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Quality assurance and joint programmes

Quality assurance and joint programmes. Axel Aerden . What are we talking about?. Quality assurance ?. Process establishing stakeholder confidence that provision is fit for purpose or measures up to requirements. Accreditation? .

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Quality assurance and joint programmes

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  1. Quality assurance and joint programmes Axel Aerden

  2. What are we talking about? Quality assurance? • Process establishing stakeholder confidence that provision is fit for purpose or measures up to requirements Accreditation? • Formal & independent decision that a programme (or institution) meets certain predefined quality standards Joint programme? • A programme offered jointly by different higher education institutions irrespective of the degree (joint/multiple) awarded

  3. Aims: mutual recognition of accreditation & quality assurance decisions • Results of this cooperation: • Code of good practice (2004) • Principles for the selection of experts (2005) • Principles for accreditation procedures regarding joint programmes (2007) • Bilateral mutual recognition of accreditation agreements (2007) • Qrossroads.eu (2008) • Principles regarding learning outcomes in accreditation procedures (20010) • Multilateral agreement regarding joint programmes (2011)

  4. Joint programmes? • 2011 (Institute of International Education & FreieUniversität Berlin) • 84% of universities offer joint programmes; • 33% of institutions award joint degrees • all others are developing or planning joint degrees; • 2012 (Bologna Process Implementation Report) • all but one EHEA country has implemented legislation allowing establishment of joint programmes & joint degrees • none of HE institutions participate in joint programmes: • Albania, Andorra, Liechtenstein and Montenegro; • in addition to countries above, none of HE institutions participate in awarding joint degrees: • Cyprus, Finland, Latvia and Moldova;

  5. Most common external quality assurance procedures regarding joint programmes • National procedure • Procedure by: • Individual agency • Focus of procedure • National offer • Whole joint programme • Result: • National (accreditation)

  6. Most common external quality assurance procedures regarding joint programmes • Joint procedure • Procedure by: • At least 2 agencies • Focus of procedure • Whole joint programme • Result: • National (accreditation(s)) in countries involved

  7. Challenges overcome Multilateral Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of Accreditation Results regarding Joint Programmes Agreement to set up a Coordination Point for Joint Programmes Assessment Framework for Joint Programmes in Single Accreditation Procedures ECApedia AT – DK – FL - FR – NL – PL – ES -CAT

  8. Single accreditation proceduresregarding joint programmes • Single procedure • Procedure by: • One agency • Focus of procedure • Whole joint programme • Result: • National (accreditations) in MRA/MULTRA countries

  9. So many challenges left, and all national (#1) • Not about quality • Not suited for international joint programmes • Contradict each other Too many national standards in external quality assurance and accreditation • Very long list of examples: • Master thesis: “max. 30 ECTS credits” vs. “at least 35% of the total number of credits”; • The assessment report (expert report) is required to be in the national language; • Every programme should be taught by at least 6 doktorhabilitowany & 6 PhDs who are all full-time staff of a national institution and have to teach at least 540 hours in the programme per academic year; Good practice: assessments of joint programmes can be discharged from using certain national standards if they contradict others.

  10. So many challenges left, and all national (#2) • Very procedural • No international perspective • Unaware of implications Many national requirements make cooperation in external quality assurance difficult/impossible • Examples: • National QA agencies which are not allowed to coordinate an international procedure / undertake a site visit abroad; • National QA agencies which cannot accept accreditation requests from a foreign institution (the coordinator of the joint programme); • Different periods of accreditation; and some QA agencies cannot accept a joint programme’s request for accreditation (years) before the current accreditation status is almost expired;

  11. Thank you for your attention axel.aerden@ecaconsortium.net - @AAerden www.ecaconsortium.net - www.qrossroads.eu - www.ecapedia.net

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