Irish Universities Quality Board Internal Quality Assurance at Universities: The Irish perspective Dr Padraig Walsh Chief Executive Irish Universities Quality Board OAQ-CRUS Conference Internal quality assurance at higher education institutions – requirement and good practices 2 December 2005, Bern, Switzerland

Irish Universities Quality Board established 2003 Website:

Irish Universities Quality Board Independent, non-statutory body –17 member Board 7 nominees from rectors conference (IUA) 10 other nominees –Funding Council, Qualification Authority, Employers, Trade Unions, Students –European, American university system Funded by –Universities, Higher Education Authority Currently being incorporated

Irish Universities Quality Board Irish Higher Education System Quality Assurance History and Legislation Experiences of Irish Universities with QA/QI (External) Review of effectiveness of (internal) QA procedures Outline of Presentation

Irish Universities Quality Board Population of Ireland – 4 million (and <!) c. 55% of school-leavers in HE in 2004 Binary HE system –7 universities Autonomous Funded by Higher Education Authority –14 non-university Institutes (of Technology) Funded by Department of Education & Science Background to Irish Higher Education System

Irish Universities Quality Board Universities –Regulated by Universities Act (1997) –Universities and IUQB responsible for QA Institutes of Technology –Regulated by Qualifications Act (1999) –Higher Education Training and Awards Council (HETAC) responsible for QA Quality Assurance in Irish Higher Education

Irish Universities Quality Board Before the 1997 Act External examiners for UG and PG (taught and research) programmes (all universities) Validation and external accreditation of all new programmes (some universities) Periodic external accreditation for professional programmes (all universities) External members on panels for staff appointments (all universities) QA in Universities

Irish Universities Quality Board Legislation that requires the university to put in place “quality assurance procedures aimed at improving the quality of education and related services provided by the university” Universities Act 1997

Irish Universities Quality Board “The (QA) procedures shall include the evaluation of.. each department (of the university).. and each faculty (of the university).. and any service provided by the university by employees of the university and by persons.. who are competent to make national and international comparisons on the quality of teaching and research and the provision of services at university level” Universities Act 1997

Irish Universities Quality Board “The procedures shall include assessment by those, including students, availing of the teaching, research and other services provided by the university” Universities Act 1997

Irish Universities Quality Board primary legislation that defines basis for: Internal QA procedures for individual universities –autonomously External QA of individual universities –Periodic audits (organised by IUQB) of the effectiveness of QA procedures in individual universities External QA of university sector –Review (organised by HEA) of QA procedures in university sector Universities Act 1997

Irish Universities Quality Board What happens in practice? (Internal) Quality Assurance in Irish Universities

Irish Universities Quality Board Self-assessment –of Academic/Administrative Departments –assessment by students/stakeholders Peer Review (from list of nominees) –National experts –International experts –Stakeholders Publication of Findings Implementation of Recommendations –Follow-up Legislation to Methodology

Irish Universities Quality Board Lessons learned since 1995 Self Assessment

Irish Universities Quality Board A statement consisting solely of functions, activities and outputs is not a self-assessment Report A good self-assessment report implies no surprises for Review Team Review visit is a validation of the self-assessment report Self Assessment

Irish Universities Quality Board Have a small Quality committee representative of all staff at all grades Involvement of the Head Regular communication with all staff not on the Quality Committee Self Assessment good practices

Irish Universities Quality Board Good self assessment Good peer review! “... during the course of the two days of meetings, it was notable that no significant areas of criticism were identified which had not already been noted in the (self- assessment) report... ” Self Assessment

Irish Universities Quality Board Follow-up / Implementation Quality Assurance in Irish Universities

Irish Universities Quality Board Circulate Review Report to all staff Agree a (Quality Improvement) plan of action with timescales and deliverables –1 year and 5 year Publish the Review Report (visibly!) Publish the Quality Improvement Plan (visibly!) Agree to report on progress with the 1 year plan 1 year later –Perhaps invite members of review group back Follow up Good Practices

Irish Universities Quality Board EUA were jointly commissioned by IUQB and the Higher Education Authority to review the: (internal) quality assurance procedures in the Irish University sector –1 report effectiveness of (internal) quality assurance procedures in the individual Irish Universities –7 reports Review of (internal) QA in Irish Universities

Irish Universities Quality Board “(the) systematic organisation and promotion of QA at the initiative of the universities themselves.. is unparalleled in any other country in Europe, or indeed in the United States and Canada” “A common framework for QA has been agreed collectively by all the Irish Universities through IUQB” EUA Review of QA - strengths

Irish Universities Quality Board Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) IUQB was established voluntarily by the Irish Universities in 2003 with the aim of increasing the level of inter-university co- operation in developing quality assurance processes

Irish Universities Quality Board “The system would appear to strike the right tone and combination of public interest, accountability and university autonomy” “The agreed IUQB focus on quality improvement is particularly to be commended” EUA Review of QA - strengths

Irish Universities Quality Board QA in a university Required Practice v Good Practice Required by law A university Departmental Review Every 10 years6 year cycle Institutional Audit Every 15 yearsWithin 7 years Publication“Outcome of evaluations” Full PRG Report Full QuIP Synthetic Evaluation 1 year follow-up

Irish Universities Quality Board no system in place for the performance appraisal of individual staff members Review focus tends to reinforce existing academic structures Quality review cycle is not linked to strategic planning cycle Inconsistent support from senior management Insufficient monitoring of quality improvement plans EUA Review of QA - weaknesses

Irish Universities Quality Board Finals thoughts Quality Assurance

Irish Universities Quality Board EUA Trends IV survey findings “Institutions with the most systematic approach to quality are also those that benefit from the greatest institutional autonomy” “Institutions find that a well developed internal quality culture should be associated with a light external quality control”

Irish Universities Quality Board “While the Irish universities are pioneers in developing and implementing a systematic quality review and quality improvement system by themselves,.. they are not yet leaders in using the outcomes of the system to stimulate strategic change inside the universities” “This should be a priority during the next phase of developing the QA system” EUA Sectoral Report on Irish Universities

Irish Universities Quality Board Challenge of ‘Bergen’ Standards Standards for internal QA within higher education institution (responsibilities of universities) Standards for external QA of higher education (IUQB with involvement of universities) Standards for external QA agencies (IUQB with universities as customers) Update of Framework Document as joint IUQB/IUA publication Establishment of IUQB on a legal basis IUQB and Universities

Irish Universities Quality Board