Quality Enhancement and Quality Assurance in EU Higher Education – Key Characteristics

Jill MorganAssistant Dean, Learning and Teaching,

Quality Enhancement, School of Arts and Media

Guiding Principles

• Primary Responsibility for quality assurance lies with universities themselves

• Institutional quality management requires a comprehensive all-encompassing approach

• Quality is contextual

Guiding Principles

• The ultimate goal of all quality assurance – both internal and external is to enhance quality thus promoting trust amongst stakeholders

What does the EU evidence show?

• There is an integral link between institutional autonomy and accountability

• The importance of the existence of internal quality processes for international co-operation

• The importance of not only enhancing quality but also of improving transparency

What does the EU evidence show?

• Transparency Tools such as rankings or classifications cannot be used as a means of accountability or as a proxy for quality

• Grassroots co-operation amongst the various stakeholders is a crucial success factor in bringing about sustainable change and improvement

Principles for implementing internal quality processes in teaching and learning

• Promote shared values and attitudes about quality• Be fit for their purposes• Framed in consultation with the university

community• Ensure central data collection and analysis to

measure performance• Ensure appropriate leadership and staffing of

quality units to avoid over-bureaucratisation

Principles for implementing external quality processes in teaching and learning

• Seek a balance between autonomy and accountability by promoting institutional audits or evaluations

• Adopt a fitness for purpose approach• Demonstrate an improvement orientation

Activity

• Draw a Map of internal quality assurance system and external quality system

• How are leaders involved?• How is the university community involved?