Transcript Slide 1
Strengthening Higher Education Reforms in Serbia An EU-funded project managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction and implemented by the Council of Europe 1st Quality Assurance Workshop Belgrade, 19-20 Nov 2007 Case Study: Quality Assurance in Ireland Higher Education in Ireland • 7 universities • 14 institutes of technology • 12 colleges of education and other specialised institutions • A number of private colleges Irish HE and Training system Irish Qualifications • National Framework of Qualifications since 2003 • All education qualifications should be included • Universities award their own qualifications and are responsible for these • Institute of Technology qualifications are awarded under authority of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council Quality Assurance • Qualifications Act (1999) requires that quality assurance procedures must be in place for all awards on the NFQ • Main players: – Universities – Higher Education and Training Awards Council – National Qualifications Authority of Ireland – Higher Education Authority QA and Universities (I) Universities Act 1997 requires each university to: • Establish internal QA procedures to improve the quality of education and related services • Evaluate the quality of all academic and other units at least once every ten years • Review the effectiveness of internal QA procedures on a periodic basis • Publish the results of each evaluation QA and Universities (II) • Irish Universities Association has a standing Quality Committee, composed of Vice-Presidents Academic and Quality Officers of each university • Meets 4 x year • Mainly concerned with improving internal quality and promoting a quality culture QA and Universities (III) Internal quality structures: • University Quality Committee (subcommittee of Governing Authority or Academic Council) • Quality Office (under V-P Academic) with small staff • Close links to strategic planning, information systems, etc QA and Universities (IV) Main focus of activities: Internal Quality • Regular evaluations of all academic and service units (every 5 years) • Based on self-evaluation by each unit • External panels • Agreed improvement plans • Publication of outcomes • Ongoing monitoring QA and Universities (V) • Framework for Quality in Irish Universities 2nd edition, 2007 • Common internal QA procedures, based on lessons learned 2003-2007 Irish Universities Quality Board (I) Universities created IUQB in 2002: • to monitor the effectiveness of universities’ QA • to advise on national and international developments • to identify best practice in academic and administrative procedures Universities delegated authority to organise external reviews to IUQB IUQB (II) IUQB Board composed of: • 7 nominees of IUA (current or former university leaders) • 10 external members (different stakeholders, incl. students; European and American HE leaders) IUQB activities: • External evaluations • Projects – developing good practice IUQB (III) • Examples of “good practice” projects – – – – – – – Organisation of PhD programmes Student Support Services Quality Improvement in Teaching and Learning Strategic Planning in Academic Departments Institutional Research Academic Workloads Student Evaluation and Feedback Mechanisms in Quality Assurance EUA review of QA • • • • • • IUQB and HEA invited EUA 2004-05 External review of QA All 7 universities Sectoral report Published by IUQB HETAC (I) • Created in 2001 under Qualifications Act • Main tasks: – Validation of programmes – Setting and monitoring standards • In 2003, adopted generic award-type NFQ descriptors, as Interim Standards for the development of programmes • In 2005, adopted award standards in five fields: – Art and Design, Business, Computing, Engineering and Science Ireland and Europe • Extensive use of European experts in Irish QA evaluations • Universities and other HEIs using European Standards and Guidelines • HETAC 1st QA agency evaluated under the ESG • IUQB currently undergoing a similar evaluation • Irish QA practitioners active in European networks Useful websites • • • • www.iuqb.ie www.hetac.ie www.nfq.ie www.hea.ie • My email: [email protected]