How to Cope With the European Standards and

Guidelines at the Institutional Level and How to

Benefit from the Standards

Henrik Toft JensenRoskilde University24 February 2011

EUA activities in QA (in short)Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP)Workshops and other events on management etc.Projects e.g.: Quality Culture, 2002-2006 Creativity project, 2006-2007 Quality Assurance for the Higher Education Change Agenda

(QAHECA), 2008-2009 Examining Quality Culture in Higher Education Institutions

(EQC), 2009-2011

European Quality Assurance ForumCo-operation with ENQA, ESU and EURASHE (E4 group)

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European Level Developments in QA

The Berlin Communiqué in 2003 marked a major turning point by stating that “consistent with the principle of institutional autonomy, the

primary responsibility for quality assurance in higher education lies with each institution itself” and

Defined key characteristics of national QA systems

European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) adopted in 2005European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) established in 2008

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IEP coordinated evaluation in Slovakia 2005-2006

Strategic challenge identified:“As part of the Bologna reforms and for the benefit of its own overall improvement, the Slovak higher education system, like others in Europe, is facing the challenge of introducing a more trust-based and more systematic approach to quality assurance within higher education institutions and of moving away from methodologies of external control of minimal standards toward internal improvement-oriented processes of quality enhancement. These processes require some resources, however, to address the need for improvement wherever it is identified. Undoubtedly, such a change will be vital for building self reinforcing quality culture at Slovak higher education institutions.”

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IEP coordinated evaluation in Slovakia 2005-2006

Strategic challenge identified:“Having committed itself to following the European Standards and Guidelines, the Slovak quality evaluation system will have to address the challenge of shifting the focus from a central quality control system to a university-based quality development system and of establishing a more coherent quality culture in higher education institutions while reducing the control mechanisms that currently dominate the system.”

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IEP coordinated evaluation in Slovakia 2005-2006

Observations related to internal QA: increasing awareness of the importance of internal quality

culture quality monitoring was still largely seen as monitoring of

data according to standards introduced by the Accreditation Commission rather than being set by the HEIs themselves.

at most institutions, students complain that there is no feed-back to their evaluation in questionnaires

some institutions or individual faculties within institutions encourage improvements in research performance through

performance-based resource allocation quality development measures for existing staff are also in

need of improvement…6…

Examining Quality Culture: presentation (1)

An on-going project led by EUAProject partners German Rectors’ Conference and QAA ScotlandThe project period Oct 2009 – Oct 2011Co-funded by EC’s LLL programme

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Examining Quality Culture: presentation (2)

Aims to Identify internal quality assurance processes in place in HEIs,

particular interest to how the institutions have implemented the part of the ESGs part I.

Discuss the dynamics between the development of institutional quality culture and quality assurance processes.

Identify and present good practices in a final report in order to disseminate them.

Two phases of implementation Survey to map internal QA processes Interviews for more in-depth discussion

-> The following data is based on the survey

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Results:Strategies and QA structures

90% have institutional strategic document or equivalent document 2/3 have a separate institutional QA policy statement 1/4 have its quality statement included in the strategic plan

Large variety of organisational structures, no typical solutionQA system in teaching and learning, in particular: 2/3 institution-specific but follows national QA frameworks and

guidelines 1/4 tailor-made to the institution's needs and does not apply

any ready-made model whereas less than 10 % mentioned that it applies a ready-

made model such as ISO, EFQM, and CAF…9…

Result: Introducing QA system or equivalent

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Results: Coverage

Activities covered by quality assurance processes: Teaching and learning nearly 100% Research 80 % Service to society 50 % Student support services 75 % Governance and administration of the institution 66 %

Tendency not to recognise all QA related processes within a HEI as quality assurance processes (may be a quality culture)

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Results: Responsabilities and stakeholders’ involvement

In 66% the senior leadership takes the lead in the processIn those cases 33% where the leadership was not leading the process, it still somehow follows-up the process.Half of the respondents have no committee responsible for quality assuranceCurriculum design often responsibility of a working group or committee When such committee exist, they involve students in

50% of cases

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Results: The feedback loop70% of respondents use student surveys as one of the means to monitor students’ perceptions of the teaching they receive. Among them: 90% take the results into account in the assessment of

teaching staff. 60% of the respondents state that students who

participated in a survey are informed about the outcomes and the resulting actions taken

5% make the information on teachers’ aptitudes and performance publicly available.

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Results: Information systems95 % have a centralised information system in place Student progression and success rates: 90% Teacher-student ratio per faculty/department/institute or

in the respective faculty/department/institute: 65% Tracking graduates' employment: 40% Students' satisfaction with their programmes: 50% Profile of the student population (e.g., age, gender,

education background, socio-cultural background...): 80%  Available learning resources and, when applicable, their

costs: 45% Other (such as the institution's own performance

indicators): 10%

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Results: Teaching and LearningThe curriculum typically designed by a committee or a working group. A variety of processes for monitoring it exist. More than 90% of HEIs have developed learning outcomes, but they do not all make them publicly available. 40% measure the student workload needed to reach the described learning outcomes through student surveys.Student assessment methods and criteria are usually made transparent to students.HEIs offer learning resources, but they do not all systematically monitor or evaluate them.

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Further reflectionTrends, key perceptions QA systems are largely in place developing a quality culture takes time and effort Participation of all stakeholders still demands attention HEIs seem to have more information available on the

input and on what is offered, than on the output Promoting a better and more efficient use of it may

better contribute to strategic planning and foster continuous improvement.

Thus, institutions have been responding to the increased demand for quality although, it is still work in progress

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European standarts HEI need to have policy and procedures for Quality AssuranceHEI need to have formal mechanisms for approval, monitoring and periodic review of programmes and awards.Students should be assessed using published criteria, regulations and proceduresHEI should have ways of satisfying themselves that the teaching staff is qualified and competentHEI should ensure that the resources available for the support of the student are adequate and appropriateHEI should collect ,analyse and use relevant information for the management of their programmes and other activitiesHEI should up to date information about their programes

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European standartsUse of internal quality assurance and proceduresDevelopment of external quality assurance processesAnny formal decision made as a result of an external quality assurance activity should be based on explicit published criteriaAll external quality assurance processes should be designs to ensure their fitness for purposeEvaluation reports be published and written in a style which is clear for the leadershipFollow up procedures should be in placeQuality assurance procedures should be used in a cyclical basisBenchmarking activities with other institutions should be carried on also at a cyclical basis

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How make most out of the ESGs?When developing processes the starting point should be the institutional mission and profileAdopt an all-encompassing approach to QA adapted to your institution’s needsEnsure the link between strategic management and QA processesAdopt quality enhancement approach to QAThe goal should be an institutional quality culture supported by the QA processes, not the processes themselves (as emphasised in the ESGs)Use the ESGs as a set of generic principles guiding the work, not merely as a checklist

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Further information

www.eua.be

Thank you for your attention

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