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1 st Quality Assurance Workshop Belgrade, 19-20 Nov 2007 Case Study: Quality Assurance in Ireland

1 st 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.

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1 st Quality Assurance Workshop Belgrade, 19-20 Nov 2007 Case Study: Quality Assurance in Ireland

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  1. 1st Quality Assurance Workshop Belgrade, 19-20 Nov 2007 Case Study: Quality Assurance in Ireland

  2. Higher Education in Ireland • 7 universities • 14 institutes of technology • 12 colleges of education and other specialised institutions • A number of private colleges

  3. Irish HE and Training system

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. QA and Universities (V) • Framework for Quality in Irish Universities 2nd edition, 2007 • Common internal QA procedures, based on lessons learned 2003-2007

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. EUA review of QA • IUQB and HEA invited EUA • 2004-05 • External review of QA • All 7 universities • Sectoral report • Published by IUQB

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. Useful websites • www.iuqb.ie • www.hetac.ie • www.nfq.ie • www.hea.ie • My email: lewis.purser@iua.ie

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