Transcript Short introduction to ECA projects - JOQAR - E

Quality assurance and joint programmes
•Axel Aerden
What are we talking about?
Quality
assurance?
Process establishing stakeholder confidence
that provision is fit for purpose or measures up
to requirements
Formal & independent decision that a
programme (or institution) meets
certain predefined quality standards
Joint
programme?
Accreditation?
A programme offered jointly by different
higher education institutions irrespective
of the degree (joint/multiple) awarded
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AIMS: mutual recognition of accreditation
& quality assurance decisions
RESULTS OF THIS COOPERATION:
• Code of good practice (2004)
• Principles for the selection of experts
(2005)
• Principles for accreditation procedures
regarding joint programmes (2007)
• Bilateral mutual recognition of
accreditation agreements (2007)
• Qrossroads.eu (2008)
• Principles regarding learning outcomes
in accreditation procedures (20010)
• Multilateral agreement regarding joint
programmes (2011)
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Joint programmes?
• 2011 (Institute of International Education & Freie Universität Berlin)
• 84% of universities offer joint programmes;
• 33% of institutions award joint degrees
• all others are developing or planning joint degrees;
• 2012 (Bologna Process Implementation Report)
• all but one EHEA country has implemented legislation
allowing establishment of joint programmes & joint
degrees
• none of HE institutions participate in joint programmes:
• Albania, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Montenegro;
• in addition to countries above, none of HE institutions
participate in awarding joint degrees:
• Cyprus, Finland, Latvia and Moldova;
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Most common external quality assurance
procedures regarding joint programmes
National procedure
• Procedure by:
• Individual agency
• Focus of procedure
• National offer
• Whole joint programme
• Result:
• National (accreditation)
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Most common external quality assurance
procedures regarding joint programmes
Joint procedure
• Procedure by:
• At least 2 agencies
• Focus of procedure
• Whole joint programme
• Result:
• National (accreditation(s))
in countries involved
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Challenges overcome
Multilateral Agreement on the Mutual
Recognition of Accreditation Results
regarding Joint Programmes
Agreement to set up a Coordination
Point for Joint Programmes
Assessment Framework for Joint
Programmes in Single Accreditation
Procedures
ECApedia
AT – DK – FL - FR – NL – PL – ES -CAT
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Single accreditation procedures
regarding joint programmes
Single procedure
• Procedure by:
• One agency
• Focus of procedure
• Whole joint programme
• Result:
• National (accreditations)
in MRA/MULTRA countries
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So many challenges left, and all national (#1)
Too many national standards in
external quality assurance and
accreditation
• Not about quality
• Not suited for international
joint programmes
• Contradict each other
Very long list of examples:
• Master thesis:
“max. 30 ECTS credits” vs. “at least 35% of the total number of credits”;
• The assessment report (expert report) is required to be in the national
language;
• Every programme should be taught by at least 6 doktor habilitowany & 6
PhDs who are all full-time staff of a national institution and have to teach at
least 540 hours in the programme per academic year;
Good practice: assessments of joint programmes can be discharged from
using certain national standards if they contradict others.
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So many challenges left, and all national (#2)
Many national requirements make
cooperation in external quality
assurance difficult/impossible
• Very procedural
• No international perspective
• Unaware of implications
Examples:
• National QA agencies which are not allowed to coordinate an international
procedure / undertake a site visit abroad;
• National QA agencies which cannot accept accreditation requests from a
foreign institution (the coordinator of the joint programme);
• Different periods of accreditation; and some QA agencies cannot accept a
joint programme’s request for accreditation (years) before the current
accreditation status is almost expired;
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
[email protected] - @AAerden
www.ecaconsortium.net - www.qrossroads.eu - www.ecapedia.net
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