Challenges for newly developed agencies Badr Aboul-Ela (Director – CAA) Nadia Badrawi (President of ANQAHE) Ian Cumbus (Commissioner – CAA)

Welcome to the workshop Workshop program: Introduction of presenters and participants. Workshop aims. Steps in agency establishment. INQAAHE GGP in Quality Assurance. ECA Standards & Code of Good Practice Recent Trends in Global HE Concluding comments.

Workshop Aims: To consider the steps required in developing a quality assurance agency To appreciate the guidance available to agencies in establishing good practices To share experience in dealing with challenges facing agencies today To discuss the impact on agencies of recent trends in Higher Education

Many elements to be put in place but some in sequence, some in parallel, and some in need of continuing development Steps in the development of QA Agencies

Suggested Steps in Agency Development 1. Assessment of scope of operation 2. Development of mission and objectives 3. Determination and establishment of appropriate governance structure – authority, reporting lines, resourcing 4. Agency self-evaluation systems – operational effectiveness 5. Guidelines for institutions to be developed – Standards for licensure & Accreditation

Assessment of scope of operation Define Mission & Scope of operation Through study of HE environment & prevailing culture:  Education system (American-based, UK- based, …etc.)  Type of institutions (TE, VET)  Level of programs & QF, if available  Type of review (institutional v. programmatic)

Assessment of scope of operation (Continued)  Inherited Problems: Relationship with other entities e.g. licensing & conflicting criteria.  Role (regulatory, advisory)

Example of agency mission and Goals (Commission for Academic Accreditation UAE) Mission The mission of the CAA is to promote educational excellence across diverse institutions of higher learning in the UAE. Through licensure of colleges and universities, and accreditation of individual programs, the Commission strives to assure high quality education, consistent with international standards. Goals 1. Ensuring Quality and Academic Standards Maintain and implement a quality framework that assures that institutions of higher education in the UAE operate in line with international academic, administrative, managerial, and operational standards. 2. Diversifying Services Offer a broad range of appropriate services and activities that further enhances quality. 3. Ensuring an Effective Operation Deliver efficient and effective quality-enhancing processes for a strongly developing higher education sector. 4. International Profile Play an active, cooperative and influential role in the international community of quality assurance organizations for higher education.

Example of agency mission and objectives AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES QUALITY AGENCY AUQA’s Mission AUQA is the principal national quality assurance agency in higher education with the responsibility of providing public assurance of the quality of Australia’s universities and other institutions of higher education, and assisting in enhancing the academic quality of these institutions. AUQA’s Objectives AUQA is established to be the principal national quality assurance agency in higher education, with responsibility for quality audits of higher education institutions and accreditation authorities, reporting on performance and outcomes, assisting in quality enhancement, advising on quality assurance; and liaising internationally with quality agencies in other jurisdictions, for the benefit of Australian higher education.

Suggested Steps in Agency Development (Continued) 5. Strategic plan development – with operational plans, KPIs and targets. 6. Register of expert subject reviewers – database maintenance and guidelines for good practice. 7. Public accountability – transparency of decisions and actions – website. 8. Capacity building – to fulfill all commitment and objectives in timely manner.

Group Task: In the context of your own country what are the challenges that you face, or have faced, in developing a QA agency and how will you deal with them, or have dealt with them? Select the five top challenges and actions to report to the workshop as a whole. A spokesperson should be appointed in each group to feedback (Total 25 minutes).

ECA Code of Good Practice: The Standards The accreditation organisation : 1. Has an explicit mission statement. 2. Is recognised as a national accreditation body by the competent public authorities. 3. Must be sufficiently independent from government, from higher education institutions as well as from business, industry and professional associations. 4. Must be rigorous, fair and consistent in decision-making. 5. Has adequate and credible resources, both human and financial. 6. Has its own internal quality assurance system that emphasises its quality improvement. 7. Has to be evaluated externally on a cyclical basis. 8. Can demonstrate public accountability, has public and officially available policies, procedures, guidelines and criteria. 9. Informs the public in an appropriate way about accreditation decisions. 10. A method for appeal against its decisions is provided. 11. Collaborates with other national, international and/or professional accreditation organisations.

ECA Code of Good Practice: The Standards The accreditation procedures: 12. Accreditation procedures and methods must be defined by the accreditation organisation itself. 13. Must be undertaken at institutional and/or programme level on a regular basis. 14. Must include self-documentation/-evaluation by the higher education institution and external review (as a rule on site). 15. Must guarantee the independence and competence of the external panels or teams. 16. Must be geared at enhancement of quality.

ECA Code of Good Practice: The Standards The accreditation standards: 17. Must be made public and be compatible with European practices taking into account the development of agreed sets of quality standards.

Trends in Global Higher Education: Global student population growth - forecast 120 million by Currently around 36,000 HE institutions. Student mobility – US, UK and Australia are the 3 big players with 45% of the foreign student market. Estimated 1.7 million in 2000 expanding to 8 million by Alternative program delivery systems – online, through companies and other entities. Mobility of programs: Transnational access to programs through branch campuses or franchise arrangements. Q. How is the quality assured of branch campuses hosted in your country?

Trends in Global Higher Education: (continued) Greater diversity of qualifications – more entry & exit points for students, training programs for credit. Qualifications Framework needed! Lifelong and experiential learning Q. How is the value of experiential learning evaluated to ensure student success in their forthcoming studies?

Group Task: Groups to be allocated a particular question/s from the ECA Code of Good Practice to discuss and feed-back on through a spokesperson after the allotted time. The task will be to consider how these questions should be addressed in the most appropriate and effective way to assure high quality (25 minutes).

Thank You For Your Participation