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European Quality AssuranceRegister for Higher Education
The European Framework forQuality Assurance in Higher Education
Quality Seminar at South East European UniversityTetovo/a, 3 June 2016
Colin Tück
EHEA framework forquality assurance
European Standards andGuidelines (ESG) Modernised and improved 2015
version Common ground for QA in
Europe
European Quality AssuranceRegister (EQAR) Agencies that comply
substantially with the ESG – athome and abroad
Processes for substantivechanges and complaints
42 registered QAAs
Governmental memberswithout registered agency
Standards and Guidelines forQA in the EHEA (ESG)
Common standards for internal and external QA Developed jointly by the main stakeholders Agreed by ministers in 2005, revised in 2015
Purposes: Set a common framework for quality assurance
systems at European, national and institutional level; Enable the assurance and improvement of quality; Support mutual trust, thus facilitating recognition and
mobility within and across national borders; Provide information on quality assurance in the EHEA.
European Quality Assurance Registerfor Higher Education (EQAR)
Established by E4 at Ministers'request, jointly governed bystakeholders and governments
Non-profit and independent, acting inthe public interest
Mission: enhancing trust andconfidence in EHEA
Main role: to manage a register ofQAAs that comply substantially withthe ESG
Stakeholderorganisations
Governments
Observers
Register CommitteeIndependent QA experts,
nominated by stakeholders
approves
EQAR in practice
Registration based on external review of agency
Annual updates on reviews and countries
Substantive change reports
Third-party complaints
Periodic renewal every 5 years
ESG – principles for QA
Higher education institutions have primaryresponsibility for quality
Responds to the diversity of systems, institutions,programmes and students
Support the development of a quality culture; Take into account the needs and expectations of
students, all other stakeholders and society Transparency and publication of results Independence of external QA agencies
ESG – internal QA
Institutional policy for QA – see ESG 1.1 Managing quality of study programmes
Design and approval – see ESG 1.2Objectives and learning outcomes in line with qualificationsframework (NQF & QF-EHEA)
Student-centred teaching, learning, assessment – 1.3 Admission, progression, recognition – 1.4 Ongoing monitoring – 1.9
Staff, resources, student support – 1.5 & 1.6 Information management & public information – 1.7 & 1.8
ESG – external QA
Carried out by groups of external experts Required: academic(s), student(s) – see ESG 2.4 Guidelines: international expert(s), employers/practitioners
Four-stage model – see ESG 2.3: Self-evaluation or self-assessment External assessment, including site visit Public report and (if accreditation/audit) decision Follow-up procedure
At institutional or programme level, or both Periodic review – see ESG 2.7
ESG – role of stakeholders
“HE aims to fulfil multiple purposes [...] Therefore, stakeholders, who mayprioritise different purposes, can view quality in higher education differentlyand quality assurance needs to take into account these different perspectives.”
Internal QA Role in defining and implementing QA policy (1.1) Needs of students and society (1.9)
External QA Agency governance (3.1) Peer-review involving different perspectives (2.4)
Independence of QA agencies (3.3) From institutions, governments, organisations, … Consultation of stakeholder organisations, but decisions by
experts, from different backgrounds, acting in individual capacity
Current EHEA Priorities
Enhancing the quality and relevance of learningand teaching
Fostering the employability of graduates Making our systems more inclusive Implementing agreed structural reforms
(Yerevan Ministerial Communiqué 2015)
New in QA after Yerevan
1. ESG 2015 adopted2. Cross-border external quality assurance
“enable our higher education institutions to use a suitableEQAR registered agency for their external quality assuranceprocess [...]”
3. European Approach for QA of Joint Programmes4. Automatic recognition
“By 2020 we are determined to achieve an EHEA […] whereautomatic recognition of qualifications has become a reality sothat students and graduates can move easily throughout it”
1. ESG 2015 – what'snew?
Scope clarified: ESG applicable also to non-traditional HE, new modes of delivery, etc.
Better integrated in overall EHEA framework Underline institutional responsibility for quality Stronger focus on whole student experience Take account of changed context Many standards clarified, more explicit
➔ Reflecting EHEA's progress over last 10 years
2. Quality assurancecrossing borders
9
41
1
2
4
36
12
11
6 1 1 1
1
4
63
36 26
15 16 82 6 3 17 3 7 2
26
1
5 110 81 11119 6 136 67
71 112 97 702 271 55 278 739 1097
Total Home Inst CBEQA Prog CBEQA
2. Cross-border QA
Opportunities Challenges
HigherEducationInstitutions
● International visibility● Valuable feedback● Increased commitment● Different approaches● Suit their own mission
● Identify suitable agency● Workload and costs● Unknown expectations● Language
QualityAssuranceAgencies
● International profile● Experience relevant for
work at home● Diversification
● Unfamiliar context● Adapting standards● Language
2. But: national legalframeworks lag behind
Despite the robustEuropean framework inplace … Cross-border
accreditation/ evaluationnot fully recognised
In addition/parallel toobligatory nationalexternal QA
Duplication of efforts forinstitutions Recognising EQAR-registered agencies as part of the national
requirements for external QA
Recognising foreign agencies with own/specific framework
Discussions ongoing
Countries not recognising external QA by foreign agency
3. European Approach forQA of Joint Programmes
Before After
Multiple, fragmented reviews Single review
Combining various national rulesand criteria
Agreed Standards, based on ESG &QF-EHEA
Complex procedures, ad hocdesign
Agreed Procedure
Adopted by ministers in Yerevan to lift obstacles to theQA of joint programmes
4. Automatic recognition
Part of the ministers' vision for the EHEA 2020 Important topic for quality assurance:
Need for QA and qualifications framework to workhand-in-hand to make AR work See also ESG standard 1.2
Need to analyse recognition practices in QA See ESG standard 1.4
Brings new expectations for Bologna tools
A vision for QA, Trust andAutomatic Recognition
QA NQF A
QF- EHEA
NQF B
ESG & EQAR self-certification
Qualification in country A
Level in country Bmap & recognise
