Quality Assurance and Cross-border Higher Education in practice: The example of Austria

1. Quality Assurance and Cross-border Higher Education in practice:The example of Austria Friedrich Faulhammer, Director General for Higher Education Federal Ministry of Science and Research Austria GDHE, 22.10.2012

2. Outline • Reorganization of external quality assurance • Act on Quality Assurance in Higher Education • Cross-border Higher Education in Austria • CBHE-Registration

3. Reorganization of external QA • Aimingat: • developing a (more) coherent national externalqualityassurancesystem, • establishingonesingleagencycovering different HE sectors (publicand private universities, Universitiesof Applied Sciences). • ESG havebeen an importantguideline in thisprocess (eg. independenceoftheagency)

4. What‘s new? • All HEI areobligedtoperformexternal QA on a regularbasis. • A new QA agencyhasbeenestablished. • New frameworklawforexternal QA covering all HE sectors: HS-QSG • → ending the fragmentation of external quality assurance in Austria (legal framework, procedures and agencies)

5. Act on Quality Assurance in HE (HS-QSG) • establishing the „Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria“ (AQ Austria) • setting the framework for quality assurance procedures (eg obligatory publication of results) • audit and accreditation procedures • broadening involvement of students (eg as Board-members) • assessment areas (Prüfbereiche): generic standards, should assure comparability and guidance

6. HS-QSG ctd. • In addition: • legal basisfor Student Ombudsperson • legal basisforregistrationofcross-borderdegreeprogrammes

7. Audits and freedom of choice • The Audit according to the assessment areas may be performed • by the AQ Austria, • by a EQAR-registered quality assurance agency • or by another internationally recognised and independent quality assurance agency. • → agencies shall be announced by the BMWF by decree. • Accreditation procedures: AQ Austria

8. HE: Quality and Mobility • Mobility ofprogrammes (cross-border HE/CBHE), • But not toforget: mobilityofstudents • asymetricmobilityflowscannotbeadressedbyexternalqualityassurance • needfor European solutionthatrespectsthespecificsituations in themember countries

9. Cross-border HE • What do we know about CBHE in Austria? • Increasing number of providers vs. lack of information on these providers (for students, recognition of programmes/degrees offered etc.) • → need for changes as the quality and recognition of programmes offered was questioned • Until March 2012 no legal basis for listing/registering CBHE.

10. Registration Procedure • §27 HS-QSG: • recognitionofeducationalinstitutionaccordingtotheprovisionsofthecountryoforiginorcountryofdomicile • documentedevidenceoftherighttoofferdegreeprogrammesaswellastherighttoawardacademicdegreesaccordingtotheprovisionsofthecountryoforiginorcountryofdomicile • Information on thedegreeprogrammeplanned in Austria orplanned in cooperation wird Austrian institutions

11. Registration Procedure ctd. • Confirmationbytheauthoritycompetentfor HE in thecountryoforiginorcountryofdomicilethatthedegreeprogrammesoffered in Austria andtherespectiveacademicdegressearelegallyeffective in thecountryoforiginorcountryofdomicile • Registration aimingat: • informationandprotectionof potential students • making CBHE „visible“ (directoryof CBHE)

12. Status quo • Periodoftransition: • registrationuntil 31/12/2012 forthosealreadyoperating in Austria • registrationthroughministry • Consequence non-registration: administrative offence • Source: http://www.bmwf.gv.at/startseite/hochschulen/registrierte_ausl_studien/registrierte_auslaendische_einrichtungen/

13. Registration • Ministry will observe effectiveness and further development of CBHE in AT • Important starting point for the further development of a policy on CBHE • Discussion on supranational level to establish a common understanding on the extent and quality of regulations needed and legally possible

14. Thank you for your attention.