Developments and Challenges for Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Developments and Challenges for Quality Assurance in Higher Education Tan Kay Chuan Director, Office of Quality Management National University of Singapore

Contents  Introduction  Quality and Quality Assurance System  Singapore Quality Assurance Framework  Quality Assurance for Higher Education beyond ASEAN  Conclusion

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Quality ď Ž Different views of quality QUALITY Client satisfaction: The view of students and employers

Excellence: The view of academia

Value added: The view of students

Threshold: The view of accreditors Fitness for purpose: The view of external assessors aiming for improvement

Value for money: The view taxpayers and governments 3

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Source: AUN-QA, 2005

Quality Assurance System QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Accreditation

External Quality Assurance: •Benchmarking •Audit assessment Internal Quality Assurance: •Monitoring •Evaluation •Improvement

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Source: AUN-QA, 2005

Quality Assurance System Stakeholder Satisfaction

Mission

Policy Plan

Educational Activities

Management Research

Goals Human Resources Aims

Funding

Community Service

A C H I E V E M E N T S

Quality Assurance and International Benchmarking December 8, 2012

Quality Model for an External Quality Assurance System Source: AUN-QA, 2005

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Initiatives by Singapore  Strategic Objectives

Development of human capital • Ideas (Innovation) and wealth creation • International branding  Features to meet strategic objectives • No compromise on quality of students admitted • Providing diverse educational needs to an enlarged student pool • Healthy competition among institutions • A robust and resilient university sector •

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Initiatives by Singapore  Corporatisation of universities • • • • • •

Greater autonomy to universities Empowerment of Deans, Department Heads, and Faculty Members Alignment with national strategic objectives Universities to actively seek sources of funding Promote research excellence (e.g., G-10-10) Practice of blind, merit-based admission policy

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Initiatives by Singapore  Opening of new universities

Build Singapore as a key regional education hub • Growth of publicly funded universities and private universities e.g. Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Institute of Technology, INSEAD, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, DigiPen Institute of Technology, EDHEC Risk Institute, etc.  Transforming polytechnics in Singapore • Partner with renowned overseas institutions • Offer selective degree programs •

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Quality Assurance Framework for Universities (QAFU) – Publicly Funded Universities ď Ž Three-step approach to quality assurance

Institutional Self-Assessment

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External Challenges and Validation

Feedback and Development

Source: QAFU Final Report, 2001

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Quality Assurance Framework for Universities (QAFU) – Publicly Funded Universities  Critical Success Factors • • •

•

Balancing accountability with improvement Incentivising institutions and staff Ensuring mission-driven, not standardized ownership of processes and outcomes by universities Enhancing professionalism and competitiveness of institutions

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Quality Assurance Framework for Universities (QAFU) – Publicly Funded Universities ď Ž The Virtuous Quality Spiral

Leadership, strategies & policies that direct the university

Resources & tactics that turn intentions into action

1.What are we trying to do?

4.What are we learning?

Feedback & Learning

2.How are we trying to achieve this?

3.How are we assessing our success?

Indicators & measures that signal and quantify success 11

Source: QAFU Final Report, 2001

Quality Assurance Framework for Universities (QAFU) – Publicly Funded Universities  Major Areas •

Governance

•

Management

•

Teaching

•

Research

•

Service

Enablers

Results

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Quality Assurance and Audit Requirements

Management Commitment and Responsibilities

Corporate Governance and Administration

Student Protection

P

D

A

C

Student Welfare and Support Services

Academic Processes and Assessment of Students

Improve Industry Standard and Increase Students Satisfaction

EduTrust Framework – Private Education Institutions (PEIs)

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Source: Council for Private Education

EduTrust Framework – Private Education Institutions (PEIs)  The scheme consists of 6 sets of basic criteria where PEIs are scored accordingly: •

Management Commitment and Responsibilities

•

Corporate Governance and Administration

•

Student Protection

•

Student Welfare and Support Services

•

Academic Processes and Assessment of Students

•

Quality Assurance and Audit Requirements

 Maximum scores attainable : 1000 points Source: Council for Private Education

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Quality Assurance for Higher Education Beyond ASEAN  Europe  Australia  Japan  Hong Kong  United States  Canada  Israel 15

Europe – Bologna Process 1999 Bologna Declaration • Encourage Co-operation • To develop comparable criteria and methods

