• Introduction
• Legislative Background
• Review Process
• Outcomes
• Timeframe
• Legislation on Quality Assurance

An extensive, independent and objective review of quality assurance in Irish universities will be conducted by the European University Association and American and Australian experts.  The review is being jointly commissioned by the Irish Universities Quality Board [IUQB] and the Higher Education Authority [HEA]. The review is structured to accord with the respective responsibilities of the universities and the HEA concerning quality assurance under the Irish Universities Act 1997. The combined review arrangements are designed to ensure that the university system and its stakeholders gain maximum benefit from comprehensive evaluations by teams of experienced international quality assurance experts and that the procedures and processes in place in Irish universities can be reviewed against best practice internationally.

The review is taking place in the wider context of -

• the Government's "strategic objective of placing Ireland's higher education system in the top rank of the OECD in terms of both quality and levels of participation"
• the Government's commitment to "support efforts to protect and improve the quality of academic teaching and learning at undergraduate level " (Programme for Government)
• Government's acknowledgement that "the challenges of maintaining, quality, responsiveness and competitiveness in higher education are a major priority against the background of unprecedented levels of expansion, change and diversification in the sector in Ireland"

The implementation of appropriate quality assurance procedures must be an essential part of any strategy to achieve such top rank positioning.  The intention is that this review will support the Irish universities in the continuing development of their quality assurance procedures to meet the best standards and practices in the world.

Legislative Background

The universities are obliged under the Universities Act, (1997) to establish and implement procedures for quality assurance, and to arrange for a review of the effectiveness of these procedures.

The HEA has a statutory function to assist universities achieve their quality assurance objective (under Section 49 of the Universiteis Act, 1997);  to review and report on the quality assurance procedures developed by the universities and to be consulted by the universities in their review of the effectiveness of quality assurance procedures (under Section 35 (4) of the Universities Act, 1997).  The IUQB was established by the universities to increase the level of inter-university co-operation in developing quality assurance procedures and processes, in line with best international practice and to facilitate the conduct of reviews of the effectiveness of quality assurance procedures and their outcomes.

The HEA and the IUQB have separate but complementary mandates in relation to quality assurance. In jointly commissioning this review, both roles will be combined with the objective of achieving the maximum benefit for the system in a more timely and cost efficient way.

Review Process

The HEA and the IUQB have engaged the European University Association (EUA) to undertake this review with the assistance of experts from America and Australia. 

The EUA has a strong international reputation in quality assurance evaluation having conducted institutional reviews of universities in some 33 countries. The EUA adopts a dynamic methodological approach to evaluation.  It focuses on the universities' capacity to change, including their strategic planning and internal quality monitoring, and examines if all the preconditions are assembled to make each and every institution more adaptable and responsive to the changing higher education environment at local, national, European and international level.

Under the joint commission the EUA will 

• conduct, and report to the HEA on, an overall review of quality assurance procedures established by the universities, and
• in the case of each university, review and report on  the effectiveness of its quality assurance procedures and the implementation of findings arising out of the application of those procedures, in the context of its overall institutional decision making and strategic planning

The EUA review will examine the following areas for each of the seven universities:

• Design and planning of existing internal quality processes
• Effectiveness  of internal quality processes
• Relevance of internal quality processes and degree to which their outcomes are used in decision-making and strategic planning
• Perceived gaps in the internal mechanisms processes and frameworks and recommendations for enhancing them.

These key elements will be placed within an institutional analysis that will examine decision-making processes and will allow the review teams to comment on institutional obstacles and success factors for an effective internal quality management.

To complement the EUA overall review of quality procedures established by the universities the HEA in consultation with the IUQB and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI),  is putting in place a high level reference panel comprising eminent  individuals from outside the university sector.  The role of this panel will be to provide an external perspective on the social, cultural and economic context within which the Irish universities operate, and the procedures established by them in respect of quality assurance and quality improvement. The panel shall consider the outcomes of the EUA review and shall prepare for the HEA a "reflections" document which may identify particular issues of relevance to future reviews.

With a view to reinforcing the credibility and objectivity of the review process the EUA review teams will meet with the high level reference panel at the commencement of the process and again prior to its completion.  Both the panel and the IUQB will be afforded the opportunity to comment on draft findings of the review.

Outcomes

The EUA will provide a report to each university which will be published by the university on its website.  The results of the review will also be published as part of the report on the operations and the performance of the university to be provided by the university to the Minister for Education and Science and to be laid by him before each House of the Oireachtas in accordance with Section 41 of the Universities Act, 1997.

The EUA will provide a report to the HEA and the IUQB on its sector-wide review of quality procedures established by the universities and following consideration of the EUA report and the `reflections' document prepared by the high level reference panel, the HEA will publish the outcomes of the review following consultation with the IUQB.

One of the aims of the Irish Universities Quality Board is to maintain and enhance the level of inter-university co-operation in developing quality assurance processes.  Consistent with this aim the Board will support the universities in the implementation of recommendations for improvement in the EUA reports with a view to achieving sustained best practice in Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement across the university sector.

Timeframe

Stage 1:December 2003

• The EUA establishes the review team of quality assurance experts comprising eminent institutional leaders from Europe, Canada and the United States of America. This particular combination will provide the adequate mix of skills, knowledge, objectivity and international perspective.
• The EUA secretariat briefs the experts and introduced them to the specific issues and challenges facing IRish higher education
• The HEA, in consultation with the IUQB, establishes a high level reference panel of eminent individuals from outside the university sector to provide a link with employers and the wider society and underpin the credibility and objectivity of the review
• THe EUA provides the universities with a set of guidelines: Commencement of institutional preparations for review

Stage 2: January 2004

• The EUA hosts a seminar with the universities and the reviewers to present and discuss the proposed objectives of the review and to plan the process
• The Reviewers meet with the high level reference panel for an exchange of views and context setting

Stage 3: March 2004

• The seven universities provide the EUA with a self-evaluation report, which will comprise their previous submissions to the HEA and will be complemented with an analysis of the institutional context (following EUA guidelines). This is a crucial phase in the review in which careful consideration is given to maximise the engagement of each university community. A self-evaluation process that is carried out thoughtfully optimises the benefits of all subsequent stages in the review.

Stage 4: April - May 2004

• The reviewers make a site visit to each university and request any additional information as appropriate
• Universities submit any follow-up reports or data as requested by the reviewers

Stage 5: September - October 2004

• The reviewers make a second site visit to each university
• The reviewers meet with the high level reference panel to exchange views on the draft findings of the review

Stage 6: November 2004

• The EUA presents each of the seven written reports to each institution for comments on factual errors
• The EUA send each of the finalised reports to each university. The Universities publish the EUA reports on their websites
• The EUA sends to the HEA and to the IUQB a cross-sectoral report on quality assurance procedures highlighting cross-cutting issues and recommendations

Stage 7: December 2004

• The high level reference panel prepares a "reflections document" for the HEA

The HEA considers the EUA sectoral report and the document from the high level reference panel, makes recommendations and publishes the outcomes of the review, following consultation with the IUQB.

Legislation on Quality Assurance

• Full text of Universities Act (1997)
• Section 35 (Quality Assurance)
• Section 41 (Reports)
• Section 49 (Reviews)