the quality of the work, each of which will be analysed and, where warranted, appropriate measures will be taken.
Appeals
Within 15 working days from the receipt of the Centre's decision on the external evaluation of a higher education institution, a higher education institution shall have the right to submit a reasoned appeal to the Appeals Commission of the Centre for Quality Assessment of Studies (hereinafter referred to as the Appeals Commission).
The Appeals Commission shall not carry out the evaluation procedures of the higher education institution when examining the appeal, but shall examine the validity of the appeal and the procedural irregularities of the evaluation process.
The procedures for the examination of the appeal, the organisation of the work of the Appeals Commission and the decisions to be taken by it shall be laid down in the Regulations of the Appeals Commission approved by the Director of the Centre.
The Appeals Commission may decide not to uphold the appeal, to uphold the appeal in whole or in part, and to oblige the Centre to do one of the following: to return the evaluation report to the Study Evaluation Comittee for consideration, to return the evaluation report to the panel of experts for correction, or to re-conduct the external evaluation.
The Appeals Commission shall examine the higher education institution's appeal no later than 45 working days from the date of receipt of the appeal.
Decisions of the Centre and the Appeals Commission may be appealed against in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Law on Administrative Proceedings of the Republic of Lithuania.
