Transcript Australian Universities Quality Agency Workshop Outline 1. Welcome, outline of the day and presentations 2.

Australian Universities Quality Agency
Workshop Outline
1. Welcome, outline of the day and presentations
2. Exploration of definitions of internal QA seen
through audit
3. Discussion of:
• Links between internal and external QA
• Scope of internal QA
• Effective internal QA
• Involvement of internal stakeholders
4. Wrap up WS1
5. The two groups to meet in plenary at 11.00am
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g 2e n c y
Definitions of internal QA
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Audit:
Audit, in the context of quality in
higher education, is a process for
checking that procedures are in
place to assure quality, integrity or
standards of provision and
outcomes.
(Professor Lee Harvey, International Analytical Glossary, www.inqaahe.org
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Internal QA definitions seen
through audit
1. Swedish National Agency for Higher
Education:
Assessment of processes that underpin
quality work at the institutions of HE and
the extent to which this lead to results in
the form of higher quality.
(Swedish agency website)
2. OAQ:
audits … focus on the quality assurance
systems operated by the universities.
(OAQ website)
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g 5e n c y
Internal QA definitions seen
through audit
QAA:
Institutional audits check that effective
arrangements are in place to maintain
appropriate academic standards and
enhance the quality of postgraduate
research programmes
(Institutional Audit Handbook 2006)
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g 6e n c y
Internal QA definitions seen
through audit
AUQA:
•
Quality audit’ is defined as ‘a systematic and
independent examination to determine
whether activities and related results comply
with planned arrangements and whether these
arrangements are implemented effectively and
are suitable to achieve objectives’ (AUQA Audit Manual)
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g 7e n c y
Summary
Systems/processes/activities/arrangements
Links to results
Maintenance of standards
Enhancement of quality
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Organisation of internal
QA and links to external
QA
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Self review models
There is no single model for self-review.
Indeed the first decision might be whether
an organisation interprets self-review as a
process or an event. Self-review might be
an on-going process that leads to a report
to the governing body for confirmation or
re-direction; it might be a long event that
leads to major change; it might be a brief
event that provides a snapshot for
comparison with an earlier snapshot.
(AUQA Audit Manual)
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Self review models cont’d
“..A second dimension for auditees is if the
review is designed principally for the
organisation’s internal needs, or primarily in
preparation for an AUQA audit. AUQA
strongly urges institutions to design and
implement quality systems that are best
suited to their own needs.
(AUQA Audit Manual)
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Audit Scope (cont.)
Indicative (not prescriptive) scope includes:
1. Organisational Leadership, Planning etc.
2. Teaching & Learning (all modes), Courses etc.
3. Research, Consultancies, Community Service,
and relations with stakeholders
4. Overseas operations
5. Internationalisation
6. Staff and Staff Support
7. Student Support
8. Academic Support
9. Admin Support, Facilities, Resources etc.
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Expectations to successful internal QA
1. Strategies, objectives, targets and
benchmarks
2. Plans, polices, processes
3. Data and evidence of outcomes based on
internal reviews/evaluations (=results)
4. Internal and external stakeholder involvement
5. Processes for learning from internal QA
Australian Universities Quality Agency
The HE Quality System
Responsibility
Faculty and students
Faculty and chairs
Deans
President, Provost
Trustees and regents
State coordinating bodies
Accreditation agencies
Activity
Teaching and learning
Depart. quality process
School quality process
Inst. quality process
Inst. quality oversight
External quality oversight
(Bill Massy, Honoring the Trust. Quality
and Cost Containment in HE)
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Group work questions
1. What are the appropriate links between
internal and external QA and how can they
be effectively achieved. What advice about
the links between external and internal QA
is useful for HEIs
2. What is the relevant scope for internal QA?
Advantages/disadvantages of a focused
and/or broad approach
3. Does effective internal QA require a QA
framework
4. Who are the relevant internal stakeholders
and how should their involvement be
organised
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Group work instructions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Choose a group
The groups do not have to be the same size and if
there is not an interest in all questions it does not
matter.
If you have an interest in two questions you can
move around
Choose a rapporteur in each group
Rapporteur to report one topic from the
discussion in WS 1
Rapporteur to report back on full discussion from
11.00 to 12.00 (app 5 minutes)
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Wrap up
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Four ‘checklist’ questions for internal QA
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the goal and approach?
How is it implemented?
What are the results?
What is done to improve
Australian Universities Quality Agency
Dorte Kristoffersen
Audit Director, AUQA
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g19e n c y