Indonesia
Malang – Assessors from the Independent Accreditation Agency for Education (LAMDIK) commended Master’s Program in Mathematics Education at UNISMA while also offering recommendations for future improvement. The feedback was delivered during the closing session of the field assessment conducted on October 4–5, 2024.
The field assessment forms an integral part of the reaccreditation process. Master’s Program in Mathematics Education received a visit from the LAMDIK assessment team as a follow-up verification of documents previously submitted through the Study Program Performance Report (LKPS) and the Self-Evaluation Report (LED).
LAMDIK assessors assigned to Universitas Islam Malang were Prof. Yaya S. Kusumah, Ph.D. of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia and Dr. Syukrul Hamdi of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY). Both assessors conducted a comprehensive evaluation across multiple criteria within the Mathematics Education master’s program.
Assessors’ Praise and Recommendations
During the session held at the East Java Study Center Hall, Dr. Syukrul Hamdi expressed strong appreciation for the program’s preparedness.
“In our view, this is an outstanding first accreditation process. We rarely encounter a master’s program this well-prepared during its initial accreditation,” he said.
Despite the positive assessment, Dr. Syukrul also offered several recommendations aimed at strengthening future program development.
“We encourage the study program to deepen its SWOT analysis within the Self-Evaluation Report and reinforce analytical interpretation of survey findings to support continuous quality improvement,” he added.
Similar praise was delivered by Prof. Yaya S. Kusumah, Ph.D., who highlighted the research performance of the program’s academic staff.
“Faculty research performance is highly commendable. All permanent lecturers have secured nationally funded research projects,” he noted.
However, he encouraged the program to expand research funding beyond the national level to provincial, ministerial, and international schemes.
“Funding sources should be expanded to include provincial governments, ministries, and collaborative international partnerships,” he added.
Prof. Yaya also emphasized the importance of strengthening international cooperation, particularly through student mobility programs.
“We recommend establishing partnerships with universities in Malaysia, where administrative procedures are relatively more accessible compared with countries such as Singapore, which require ministerial-level involvement,” he explained.
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Positive Response from Program Leadership
Responding to the assessors’ feedback, Head of the Master’s Program in Mathematics Education, Dr. Surya Sari Faradiba, M.Pd., welcomed the recommendations.
“We continuously strive to optimize our responsibilities in teaching, research, and community service. The accreditation documentation reflects our collective efforts to present the program’s performance comprehensively,” she said.
On the same occasion, Director of the Postgraduate Program at UNISMA, Prof. H. Mas’ud Said, MM., Ph.D., expressed hope for a positive accreditation outcome.
“We expect the best possible results from this accreditation process. It serves as motivation for us to further enhance educational quality at UNISMA,” he stated.
Through this field assessment, the Master’s Program in Mathematics Education at UNISMA aims to further strengthen its academic performance and reinforce its standing as a leading study program at both national and international levels.
