1. 3rd UNICA EduLAB Meeting
Key challenges for Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in implementing European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance
3rd UNICA EduLAB Meeting
15-16 December 2016, Rome
Prof. Éva Orosz
Vice-Rector for Education, ELTE, Budapest

2. Overview External context of quality development
Internal context of quality development at ELTE
Institutionalisation of a quality-development framework
Examples for current quality-development priorities (goals vs hindering factors) at ELTE concerning:
ESG 1.1 Policy for quality assurance
ESG 1.3 Student-centred learning, teaching and assessment
ESG 1.5 Teaching staff
ESG 1.6 Learning resources and student support
ESG 1.7 Information management
ESG 1.9 On-going monitoring and periodic review of programmes

3. External context of quality development (1)
Conditions
Challenges
Serious cut of financial resources of the Hungarian higher-education since 2008
Financing system of Hungarian HEIs does not reward quality
Unstable legal environment
Act on HE passed in 2005 was modified 42-times
Act on HE passed in 2011 was modified 20-times
Regulation on quality assurance changed considerably in 2011
How to reverse the trend of worsening position of ELTE in international rankings
Competition for talented Hungarian students
Competition for attracting foreign students 3

4. External context of quality development (2)
Challenges
To reconcile
the short-term demands of the labour- market and
the role of HEIs to turn out graduates capable to meet long-term needs of social development
Conditions
Current rigid national regulatory framework is an obstacle for educational innovation (e.g., launching new MA programmes)
Short-term view of key actors of labour-market
Decreasing prestige and relative income of the profession of university lecturers

5. Radical changes in regulation concerning quality assurance
Key features of regulation
based on Act of 1993 and 2005
based on Act of 2011
General operation
Partial autonomy for HEIs
Narrow autonomy for HEIs
Status of
Hungarian Accreditation Committee
(HAC)
Independent accreditation body
(separated budget item in the General Government Budget)
Members: mainly delegates of Rectors’ Conference and Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Active member of ENQA
Main functions: to accreditate education programmes, HEIs and Doctoral Schools
Advisory body to the government
(limited autonomy; its budget is decided as a support by the Minister of Human Capacities
10 of 20 members are delegated by the Minister of Human Capacities
Contribute to the licencing process of programmes and institutions by Hungarian Education Authority (EA)

6. Key features
based on Act of 1993 and 2005
based on Act of 2011
External QA of
Higher Education Institutes
Obligatory accreditation process
of HEI (in every 5 years) by HAC
Direct relationship between HAC and the HEIs
Process of renewal of HEIs’ licences by the Hungarian Education Authority (EA).
EA may ask the opinion of the HAC
No direct relationship between HAC and the HEIs
Internal QA in HEIs
The law required internal QA system in the HEIs
No explicit obligation of having internal QA system
National Quality Award to encourage development of QA
The Government Decree on NQA was eliminated in 2013
Practice
The HAC is continuing to conduct „accreditation processes” based on ESG (similarly as before 2011) – however under radically changed circumstances

7. Worsening financial position of the Hungarian education (1)
Forrás:(OECD,2016) 7

8. Worsening financial position of the Hungarian education (2)
Forrás:(OECD,2016) 8

9. Internal context of quality development at ELTE (1)
Challenges
Conditions
How to develop excellence programmes under the circumstances of mass education
To decrease drop-out rate
To tackle the conflicts between teaching and research obligations
Inadequate infrastructural conditions
Lack of internal system of incentives 9

10. Internal context of quality development at ELTE (2)
Conditions
Great differences across faculties
in terms of leaders’ and lecturers’ attitudes towards QA
in formal and informal requirements
Challenges
To ensure good carrier opportunities for the best teachers and researchers
To develop adequate tools for quality assurance (transparency, self-evaluation, etc.)

11. Institualisation of a quality-development framework (processes)
ESG
Qualty Manual*
Annual Qualiy Goals (ELTE and all faculties)**
Quality-development
Programme (
IDP ( )
Annual Qualiy Report (ELTE and all faculties) **
IDP: Institutional Development Plan
*/ approved by the Senate in 2016; **/annual cycle since 2015

12. Institutions of ELTE’s quality-development framework
RECTOR’S CABINET
QUALITY ASSURANCE
OFFICE
QUALITY-
DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
FACULTY QUALITY
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
SENATE
VICE RECTOR FOR EDUCATION
DEANS
FACULTY COMMISSIONER
FOR QUALITY AFFAIRS
HEADS of BA/BSc and MA/MSc PROGRAMMES
DEPARTMENTS/INSTITUTES
RECTOR
FACULTY COUNCIL

13. Lack of common view on the role of quality assurance activities
ESG 1.1 Policy for quality assurance ELTE: Annual cycle of setting and evaluating quality goals institutionalized in 2015
Goals / expectations
Contribute to change the dominant attitude (administrative requirements vs quality culture)
Form a cycle for continuous improvement (through self-evaluation)
Current levels: ELTE and faculties; Plan: programmes-level (BA / MA /PhD)
Hindering factors
Lack of common view on the role of quality assurance activities
Lack of experts in quality assurance activities

14. ESG 1.3 Student-centred learning, teaching and assessment A priority of ELTE: wider application of innovative learning and teaching methods and digital technologies
Goals / expectations
Stimulating students’ motivation, self-reflection and engagement in the learning process
Actions (starting in 2015):
Implementing ELTE-level LMS (Canvas, Moodle) and related internal education
Offering centrally organized short courses in innovative teaching methods to the teaching staff
Hindering factors
High number of contact-hours per a teacher
Tradition of theoretical focus and frontal style of teaching
Differing support by the deans to the idea of internal further- education for the teaching staff

15. ESG 1.5 Teaching staff ELTE implemented an application for „Rector’s award for excellent performance”in 2016
Goals / expectations
Acknowledge the good performance in teaching, research and „third mission”
A step towards „performance- culture”
Hindering factors
Uncertainty around the future of the system
Criticism due to shortcomings of the methodology applied

16. ESG 1.6 Learning resources and student support A priority of ELTE: reducing students’ drop-out
Goals / expectations
Special introductory courses helping the transition in learning methods from secondary school to university
Development of human support in the form of tutors, counsellors and other advisers
Development of libraries, study facilities and IT infrastructure
Hindering factors
Lack of resources
High number of contact-hours per a teacher
Lack of incentives for the teaching staff for student- centred („personalized”) teaching

17. ESG 1.7 Information management ELTE: development a system of performance indicators at university level started in 2016
Goals / expectations
Contribute to
informed decision-making
increasing transparency for our stakeholders
Hindering factors
for developing performance indicators at faculty and programme levels:
„blaming and shaming” attitude outside and inside ELTE
Shortcomings of methodologies

18. ESG 1.9 On-going monitoring and periodic review of programmes ELTE: a project for renewal of the system of course evaluation by students started in 2015
Goals / expectations
Application of the results of course evaluation
as a feedback for course development
as an element of extra-rewards for teaching staff
Hindering factors: great differences
in the views and attitude of teaching staff concerning the reliability of course evaluation
in the views and attitude of students concerning the importance of course evaluation

19. ELTE’s leadership is committed to ESG
„The key goal of QA at ELTE is to develop regulated and transparent processes that
involve and make employees and students of ELTE interested in continuous development of quality of learning and teaching, reseach and related services;
protect the values declared in the mission statement of ELTE;
make the operation of ELTE transparent;
regularly evaluate the performance of ELTE; and
protect students and employees of ELTE against any intolerance and discrimination.”
(Quality Manual of ELTE)