This document summarizes the changes between the 2005 and 2015 versions of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ESG). The 2015 version aims to increase clarity and applicability, strengthen links to other European frameworks, and focus more on student learning experiences and institutional responsibility for quality assurance. Key changes include additional standards addressing qualifications frameworks, recognition principles, and periodic program reviews. The document also discusses how the revised ESG supports automatic recognition across Europe by fostering mutual trust and highlights opportunities to learn more about implementing the ESG through upcoming workshops.

1. European Quality Assurance
Register for Higher Education
ESG 2015 – what's new for
trust and recognition?
Regional Seminar on Quality Assured Automatic Recognition
Zagreb, 21 January 2016
Colin Tück

2. ESG 2005 → 2015
 Starting points for revision:
 “improve their clarity, applicability and usefulness,
including their scope”
 Keep strength, overcome weaknesses
 Adapt to new developments
 The 2015 version of the ESG
 More firmly embedded in “EHEA infrastructure” (e.g. links
to QF, LRC, ECTS, etc.)
 More common ground in QA across Europe
➔ EHEA grew closer together (at least in QA)

3. QA & ESG 2015: what does
it mean for recognition?
 More awareness for link QA ↔ recognition due to
goal of automatic recognition
 ESG purposes: “support mutual trust, thus
facilitating recognition and mobility within and
across national borders”
 Focus on institutional responsibility
 S&G for internal quality assurance (Part 1)
 Quality of the student learning experience
 Design and review of programmes and qualifications

4. ESG 2005 – Part 1 ESG 2015 – Part 1
1.1 Policy and procedures for quality
assurance
1.1 Policy for quality assurance
1.2 Approval, monitoring and periodic
review of programmes and awards
1.2 Design and approval of programmes
1.3 Assessment of students 1.3 Student-centred learning, teaching
and assessment
1.4 Quality assurance of teaching staff 1.4 Student admission, progression,
recognition and certification
1.5 Learning resources and student
support
1.5 Teaching staff
1.6 Information systems 1.6 Learning resources and student
support
1.7 Public information 1.7 Information management
1.8 Public information
1.9 On-going monitoring and periodic
review of programmes
(table by Achim Hopbach)

5. ESG 2005 – Part 2 ESG 2015 – Part 2
2.1 Use of internal quality assurance
procedures
2.1 Consideration of internal quality
assurance
2.2 Development of external quality
assurance processes
2.2 Designing methodologies fit for
purpose
2.3 Criteria for decisions 2.3 Implementing processes
2.4 Processes fit for purpose 2.4 Peer-review experts
2.5 Reporting 2.5 Criteria for outcomes
2.6 Follow-up procedures 2.6 Reporting
2.7 Periodic reviews 2.7 Complaints and appeals
2.8 System-wide analyses
(table by Achim Hopbach)

6. QA & ESG 2015: link to
qualifications & recognition
 ESG 1.2 (standard):
qualification [...] should [...] refer to the correct level of the national
qualifications framework for higher education and, consequently, to the
Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area.
 ESG 1.4 (guideline):
institutional practice for recognition being in line with the principles of the
Lisbon Recognition Convention
 ESG 1.9 (standard):
periodically review their programmes to ensure that they achieve the
objectives set for them and respond to the needs of students and society
 ESG 2.1 (standard):
address the effectiveness of the internal quality assurance processes
described in Part 1 of the ESG.

7. QA & ESG 2015: the
European level
 EQAR: Register of compliant QA agencies
 External review of agencies every 5 years
 Increasing focus on monitoring during cycle
 Substantive Change Reports
 Annual Updates
 Complaints Policy
 Cross-border external QA, European Approach
for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes
 Increasing reliance on ESG as common ground
 Possible impact on recognition based on ESG?

8. Join us to:
 Learn more about the ESG directly from their authors
 Benefit from exchanges with peers on good practices
 Overcome challenges in translating the ESG into practice
In the spring of 2016, 5 events:
 Webinars on 17 February 2016 & 13 April 2016
 Workshop in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 14-15 March 2016
 Workshop in Vienna, Austria on 9-10 May 2016
 Workshop in Lisbon, Portugal on 6-7 June 2016
Registrations is open now, participation is free of charge
(participants arrange their own travel/accommodation)
More soon at www.equip-project.eu