1st Quality Assurance WorkshopBelgrade, 19-20 Nov 2007

Case Study:

Quality Assurance in Ireland

Strengthening Higher Education Reforms in Serbia

An EU-funded project managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction and implemented by the Council of Europe

Higher Education in Ireland

• 7 universities

• 14 institutes of technology

• 12 colleges of education and other specialised institutions

• A number of private colleges

Irish HE and Training system

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

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

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

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

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

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

QA and Universities (V)

• Framework for Quality

in Irish Universities

2nd edition, 2007

• Common internal QA

procedures, based on

lessons learned

2003-2007

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 proceduresUniversities delegated authority to organise

external reviews to IUQB

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

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

EUA review of QA

• IUQB and HEA invited EUA

• 2004-05

• External review of QA

• All 7 universities

• Sectoral report

• Published by IUQB

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

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

Useful websites

• www.iuqb.ie

• www.hetac.ie

• www.nfq.ie

• www.hea.ie

• My email:

lewis.purser@iua.ie