• Collaborate with ENQA in establishing QA framework

2009 Leuven/Louvain-laNeuve Meeting • Acknowledge HE QA importance • EQAR approved

2001 Prague Meeting

2007 London Meeting • Setting up European Register for Quality Assurance Agencies (EQAR)

2003 Berlin Meeting •QA as an intermediate priority

2005 Bergen Meeting • Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area

2010 Budapest and Vienna Meeting • “European higher education area” was officially launched • Further implementation of European Standards and Guidelines

16 • •

T. Karkoszka, 2009, Quality assurance in the european higher education area, Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, 37 (2), 759 – 766 ENQA and the Bologna process ： http://www.enqa.eu/bologna_overview.lasso

Australia 2000 Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) was established

2001-2007 Cycle 1 Audit •Institutional Audit: provide universities recommendations, affirmations and commendations

• • •

2008-2012 Cycle 2 Audit Follow up on actions taken on cycle 1 findings Identification of good practice and priorities for QA Strengths and weakness of current national QA guidelines

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Authority take over from AUQA and be operational in 2011 17 • •

Dean Forbes, 2010, Global Perspectives on Quality Assurance: Australia AUQA, 2010, Consolidated National Report on an AUQA Audit/Review of Government Accreditation Authorities

Japan 1991 MOE – University Council Introduce self-evaluation system of university activities for the improvement of education and scientific research 2001 Council for Regulatory Reform Introduce a continuous accreditation run by third-party organisations. Universities have to be externally evaluated every 7 years or less by an authorized QA agency 2004 National Universities were incorporated • Introduce a certified evaluation system • Increase the flexibility of establishment approvals • Create and implement capable QA mechanisms

By 2007, 269 HE institutions have been evaluated and accredited.

2006 Four agencies have been authorized NIAD-UE, JUAA, JIHEE, and JACA 18 •

Sorin-George Toma and Shinji Naruo, 2009, Quality Assurance in the Japanese Universities

Hong Kong University Grants Committee (UGC) Management review 1998-1999 Teaching and learning quality process reviews 1995-1997 and 2001 – 2003 Performance and Role-related funding scheme 2004

Joint Quality Review Committee (JQRC) Aug 2005 oversee the quality of self-financing sub-degree programmes

UGC Quality Assurance Council (QAC) Apr 2007 QA of education experience in all first degree level programmes of UGC-funded institutions

Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) May 2008 responsible of assuring the quality of qualifications and their associated programmes and providers

The Hong Kong Qualification Framework formally launched in 2008 • •

Hong Kong Quality Assurance Council, Audit Manual HKQF: http://www.hkqf.gov.hk/guie/QA_HKCAAasp

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United States  Systematic, open and diverse ways of QA Regional Accreditation (6 regions)

Baldrige Criteria in Education

Council for Higher Education Accreditation

Accreditation in specific subjects

HE Quality Assurance in the United States

US Education Department

World Class University Standards 20

• •

Ronald B. Standler, Accreditation of Universities in the USA, http://www.rbs2.com/accred.htm Tran Thi Bich Lieu, Higher Education Quality and Quality Assurance in the United States, www.educ.ttu.edu/online/lieu/docs/highereducationqualityEN.pdf

Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence Framework Organizational Profile: Environment, Relationships, and Challenges 2 Strategic Planning

5 Workforce Focus

1 Leadership

7 Results 3 Student, Stakeholder, and Market Focus

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6 Process Management

4 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

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Source: www.quality.nist.gov/PDF_files/2007_Education_Criteria.pdf

Canada National

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)

Regional

Eight Canadian Provinces

Institutional

Programme

• Autonomous in academic matters • Commitment to a common framework of standards across provincial jurisdictions • Supplemented by standards of professional accreditation

22 •

Source: http://www.aucc.ca/qa/index_e.html

Israel  June 2003 - the Council for Higher Education (CHE)

decided to establish a system for quality assessment of Israeli higher education – 4-stage model: Self study report External assessment

Discussion and decision-making

Publication of results

 Quality assessment based on fields of study

23 •

Source: http://www.che.org.il/template/default_e.aspx?PageId=297

Conclusion 

Singapore   



Europe/Australia/Japan/Hong Kong    



Acknowledging the importance of QA in all aspects of higher education Setting up national QA agencies Establishing and improving national/regional QA guidelines Continuous evaluation

United States/Canada   



Separate QA system for publicly funded universities and private education institutions Self-assessment QA system - publicly funded universities National QA Agency – Private Education Institutions

Diversified Specialized Flexibility

Israel 

Fields of study oriented QA

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