Horizontal: a comparison between two different contexts 4.9 Qualitative approach
Chapter 5 The empirical studies
5.5 The issue of quality assurance and accreditation at the European level
5.5.1 The formation process of European quality assurance procedures in higher education sectors sectors
At the European level, the policy of higher education in the European countries is a national matter that includes legislation related to quality assurance and accreditation. The Bologna Process does not butt into national higher education policies, and progress in the countries’ efforts in achieving the European Higher Education Area relies on the harmony and cooperation between the members, which cannot be obtained through force. Quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area has faced a big challenge because of the complete absence of these practices at the national level. Each national higher education system has had to develop its own policies and administrations in this regard (HRK, 2007).
From on the above discussed actions and declarations, it could be concluded that the creation of the European Higher Education Area drove the need for a quality assurance system to be created quickly. On the one hand, the higher education systems in Europe are defined by a variety of socio-cultural and educational traditions, political systems, languages, aspirations, expectations, and levels of state interference, especially in public institutions (ESG, 2015). One of the essential drivers of the Bologna Process was the quality of higher education. Hence,
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quality assurance and accreditation practices are critical requirements for creating the European Higher Education Area.
The first action taken to formulate European quality assurance was at the national level.
By requesting each member country to establish its national quality assurance system, the quality of higher education became one of the important national goals. The foundation of the academic system’s accountability is each institution assuming ultimate responsibility for quality assurance in keeping with the national quality framework (Ministerial Conference, 2003). As a second action, the need for developing a European network for international harmony and effective cooperation between member countries appeared. Each higher education institution needed to adopt an adequate internal quality assurance system linked with external governance for a guarantee of the decision-making quality (Fischer-Bluhm, 2007). Hence, a common framework of standards and procedures for quality and accreditation had to be defined. The commonly approved European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) for quality assurance and peer reviewing were an urgent demand at that phase. The works of quality assurance agencies within Europe had to be unified at national and international levels (HRK, 2004).
5.5.2 European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) for quality assurance in higher education The ESG, which were developed by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and adopted in 2005 in Bergen, are considered to be reference documents for institutions and quality assurance agencies for internal and external quality assurance systems in higher education and have been a strong factor for changes in relation to quality assurance (ESG, 2005). In 2012, resulting from the ongoing changes, the Ministerial Communiqué called for cooperation work for revising and improving the ESG “to improve their clarity, applicability and usefulness, including their scope” (Minstrel Conference, 2012,2). The E4 Group (ENQA, ESU, EUA, EURASHE), in cooperation with Education International (EI), Business Europe and the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), worked together to prepare an initial proposal for a revised ESG (Ministerial Conference, 2012).
These standards are not quality standards and do not explain how to apply quality assurance processes; however, they offer guidance for internal and external quality assurance
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in higher education institutions to gain an effective quality provision and better learning environment. The central attention of these standards is placed on the quality assurance of learning and teaching in higher education, while other institutional activities, such as research and governance, are evaluated and improved through other policies and processes which are pre-determined in each institution (ESG, 2015).
The purpose of the ESG is as follows:
- To set a common framework for the learning and teaching quality assurance systems at European, national, and institutional levels;
- To enable the assurance and improvement of quality of higher education in the European higher education area;
- To promote mutual trust, supporting easy recognition and mobility within and across national borders
- To provide information on quality assurance in the EHEA. (ESG, 2015)
The standards and guidelines have been set to cover three interrelated areas which form together the quality assurance framework in European higher education:
1. Internal quality assurance 2. External quality assurance 3. Quality assurance agencies
The first group of standards and guidelines, for internal quality assurance, covers these elements:
1. Policy and procedures for quality assurance:
The institution has to develop an official policy and procedures for quality, set standards for its study programs, and apply a strategy for continuous and enhanced quality to achieve a culture of quality in its work. There should be a role for students and other stakeholders in the implementation of this policy and procedures.
2. Design and approval of programs:
The institution has to develop an official mechanism in order to approve, monitor, and review its programs regularly.
3. Student-centered learning, teaching, and assessment:
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The institution has to design its study programs and its outcome assessments in a way that involves and encourages the participation of students in the learning process.
4. Student admission, progression, recognition, and certification:
The institution has to set and apply pre-determined and published rules and regulations for all student stages in the university journey including those for admission, progression, recognition and certification.
5. Teaching staff:
The institution has to adopt procedures which assure that the teaching staff is certified and competent to carry out their tasks in the learning process.
6. Learning resources and student support:
The institution has to provide the learning and teaching activities for each study program with appropriate sources of funding.
7. Information management:
The institution should have a system for collecting, analyzing, and using related information in managing the study programs and other activities effectively.
8. Public information:
The institution should periodically publish information on its activities and programs in a well-aimed, evident, up-to date, reachable and objective form.
9. On-going monitoring and periodic review of programs:
The institution has to develop and apply its own procedures to regularly examine and re-assess its programs. It should thus (1) make sure that it reaches its own goals and fulfills its expected role in meeting the needs of students and society and (2) continuously improve the program based on these assessments.
10. Cyclical external quality assurance:
The institution has to apply for a periodic external quality assurance procedure in keeping with the ESG.
The second group of standards and guidelines, for external quality assurance, revolves around the following elements:
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1. Consideration of internal quality assurance:
The external quality assurance process has the task to assess the efficiency of the internal quality assurance system in keeping with the ESG, which are described in the first group.
2. Designing methodologies fit for purpose
It is important for external quality assurance to be constructed by the policy makers in an appropriate manner so that it will be able to reach the aims in view, respect any regulations, and sustain a process of improvement.
3. Implementing processes:
It is important for external quality assurance to be useful, reliable, pre-defined, applied consistently, and published. The implementing process consists of some form of self-assessment, an external assessment which includes a site visit, a report based on the external assessment, and a consistent follow-up.
4. Peer-review experts:
External quality assurance should be applied by groups of external experts that include at least one student member.
5. Criteria for outcomes:
Regardless of whether a formal decision is made, it is important for external quality assurance outcomes or results to be founded on published criteria that are clearly defined and consistently applied.
6. Reporting:
It is important for the external quality assurance process results – as well as any decisions connected with them – be published in the experts’ complete reports, making them available to the academic community, partners, and others.
7. Complaints and appeals:
It is important for external quality assurance processes to include a clearly defined outline of procedures for dealing with complaints and appeals and to inform the institutions about this appropriately.
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The third group of standards and guidelines, for quality assurance agencies, is centered on the following aspects:
1. Activities, policies, and processes for quality assurance:
The agencies’ regulations should be based on the ESG for external quality assurance.
Their published mission statement should include clearly defined aims and goals, which should be meaningful in the daily activities of the agency, and should encourage stakeholders to participate actively.
2. Official status:
Quality assurance agencies have to be legally and officially acknowledged as such by public policy makers.
3. Independence:
Agencies have to operate on their own, taking complete responsibility for their actions and remaining free from outside influence.
4. Thematic analysis:
The results of agencies’ actions have to be described and published at regular intervals.
5. Resources:
Sufficient, suitable staff and finances have to be available for agencies’ activities.
6. Internal quality assurance and professional conduct:
Internal quality assurance procedures have to be established by agencies to document and improve the quality and transparency of their work.
7. Cyclical external review of agencies:
At least once every five years, agencies have to be re-certified by an external review to confirm that they still comply with the ESG.