Quality Assurance & Accreditation Dr. Md. Mozahar Ali Professor, GTI, BAU, Mymensingh mail: mozahar55@yahoo.co.uk Cell No.:88-01711391190

Quality in Higher Education What is Quality? As a part of the quality debate in higher education, the concept of quality is highly disputed. Moreover it is often used by stakeholders in order to legitimate their specific vision or interests. "Quality .... you know what it is, yet you don't know what it is. ... If no one knows what it is then for all practical purposes it doesn't exist at all. But for all practical purposes it does exist". "You can't define it, but you know it when you see it." G.D. Doherty. Developing Quality Systems in Education

Five Approaches in Considering Quality Quality as exceptional (highest standards) Quality as confronting to standards Quality as fitness for purpose Quality as effectiveness in achieving institutional goals Quality as meeting customers' stated or implied needs. (Green, D. 1994 What is quality in higher education? OUP)

Meaning of Quality: Who Defines? The meaning given to quality is not only a matter of underlying conception. It is also very much a matter of who defines it and in what interest. Is it the academics themselves, students, government and its agencies, professional bodies or employers?

Meaning of Quality: Who Defines? Academics will define quality in higher education by emphasizing the quality of research work done by a colleague or an institution. Undergraduate students will focus on the quality of the teaching, their learning experience and the environment. Professional bodies tend to focus on professional standards and skills related to the professions that students are trained for. Hence, QA must balance the different interests of the stakeholders.

Quality Assurance Quality Assurance (QA) may be defined as a process of establishing stakeholder confidence that provision (input, process and outcomes) fulfills expectations or measures up to minimum requirements. At the institutional level, QA is defined as the part of overall management function that determines and implements the quality policy (intentions and directions of the organization).

Quality Assurance ….. QA relates to a continuous process of evaluating (assessing, monitoring, guaranteeing, maintaining and improving) the quality of higher education system, institutions or programmes. As a regulatory mechanism, quality assurance focuses on both accountability and improvement, providing information and judgment (not ranking) through an agreed and consistent process and well- established criteria.

Objectives of Quality Assurance Universities are Public Institutions Higher education is a “Public Good” Is of crucial importance to the: Health Wealth Well-being of society and Economy of the country Is a key factor in promoting and safeguarding public confidence in the country’s Higher Education

Some Statements on QA QA is not a science, but common sense Instruments are important, but the right attitude is much more important QA is the responsibility of everybody QA should be part of the overall policy and management

HE is the engine that drives the economy - a priority public issue for governments. - a strategic, human resource investment To fuel the engine need to get the public Support - Establish Goals and PI’s - Report on Progress

Public and Government are concern with HE standards quality employability skills of graduates HE is expensive. Increased demands for accountability

Accreditation Council (QAACB) (QAU) Quality Assurance Unit Ministry of Education Accreditation Council (QAACB) U G C (QAU) Quality Assurance Unit University IQAC Academic Units (Program/Degree) SA Committee

Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) IQA refers to each institution's or program’s policies and mechanisms for ensuring that it is fulfilling its own purposes as well as the standards that apply to higher education in general or to the profession or discipline in particular. IQAC: Institutional Quality Assurance Cell is internal quality assurance body of university

Institutional QA Cell (IQAC) Director Additional Director (2) Office Staff 50% funding from HEQEP & rest from UGC Initially project; continue as permanent organ

Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) 1. Vice Chancellor of the university (Chair) 2. Pro-Vice Chancellor (Pro-VC academic if two Pro-VCs) 3. One member of the Board of Trustee ( for private universities) 4. Director of Finance and Accounts 5. Director of IQAC 6. All Deans 7. Director(s) of all institutes of the university (not under Dean) 8. Two senior academics/personnel appointed by the Syndicate nominated by the Vice-Chancellor 9. Registrar of the University

External Quality Assurance EQA refers to the actions of an external body, which may be a QAA or another body different from the institution, which assesses its operation or that of its programs in order to determine whether it is meeting the standards that have been agreed on. QAACB: Quality Assurance & Accreditation Council of Bangladesh (yet to be formed) E

Main Features of Accreditation Council (a) Composition and different committees General council- Chairperson and 32 members appointed by the president of the country. Executive Council- Chairman and 8 members Executive Committee- Supported by the full- time /regular paid up officials. Program committee- Chairperson and 6-8 members (one for each broad discipline). Peer review team- Convener and 5 members for institutional accreditation Convener and 3 members for program accreditation

(b) Main functions of the accreditation council Program Accreditation Institutional Accreditation Note: Accreditation is voluntary for both institutions and programs.

Accreditation Accreditation is the process by which a government or private body evaluates the quality of a higher education institution as a whole or a specific educational program in order to formally recognize it as having met certain predetermined minimal criteria or standards. The result of this process is usually the awarding of a status (a yes/no decision) of recognition, and sometimes of a license to operate within a time- limited validity.

Objectives of Accreditation Accreditation is a process of external quality review Assure that graduates of an accredited program are adequately prepared Stimulate the improvement of the program Encourage new and innovative approaches to education and its assessment Identify accredited programs to the public

How is accreditation conducted? Five Major Steps: The Institution Self-Survey The Pre-survey Visit The Formal Survey Visit Initial Accreditation Full Accreditation, or Periodic Resurvey (Optional)

Why accreditation? ….. Gives prestige to the university Provides easy access to internationally recognized and reputed universities and organizations through membership and other partnership/ twinning/ consortia arrangement Helps making Internationalization of education Brings global acceptance to a particular program or institutions Strengthens the trust and confidence of the stakeholders Earns the respect and admiration of the academic community Ensures sustainable growth and development of the university Creates a sense of competition and self development spirit in the HEIs

ACCREDITATION PARAMETERS & THEIR WEIGHTAGES (BAETE) Mission, goals are well defined and targeted to achieve the desired objective (100) Financial & physical resources are available at institution and program level and appropriately utilized (100) 3. Human resources: faculty & staff are adequate in number and of quality required for the purpose. (300) 4. Human resources: Students have adequate background and quality to achieve the objective of the program. (300) 5. Teaching-learning processes is effective (450) 6. Supplementary processes (100) 7. Industry-institution interaction (70) 8. Research and development (30) Total Marks: 1450

ACCREDITATION PARAMETERS & THEIR WEIGHTAGES (BAETE) Mission, goals & organization (6.9%) Financial,physical resources,util. (6.9%) Human Resource: Faculty & Staff (20.7%) Human Resource: Students (20.7%) Teaching-learning process (31%) Supplementary process (6.9%) Industry-Institution interaction (4.8%) Research & Development (2.1%)

Users of Accreditation Government Students Parents Employers Funding organizations Higher Education Institutions