Quality Assurance in the European HEA

Enrique Lopez-VelosoUniversity of Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Agustin MerinoNational Team of Bologna Experts

University of Santiago de Compostela, Spainagustin.merino@usc.es

The acreditation quality: the tool for the confidence

The recognition of titles and institutions are necessary to allow the mobility of workers

The functions of the accreditation

• 1. It shows that the institution and the study programme reach a certain level of quality• 2. It identifies weakness

and problems, to be improved

IT CAN BE USEFUL TO ADAPT THE TRAINING TO THE DEMAND OF THE SOCIETY

Accreditation agencies

• Government agencies: France, Italy, Spain• Independent agencies: • UK, Netherlands, Belgium• Mixed agencies: • Denmark, Finland• Supraregional agencies:

Germany

1) Standards and Guidelines for internal QA

1. Policy and procedures for quality assurance2. Approval, monitoring and periodic review3. Assessment of students4. Quality assurance of teaching staff5. Learning resources and student support6. Information systems7. Public information

1. Policy and procedures for quality assurance

• All the institutions must develop a strategy linked to the QA on their study programmes.• Students and other

stakeholders should be involved

2. Approval, monitoring and periodic review

• The HEI’s must be develop mechanisms to periodic control and review of their study programmes

3. Assessment of students

• Students should be assessed using published criteria and procedures which are applied consistently

4. Quality assurance of teaching staff

• Institutions should have ways to select the teaching staff• These ways should

be available for external reviews

5. Learning resources and student support• Institutions should encourage that the

resources for the support of student learning.

6. Information systems

• Institutions should ensure the effective management of their study programmes

7. Public information

• Institutions should regularly publish objective information (quantitative and qualitative), about the programmes they are offering

European Standards and Guidelines for QA (2) Three sections that are linked:

Chapter 3:External

QA agencies

Chapter 2:External

QA of HEIs

Chapter 1:Internal

QA by HEIs

reference in standard 3.1 reference in standard 2.1

How does a QA agencia work?

Asessing the Studies and Institutions

Selecting the Teaching Staff

Monitoring the studies accredited

Assessing the Teaching Staff

1. Assesing the Teaching Staff

2. Asessing the Studies and Institutions

• A. ASSESSMENT OF BACHELOR, MASTERS AND DOCTORATES

Bachelors Masters DoctoratesArt and

Humanities 1 7 5

Science 5 7

Health sciences 6 6

Laws 8 22 13

Engineering 4 16 22

Total 13 56 53

Total (5 last yr) 2099 2772 124

ASSESSMENT OF UNIVERSITARY DEGREES OF BACHELOR AND MASTER• 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDIES• 2. JUSTIFICATION• 3. OBJECTIVES• 4. ACCESS AND ADMISSION OF STUDENTS• 5. PLANNIFICATION OF THE STUDIES• 6. ACADEMIC STAFF• 7. FACILITIES AND SERVICES• 8. PREVISIBLE RESULTS• 9. QUALITY ASSURANCE

ASSESSMENT OF DOCTORATES

• 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDIES• 2. COMPETENCES• 3. ACCESS AND ADMISSION OF STUDENTS• 4. COMPLEMENTARY TRAINING ACTIVITIES• 5. ORGANIZATION OF THE PROGRAMME• 6. HUMAN RESOURCES• 7. FACILITIES AND SERVICES• 8. REVIEW OF THE RESULTS OF THE PROGRAMME

QA working group: Expected Outcomes

• 1. To compare and analyse the two accreditations procedures of the study programmes• 2. To assess the degrees

of bachelor, master and doctorate and propose improvements

…..AND NOW WE CAN DESIGN THE STUDY PROGRAMME

Quality assurance in the Bologna Process

1999Bologna

2001Prague

2003Berlin

2005Bergen

2007London

Co-operation in quality assurance “with a view to developing comparable criteria and methodologies“

Primary responsibility of HEIs for quality; “agreed set of standards, procedures and guidelines”

European Standards and Guidelines

European Register

Collaboration of HEIs and QA agencies “in establishing a common framework of reference”

E4 Group

2) Standards and Guidelines for external quality assurance

• Use of internal quality assurance procedures (1)• Development of external QA processes• Criteria for decisions• Processes fit for purpose• Reporting• Follow-up procedures• Periodic reviews• System-wide analyses

2. Asessing the Studies and Institutions• B. PROGRAMME MONITOR: Monitoring the studied acredited

Bachelor Master

Art and Humanities 58 42

Science 39 28

Health sciences 48 57

Laws 122 117

Engineering 112 55

Total (5 last yr) 379 299

3) Standards and Guidelines for external QA agencies

• Use of external quality assurance procedures (2)• Official status• Activities• Resources• Mission statement• Independence• External quality assurance criteria and processes• Accountability procedures

Elements of an internal quality assurance system• Student questionnaires

• Courses• Entire programmes• Also: alumni, teaching staff

• Approval and review of programmes• Internal evaluation of study programmes• Review team involving staff and students• Possible external element• Improvement measures and follow-up

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THECOUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THECOMMITTEE OF THE REGIONSReport on Progress in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

From Bologna to EHEA

European Standards and Guidelines for QA• Adopted by Bologna ministers in 2005• Purposes:• Development of European standards for internal and external quality

assurance• Developement of external quality agencies, which are submit to

reviews

• Rationale:• Agreed standards and guidelines, but no procedures• Common principles that cover the diversity• Underlining the responsibility of HEIs for quality improvement