Quality Assurance and Cross-border Higher Education in practice: The example of Austria Friedrich Faulhammer, Director General for Higher Education Federal Ministry of Science and Research Austria GDHE,

1 Outline -Reorganization of external quality assurance -Act on Quality Assurance in Higher Education -Cross-border Higher Education in Austria -CBHE-Registration

2 Reorganization of external QA Aiming at: developing a (more) coherent national external quality assurance system, establishing one single agency covering different HE sectors (public and private universities, Universities of Applied Sciences). ESG have been an important guideline in this process (eg. independence of the agency)

3 What‘s new? -All HEI are obliged to perform external QA on a regular basis. -A new QA agency has been established. -New framework law for external QA covering all HE sectors: HS-QSG → ending the fragmentation of external quality assurance in Austria (legal framework, procedures and agencies)

4 Act on Quality Assurance in HE (HS-QSG) -establishing the „Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria“ (AQ Austria) -setting the framework for quality assurance procedures (eg obligatory publication of results) -audit and accreditation procedures -broadening involvement of students (eg as Board- members) -assessment areas (Prüfbereiche): generic standards, should assure comparability and guidance

5 HS-QSG ctd. In addition: legal basis for Student Ombudsperson legal basis for registration of cross-border degree programmes

6 Audits and freedom of choice The Audit according to the assessment areas may be performed by the AQ Austria, by a EQAR-registered quality assurance agency or by another internationally recognised and independent quality assurance agency. → agencies shall be announced by the BMWF by decree. Accreditation procedures: AQ Austria

7 HE: Quality and Mobility Mobility of programmes (cross-border HE/CBHE), But not to forget: mobility of students asymetric mobility flows cannot be adressed by external quality assurance need for European solution that respects the specific situations in the member countries

8 Cross-border HE What do we know about CBHE in Austria? Increasing number of providers vs. lack of information on these providers (for students, recognition of programmes/degrees offered etc.) → need for changes as the quality and recognition of programmes offered was questioned Until March 2012 no legal basis for listing/registering CBHE.

9 Registration Procedure §27 HS-QSG: -recognition of educational institution according to the provisions of the country of origin or country of domicile -documented evidence of the right to offer degree programmes as well as the right to award academic degrees according to the provisions of the country of origin or country of domicile -Information on the degree programme planned in Austria or planned in cooperation wird Austrian institutions

10 Registration Procedure ctd. -Confirmation by the authority competent for HE in the country of origin or country of domicile that the degree programmes offered in Austria and the respective academic degresse are legally effective in the country of origin or country of domicile Registration aiming at:  information and protection of potential students  making CBHE „visible“ (directory of CBHE)

11 Status quo Period of transition: registration until 31/12/2012 for those already operating in Austria registration through ministry Consequence non-registration: administrative offence Source: GermanyUKSloveniaSerbia Registered CBHE 2311

12 Registration -Ministry will observe effectiveness and further development of CBHE in AT -Important starting point for the further development of a policy on CBHE -Discussion on supranational level to establish a common understanding on the extent and quality of regulations needed and legally possible

13 Thank you for your attention.