Quality as a Tool for Autonomy Autonomy as a Condition for Quality Prof. Dr. Dirk Van Damme VLIR / Ghent University

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 2 Outline The emergence of quality The shifting significance of quality Quality → Autonomy → Quality →

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 3 The emergence of quality political exchange between increasing institutional autonomy and development of quality assurance arrangements autonomy and deregulation in exchange to accountability ‘evaluative state’ (Neave): public interest in quality and quality assurance systems from input- to output-steering

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 4 The emergence of quality external drivers probably more powerful than internal ‘autonomous’ demand massification and concerns for a potential decline of standards diminishing confidence of stake-holders in traditional academic quality management increasing demand for more accountability public demand for transparency (ranking) pressures to increase cost-effectiveness

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 5 The emergence of quality the ‘power game’ about quality externally: delicate boundary tensions and conflicts between universities and state, stakeholders and students in some cases quality assurance leads to erosion of autonomy or puts heavy burderns on institutions internally: difficult acceptance of quality regime by academia quality used to enforce central institutional authority

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 6 The emergence of quality QA is also shaping boundaries between old and new, insiders and outsiders protectionist elements or functions of QA ownership of quality assurance is crucial various models in ownership of European QA systems ranging from ‘self-regulation’ to external ‘inspection’ and ‘evaluation’ self-evaluation and peer-review crucial tools

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 7 The emergence of quality conclusions: quality assurance as a complement to autonomy quality assurance was not developed from within university system, but demanded from outside balance between improvement and accountability quality assurance as power arena ownership of QA systems of strategic importance quality essential for legitimacy and self-regulation

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 8 The shifting significance of quality criticisms of first generation QA systems bureaucracy, administrative overload, costs status and nature of quality statements need for benchmarking of standards; limits of relativistic ‘fitness for purpose’-paradigm demands for stronger follow-up arrangements delicate balance between internal improvement functions and external accountability functions ‘conservative’ effects of QA; QA and innovation

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 9 The shifting significance of quality criticisms of first generation QA systems concept of ‘quality’ still in need of definition from assessing formal characteristics of programmes to assessing learning outcomes from detailed assessment lists and statistical indicators to “carpenters’ eye” demands to institutionalise QA: integrate quality in steering mechanisms, funding, etc. still high internal tolerance for low quality?

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 10 The shifting significance of quality changing environment from egalitarian massification to a more competitive higher education market from domestic focus to globalising environment towards differentiation in institutions and delivery modes from meritocracy to lifelong learning, eroding the only left monopoly, degrees

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 11 The shifting significance of quality Bologna need to develop a ‘European approach’ QA as a tool for transparency of the system QA and accreditation as guaranteeing the legitimacy of new bachelor/master degrees the quality issue will come to the foreground of the Bologna process towards Berlin 2003 but, progress in this domain is not yet substantial

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 12 The shifting significance of quality apparently divergent developments strengthening external functions of quality: accreditation to underpin credibility of new degrees quality as labelling on competitive markets transparency, accountability and public information strengthening internal quality capacity: ‘quality culture’ in institutions is more important than formal QA procedures renewed appeal to self-management (e.g. QAA)

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 13 The shifting significance of quality conclusions need for a re-thinking of quality arrangements less bureaucratic, costly, detailed, … more outcome-oriented, supportive to innovation, … more adapted to needs of changed environment (globalisation, Bologna, differentiation, competition) stronger external functions of quality will make quality issue more sensitive and strategic self-regulation approach even more necessary

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 14 Quality → Autonomy → Quality → questions are universities willing to leave the safe haven of domestic polity to engage autonomously in the European and global arena? are universities internally strong and coherent enough to face new demands on autonomy? what will be the effects of differentiation and increasing de-institutionalisation on autonomy? are universities ready to accept regulatory functions of quality in new environment?

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 15 Quality → Autonomy → Quality → institutional autonomy increasingly is a condition to deliver high quality education and research and to be accountable and responsible in a complex environment external trust in the quality of universities and their activities will be the only way to legitimise and to further increase institutional autonomy

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 16 Quality → Autonomy → Quality → the quality issue will become more central in defining the boundaries between the institution and the environment, in defining ‘autonomy’ universities need to strengthen their internal quality arrangements and capacities (‘quality culture’) in order to balance the external functions of QA

Roskilde, 19 April 2002EUA Conference - Dirk Van Damme 17 Quality → Autonomy → Quality → universities need to defend even stronger a self-regulation approach, in order to further define themselves as a respectable sector and to resist attempts to impose external control greater responsiveness to external demands for accountability, transparency, credibility etc. is not opposite to self-regulation, but element of public responsibility, safeguarding autonomy