2. At the end of this presentation, particpants will
be able to:
- Define “quality”
- Differentiate quality and quality
assurance
- Identify the elements of quality
assurance in a higher education
institution
- use HERQA’s focus areas and
reference points to assess the
University’s activities
6. Quality is important due to:
• a growing climate of accountability
• an expansion in the size of student
populations
• an increasingly diverse student
population
• diminishing resources with which to
deliver programs of study
7. • greater expectations of students as
paying customers
• more flexible provision at both
undergraduate and postgraduate level
• an increase in collaborative provision
between institutions
Becket and Brookes (2006)
9. Quality assurance is all the processes and sub-
processes of
1. planning quality ,
2. the dev’t of objectives ,
3. setting standards,
4. communicating standards,
5. developing indicators,
6. setting thresholds,
7. collecting data to monitor compliance
with standards. (G. Flaig,2003)
10. Quality Assurance:
• Describes mechanisms to :
I. Control quality,
II. guarantee quality and
III. promote quality
• Is the developmental aspect of
higher education (or any other
endeavor),
11. • is improvement: it follows the process of
accreditation or licensing, through which a
basic measure of quality is established.
• is a range of actions and mechanisms that
support quality in higher education.
12. How does an HEI assure
quality ?(Internal QA)
Through three mechanisms:
1. internal self study or
assessment
2. an external review based on
the self assessment;
3. monitoring and follow up
13. • How does the public assure
quality ?(external QA)
the public assurance of
quality is through an external
QA agency.
15. • Collection , processing and
analysis of relevant information
•Assessment of inputs, processes,
outcomes, against
predetermined objectives ,
standards or criteria
•External review and validation of
assessment
•Immediate changes
planning and
organization of
improvement actions
•Follow up
Public report:
Public report on the outcome of
evaluation
or
Accreditation decision
16. What are the Focus Areas of HERQA
during external QA Processes of
Institutions and programs?
17. 1. Vision, Mission and Educational Goals
2. Governance and Management System
3. Infrastructure and Learning Resources
4. Academic and Support Staff
5. student Admission and Support
Services
6. Program Relevance and Curriculum
7. Teaching, Learning and Assessment
8. Student Progression and Graduate
Outcomes
9. Research and Outreach Activities
10.Internal Quality Assurance
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18. • Clarity of VMG
• Making them known to
stakeholders.
• relevance of VMG
• The realism of the VMG
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19. • The appropriateness of the governance and
organizational structure
• effectiveness of the governance and
organizational structure
• The clarity of descriptions of
responsibilities and duties and the extent of
their communication.
• Academic staff and student participation in
decision-making; clarity and transparency
of the decision making process.
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20. • Sufficiency and adequacy of the
institution’s physical facilities
(classrooms; offices; lecture halls;
cafeteria; dormitories; clinic; sport
fields; etc.).
• Sufficiency and adequacy of the
institution’s learning resources.
• Resource utilization and mechanisms for
maintenance and updating.
• The financial stability of the institution
and the adequacy of its budget to run
and sustain its programs.
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21. • Availability of
• adequate number of qualified academic
staff to support programs and
• an appropriate staff-student ratio for
each program.
• The suitability of the teaching staff in
terms of the mix of qualifications,
• experience, full-time/part-time,
local/expatriate; etc.
• The existence of suitable, clearly
stated, well-established and effectively
implemented policies for the
appointment and promotion of staff.
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22. • The operation of a transparent staff
appraisal system that identifies the
strengths and weaknesses of staff
and which leads to action.
• The provision of pedagogical and
other training organized to support
staff development.
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23. • The clarity, transparency and
accessibility of admissions policies.
• The appropriateness of mechanism for
assessing the abilities of entering
students and the provision of appropriate
support.
• The suitability and adequacy of student
support services and academic
counseling.
• The extent of student representation in
the affairs of the HEI; the effectiveness
of a Students’ Council.
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24. • Descriptions of program approval, monitoring and review
mechanisms.
• The extent of involvement of external professionals and
employers in curriculum design, evaluation and review process.
• The extent to which curricular aims and objectives are made
explicit and are known to students; the appropriateness of
the balance of subject knowledge and transferable skills.
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25. • Practice regarding academic advice and tutorial support.
• The appropriateness, variety and level of innovation of teaching
methods.
• The balance of theory and practice.
• The extent of evaluation of approaches to teaching and learning
and the consequent action.
• The extent to which the assessment policy and procedures and
the criteria for marking ensure that students are graded fairly
and that standards are appropriate and applied consistently.
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26. • The extent of communication of the assessment policy and
procedures.
• The appropriateness of mechanisms to ensure that
assessment methods for each course in each program are
balanced (e.g. between continuous and end of course,
formative and summative, diagnostic and attainment), are
matched to the learning outcomes and are applied
appropriately.
• The adequacy of the student appeal procedures.
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27. • The level of student attrition, the reasons for student drop
out and the actions taken to minimize this.
• The graduation rate, the employment of graduates in
appropriate graduate level posts and the actions taken to
maximize such employment.
• The extent of links between the institution and potential
employers that facilitate graduate employment.
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28. • The extent of contacts with graduates, the existence of an
association of graduates and how these are used.
• The extent of contacts with employers to collect feedback on
graduates and the actions taken on the information.
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29. Every HEI is expected to undertake
research activities, conduct consultancy and
engage in community service.
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30. • The proportion of staff in each faculty and department
actively engaged in appropriate research and consultancy.
• The number and nature of research projects and
consultancies undertaken.
• The number of research reports produced and research
articles published.
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31. • The number and nature of organizations benefiting from
consultancy and community services.
• The number and nature of national and international links
with academics and industrialists.
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