ENQA Seminar: Quality Assurance in the European Context, 3/11/2016, Brussels

1. European Quality Assurance
Register for Higher Education
EQAR – what is is,
how it works, and what it does
ENQA Seminar – Quality Assurance in the European Context
Brussels, 3 November 2016
Colin Tück

2. Contents
1)EQAR mission, objectives and organisation
2)What does it mean in practice for agencies?
3)Overview of EQAR’s Work Plan
4)Cross-border quality assurance

3. Mission & Objectives
A European register of credible
quality assurance agencies,
operating in line with the ESG
 Initial idea part of ESG 2005
 European ministers requested E4
to establish EQAR (2007)
 Founded 2008 by E4
 Governed jointly by European
governments and stakeholder
organisations
 Non-profit and independent,
acting in the public interest
Not directly in EQAR's power
Within EQAR's own remit
Further development of the EHEA
Promote mobility
and recognition
Enhance confidence
in quality of HE
Mutual acceptance
of QA decisions/results
Enhance trust
amongst HEI/QAA
Reduce opportunities
for accreditation mills
Increase transparency
of quality assurance
Provide clear and reliable
info on registered QAAs
Manage a register of QAAs
Coherent quality assurance framework for the EHEA

4. Organisational structure
Stakeholder
organisations
Governments
Observers
Register Committee
Independent QA experts,
nominated by stakeholders
(ENQA, ESU, EUA, EURASHE, EI, BE)
Executive Board
members from E4
Appeals Committee
responsible for appeals
General Assembly
Secretariat
(currently 2.6 FTE)

5. EQAR-registered agencies
and governmental members
 43 registered QAAs
 Governmental
members without
registered agency

6. EQAR in practice
Registration based on external review of agency
Annual updates on reviews and countries
Substantive change reports
Third-party complaints
Periodic renewal every 5 years

7. Application/renewal
process
Expiry of registration or
Comments on
factual accuracy
-2 months
Draft external
review report
-3 months
Site visit
by the Panel
-4 months
Self-evaluation
report
-8 months
Application to EQAR:
Verification of eligibilty
-11 months
Agreement with review
coordinator & draft ToR
- 12 months
Submission of
review documents
0-2 months
Confirmation of eligibility
-10 months
Review coordinator,
e.g. ENQA
EQAR

8. Decision-making
Conclusions for each standard Overall judgement
Review panel
Substantially compliant
Not substantially compliant
either ...
… or
Register Committee decision
Full compliance
Substantial compliance
Partial compliance
Non-compliance
Compliance
(full or substantial)
Partial compliance
Non-compliance
All standards
One or more
One or more → holistic judgement
 Clarification requests to panel chair if needed
 If conclusion differs from panel, explained in public decision

9. Publication

10. Application – important
documents
General
 Policy on Use and Interpretation of the ESG
for the European Register
 To be read in conjunction with the full text of the ESG
 New element: “Reports should at least demonstrate”
 Guide for Applicants and Registered Agencies
https://eqar.eu/register/application-process.html
Your agency
 Eligibility confirmation letter
 For renewals: previous decision, Substantive Change Reports,
Complaints (if any)

11. Annual update

12. Substantive Change
Reports
 Why
 Become aware if agency's current practice differs
substantially from when it was reviewed
 Not intended to discourage change and innovation
 When
 When changes are sufficiently clearly defined
 E.g. when new procedure or manual is launched
 How
 Online reporting form
http://eqar.eu/register/reporting-and-renewal/substantive-change-report.html
 EQAR will normally take note, other action only if there are
serious concerns

13. EQAR Work Plan
2016/17
 Strategic Goal 1: International Trust and Recognition
 Implementation of the ESG 2015
 Developments in Cross-Border QA
 European Approach for QA of Joint Programmes
 Strategic Goal 2: Enhanced Transparency and
Information Provision
 Information on the Work of Registered Agencies
 Database of Quality-Assured Programmes or HEIs
 Extended Publication of Decisions

14. Quality assurance
crossing borders
9
4
1
1
2
4
3
6
1
2
1
1
6 1 1 1
1
4
63
36 26
15 16 8
2 6 3 17 3 7 2
26
1
5 110 81 11
119 6 136 67
71 112 97 702 271 55 278 739 1097
Total Home Inst CBEQA Prog CBEQA

15. CBQA: opportunities &
challenges
Opportunities Challenges
Higher
Education
Institution
s
●
International visibility
●
Valuable feedback
●
Increased commitment
●
Different approaches
●
Suit their own mission
●
Identify suitable agency
●
Workload and costs
●
Unknown expectations
●
Language
Quality
Assurance
Agencies
●
International profile
●
Experience relevant for
work at home
●
Diversification
●
Unfamiliar context
●
Adapting standards
●
Language

16. CBQA: national legal
frameworks lag behind
 Despite the robust
European framework in
place …
 Cross-border
accreditation/ evaluation
not fully recognised
 In addition/parallel to
obligatory national
external QA
 Duplication of efforts for
institutions  Recognising EQAR-registered agencies as part of the national
requirements for external QA
 Recognising foreign agencies with own/specific framework
 Discussions ongoing
 Countries not recognising external QA by foreign agency

17. EQAR – system
information

18. E4/EQAR Key
Considerations for CBQA
 E4 Group and EQAR ad-hoc group, following up recommendation from
RIQAA project (2012)
 Reaffirm ESG as the basis for CB QA
 Key issues that should be taken into consideration by HEIs and QAAs
 A. Engaging in cross-border QA
Rationale, suitable agency, legal framework, internal and external stakeholders
 B. Carrying out cross-border QA
Procedures, preparation, expert selection/training, practical specificities
 C. Addressing the results of cross-border QA
Recognition, complaints, appeals, follow-up

19. Thank you for your attention!
Contact:
colin.tueck@eqar.eu
+32 2 234 39 11
@ColinTueck @EQAR_he