External Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes

A European perspective of an agency

Ronny Heintze, Commissioner for International Affairs

IQA workshop „Quality in Higher Education“

29 May 2015

YÖDAK, TRNC

29.05.2015

Perspective of an Agency...

AQAS is a German QA Agency working in all academic fields

is member of ENQA,INQAAHE, ECA and registered in EQAR

was founded in 2002 by German HEIs (independent, non profit)

has accredited 5000 study programmes (18.05.2015)

AQAS provides …

accreditation procedures for programmes,

accreditation procedures for of QA-systems (institutional approach),

evaluations,

consulting in the field of QA.

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Joint Programmes

External QA of Joint Programmes

The European Approach

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Joint Programmes

There is no agreed definition of Joint Programme

EUA gives some indicators to define Joint Programmes

• Developed or recognized by multiple institutions

• Students study at multiple universities (not necessarily all)

• Study times at a different institution are a substantial part of programme

• Automatic recognition of credits/exams from other institutions

• Joint development of curriculum and cooperation in admission and exams

Usually Joint Degree or Double Degree

Diversity

No best practice but lots of good practice

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Why Joint Programmes?

Students get an attractive qualification;

High reputation if successful;

Visibility of programmes in public;

Creativity and new approaches concerning study and learning;

Door opener for internationalization at many HEI.

Joint Programmes

External QA of Joint Programmes

The European Approach

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European Diversity in EQA

• Europe has a big diversity of HE sytems

• External Quality assurance reflects this diversity

• European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) are a common

determinator, however:

• External Quality Assurance reflects national specifications and

is based on national structures

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EQA for Joint Programmes

• Different national HE systems lead to different EQA criteria

• National EQA perspective on programmes:

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Country A Country B Country C

Country P Country S

EQA for Joint Programmes

• How a Joint Programme looks for national EQA:

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Coutry A

Country B

Country C

Country P

Country S

What is this?

EQA response in the past

• Based on the ESG cooperation between different agencies

• Individually agreed standards between agencies reflecting

different national criteria

• Some procedures only addressing the national components

• Joint Programmes remained a challenge for accreditors

• Challenge for the programmes:

• different national requirements & criteria

• contradictory requirements -> unsolvable conflicts

• different accreditation periods (3-7 years)

• discussions in ECA, ENQA, EUA, EQAR, and ESU

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EQA response in the past II

• ECA started different projects „Team II“, “E-Train”

• JOQAR project (2010-2013)

• Cooperation between Agencies

• European core criteria and additional national components

• Joint accreditation application of all partners

• Joint panel, joint site visit, joint report

• Multiple, potentially different national

decisions of national agencies

• 4 European pilot procedures

• Based on best intentions of actors

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Joint Programmes

External QA of Joint Programmes

The European Approach

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A new approach

• In May 2015 the EHEA Ministers adopted the European

Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes

• The approach was drafted by the Bologna Follow Up Group, is

based on ESG, and uses the experiences from the JOQAR

project of ECA

• JOINT set of criteria (no national components)

• JOINT panel of experts

• JOINT report

• SINGLE outcome (decision)

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What’s ahead...

The European Approach tries to address the challenges that were visible in the past and also considers challenges experienced in JOQAR

„Real“ Joint Programmes can now chose to be reviewed by any EQAR registered agency

There is no experience yet with the reality of the SINGLE outcome

Some national regulations will have to be adjusted to implement the European Approach

Work in progress….

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Finally...

Often JP are pioneers for internationalization and you can‘t find a path if you don‘t dare to go wrong -> EQA has to allow this flexibility

Diversity of HE-systems is a strength of the sector -> EQA has to address it

Europe has to look outside and consider outcomes of EQA outside of Europe (HEI cooperate outside EHEA)-> Cooperation is needed

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THANK YOU

Your contact: Ronny Heintze, Commissioner for International Affairs

AQAS Tel.: +49 (0) 221 / 90 960 32

Hohenstauffenring 30-32 Fax: +49 (0) 221 / 90 960 19

50674 Cologne mobile : +49 (0) 170 / 579 65 37

Germany heintze@aqas.de

www.aqas.de