Transitional period challenges in Armenian tertiary education QA system: Building the TRUST

1. Transitional period challenges in Armenian tertiary education QA system:Building the TRUST Ruben Topchyan ANQA Director On-going policies in Eastern area and the main obstacles Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance Zagreb (Croatia), 12-13 June 2014

2. OUTLINE Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Armenian Tertiary Level Institutions • ANQA mission • Achievements leading to building trust • Overall impact on the Higher Education System • Empowering HEIs in IQA: revising ownership potential • Triggering changes at teaching and learning level • Closing pilot accreditations period • Challenges

3. Armenia: general information on tertiary education Population: 2,967,004 (July 2009 est.) 18 public universities and 13 branches 3 intergovernmental universities 48 private universities 37 private accredited universities 5 branches of international and non-state universities 3 branches of international public universities 83 public colleges 34 vocational institutions 12 private accredited colleges 11 private licensed colleges Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance

4. ANQA mission Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance ANQA strives to promote public trust, social cohesion, equity, responsibility and competitiveness through systematic enhancement of tertiary level education provisions. It does so by • being receptive to the needs of the national stakeholders through its mandatory institutional audits and voluntary programme accreditation • complying with international standards for quality assurance • ensuring visibility at international level thus contributing to a stronger positioning of the Armenian tertiary education within Europe • valuing close cooperation with stakeholders in the process of developing a quality assurance system.

5. Quality Assurance Framework: Giving Autonomy and Taking Responsibility Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Top down system of HEI management • Institutional Accreditation - Mandatory • HEI management audit – development of QA culture • Mission • Governance • Academic program • Teaching staff • Learning environment • Student provision • Research • Service to society • Internationalization • Internal QA system • Program Accreditation - Voluntary • Connecting to government financing

6. Overall impact on the Higher Education System: External Quality Assurance Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Consistent application of publicly available procedures and criteria • Quality Criteria – which provide for development and enhancement • Established procedures and respective documentation • Involvement of international peers and bilingual procedure • Establishment of Accreditation Commission drawing on the nominations of key stakeholders • Environmental scan: in-depth analysis of the Self-evaluation Reports and Expert Panel Reports

7. Overall impact on the Higher Education System: External Quality Assurance Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Drawing on system-wide analysis on quality assurance – development of grant projects for capacity building • TEMPUS • Internal QA and External QA establishment – DIUS, PICQA • A move from fragmented to systemic approach to HEI management GOVERN • QA of transnational providers - TNE_QA • Alignment and checking the alignment of Study Programs with NQF - ALIGN • Development of PhD qualifications– VERITAS • Internationalization of educational processes – PICASA • Establishment of links between HEIs – Labor Market – ARARAT • Master’s programme in training educational leaders – MAHATMA • World Bank • ANQA capacity building –ARQATA • Trainings of IQA responsible in HEI • UNESCO – Scoping study on QA in Caucasus

8. Overall impact on the Higher Education System: a move from fragmented to systemic approach in HEI governance and management Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Need of informative decision-making culture • Widening of teaching staff involvement – as guarantee of sustainability • Pro-active involvement of top-management – as a guarantee of success • Revision of management approaches to promote a systemic approach to HEI development

9. Empowering HEIs in IQA: revising ownership potential Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Development of a culture of regular self-assessment • Self-critical approach • A move from descriptive to analytical approach • Specifying and clearly stating objectives for development • Ownership for processes

10. Empowering HEIs in IQA: revising ownership potential Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Employment of benchmarking tool in different areas, mainly for programs • Revision of the role of IQA unit • Actual application of a mission-based approach to HEI and programme management

11. Triggering changes at teaching and learning level Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Move to a learning outcome approach to study programme development • Revision of assessment methods to incorporate assessment of learning outcomes • Revision of teaching and learning methods linked to learning outcomes • Strengthening research component of study programmes • Linking research and teaching and learning

12. Closing the pilot phase Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Building legitimacy: QA criteria and standards tested for appropriateness • Closure of the first round of report development, readable • Building on experience of self evaluation and use of the peers recommendations – ANQA and HEIs • Equipping HEIs for the follow up activities

13. Closing the pilot phase Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Establishment and operationalization of Accreditation Commission • Taking decisions • not stopping developments • ANQA has undergone proof evaluation against ESGs • Revision of ANQA approaches drawing on the extensive feedback of national and international stakeholders • Closing first cycle of Institutional accreditation in - 2016.

14. Challenges Tempus Higher Education Reform Experts Seminar on Quality Assurance • Autonomy • Of institutions • Of faculties • Empowering internal quality assurance of HEIs • Student-centered education along its all domains • Curricula development • Credit system • Internationalization • Mobility • Comparability

15. THANK YOU & QUESTIONS www.anqa.am ruben.topchyan@anqa.am