The Role of Quality Assurance QA Units in

The Role of Quality Assurance (QA) Units in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) Professor Dolina Dowling Executive Director: Higher Education Review Unit Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training Kingdom of Bahrain 1

The Role of QA Units Ø Why do we need Quality Assurance Units Ø Mandate Ø Models Challenges Strategies facing Quality Assurance (QA) Units to overcome challenges 2

Need for QA Units External Ø Ø QA agencies and their requirements for: Institutional audits Program reviews Accreditation at institutional and program levels Professional body accreditation 3

Need for QA Units Internal Ø Assisting in preparing for institutional audits/ accreditation Ø Assisting departments/faculties in preparing for program reviews/ accreditation Ø Benchmarking – all levels Ø User surveys Ø Impact studies Ø Graduate tracking 4

Need for QA Units Internal contd. ØDeveloping and monitoring implementation of policies and procedures to manage the quality assurance arrangements of the institution ØProgram development and approvals ØFacilitating quinquennial departmental reviews ØStaff program reviews/ development 5

Mandate and Structure of QA Units Decide on what ‘quality’ means for your institution v Fitness of purpose Ø Ø Depends on institutional type, age, mission What is the institution’s approach? v Compliance v Improvement v Enhancement 6

Role of QA Units Decision about role and responsibilities influences structure and resources Does it influence location? QA is an institution-wide activity So what is best location and reporting line? The President/Vice Chancellor? Why? If to VP: Academic: student and administrative support services do not lie in this portfolio. e. g. library, IT, counseling; residences; examinations and certification If to VP: Administration: core academic functions of teaching and learning, research and community engagement outside this remit 7

Role of QA Units Staffing and other resources depends on institutional type, size and shape as well as meaning of quality Institutional types in Oman, some examples: Ø Publicly funded institutions ◦ National University ◦ Colleges of Technology ØPrivate institutions ØTransnational providers/cross border Range of institutions - different sizes, offer varying numbers of programs at different levels, niche 8

Role of QA Units Decision on meaning of quality, roles and responsibilities of QA Unit depends on all these factors There is no one right way And No one size fits all 9

Large Institutions: QA Unit Structure DIRECTOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR QUALITY MANAGER STUDENT EVALUATION CO-ORDINATOR UNIT ADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRATIVE QUALITY MANAGER RESEARCH ASSISTANT QUALITY MANAGER PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT EXTERNAL REVIEW COORDINATOR SUPPORT DIVISION REVIEW COORDINATOR PART TIME TYPIST 10

Medium Institution: Integration of QA Unit in Academic Activities INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL SENATE JOINT COUNCIL AND Academic Board/Senate Institutional Quality Assurance Central Academic Planning Committee Academic Board/Senate Committees Library Committee Discretionary Exemption Committee Enrolment Management Committee Rules and Regulations Committee Timetable Committee Teaching and Learning Committee Research Committee FACULTY LEVEL Faculty Boards Faculty Planning and Management Committee Faculty Executive Committee Subcommittees of FPMC Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee Faculty Quality Assurance Committee Faculty Research and Higher Degrees Committee Examinations Committees Monitors and evaluates policy implementation Implementation of feedback Reports on quarterly basis to Academic Board, Council Quality Assurance Unit Director Manager Administrator SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT LEVEL Heads of Department Academic Staff 11

QA Unit: Small – niche - provider Head of Institution Manager: QA Academic Administration QAU reference point between external quality agency , accreditation bodies and academic departments Supports QA activities in departments Member of institutional QA Committee 12

Transnational/cross border provider Vice Chancellor Deputy Vice Chancellor: Academic Dean Head of School International Campus Head Pro Vice Chancellor: Quality Dean Head of School Director: Quality Pro Vice Chancellor: Quality – overall responsibility for quality across all campuses; sets policies and procedures; monitors and evaluates through reporting system Director of Quality – responsible for ensuring consistency of implementation of parent quality assurance arrangements Heads of Schools consult with Deans in parent institution regarding program delivery 13

Another model President Centre for Planning and Institutional Development Strategic and Institutional Planning Quality Management Integrates QM into planning and ensures that information is basis of decisionmaking Management Information 14

Activity 1 Break into Groups Decide on your institutional type, size and mission Develop an understanding of quality for this institution In light of the above: develop roles and responsibilities of Unit, capacity requirements All the time bearing in mind external agencies/bodies: audits/accreditation and what this means for your institution in terms of resourcing; e. g. time, capacity 15