Quality Assurance in the University of Oulu Preparing for the Audit of QA system in November 2009

1. Quality Assurance in the University of OuluPreparing for the Audit of QA system in November 2009 E-XCELLENCE+ 19.5.2009 Suvi Eriksson Coordinator University of Oulu

2. QA System in the University of Oulu In Finland all the higher education institutes are allowed to decide about the goals, organisation, operational principles, the methods used and the development of their own QA system. Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) is responsible to audit all the QA systems of the universities and polytechnics and decide whether they are in line with the goals set by Bologna Process. The Audit of QA system in the University of Oulu in November 2009 The Quality Assurance system in the University of Oulu is (in Finnish) called Toiminnan kehittämisen malli. By the name the University wants to emphasize the development and enhancement of the university’s core functions (research, education). Many of the identified QA elements have been in use for years (systematic self-assesment in teaching from 1993). The use and development of elements has produced extensive empirical knowledge, which in turn has been used when expanding the Quality Assurance system to cover all the operations of the university. The QA system has both common elements and unit- or field-specific choices. The documentation of the system includes both university level handbook and the documents of departments and faculties, independent units and support services.

3. The primary guiding principles of the QA system Collaboration Quality Assurance is built on and developed as conscious and organized collaboration of all students and staff of the university in all activities. Quality Assurance requires that all people in charge and the responsibilities of different institutions and their collaboration are clearly defined. Enhancement-oriented evaluation critical examination of results in relation to pre-set goals the information gained is used when coming to joint conclusions about the current state of the operations and agreeing on the development of the operations. Constant search for good practices and the recognition, exploitation and promoting thereof in all operations of the university

4. The focus on Research, Education and Interaction with the Society The university has identified the tasks we need to succeed in (e.g. recruitment of students and staff, human resources management, post-graduate education, evaluation and development…) In the QA handbook: Short descriptions of the tasks Regulations, policies, other steering documents Division of responsibilities, working groups, teams etc Guidelines Interface between the QA system and the management and steering of the university: Monitoring the key indicators Development groups and other collaboration forums at all levels of the organisation Assesment at all levels: self-assesment, internal evaluations, external evaluations Systematic evaluation information enables continuous improvement Rewarding and funding for development projects

5. Department- and faculty-level working groups for teaching and research development KopoKlubi- and other co-operation with the Student Union University-level working groups and teams (student counselling, ethics, equality and more) Meetings between the Chief Administrators and Chief Academic Officers of the Faculties Education Council Oulu Innovation Alliance Examples of the primary guiding principles in QA practice Research Council Collaboration forums at all levels of the organisation Systematic meetings Division of responsibilities Guidelines Uutta opetuksessa -series Feedback seminars and development days Collaboration Self-assesment reports University bulletins Feedback systems Publications The practices of QA system in the University of Oulu Analyzing and discussing student feedback Enhancement- oriented evaluation Seminars E-mail -lists Good practises Monitoring the key indicators Analyzing and discussing feedback from the labour market The QA documentation of the units in web or wiki Benchmarking Internal and external evaluations Reasearch Assesment Excercise (RAE) Rewarding KOTKA’s (Education Council) seminars Centres of Excellence in University Education Internal and external Audits OpinTori-seminars Ad fontes -reward Rewarding and project funding

6. Objectives of the audit

7. Preparing for the Audit in November Internal Audit interviews in May-August Development of Research -pilot project in May-August Processing findings of the Internal Audit and the pilot project in August-September - Open seminar - Research Council - Education Council - The Senate Collecting the evidence and samples to substantiate the performance of the QA system in August-September Audit material to FINHEEC by 14th October Audit Group visit to the university 25. - 27.11.2009