Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Quality Assurance in Higher Education
SHABSC2221
03/22/2023
What is higher education
• Higher education refers to education
beyond the secondary level;
especially: education provided by a
college or university.
• Higher education is a rich cultural and
scientific asset which enables personal
development and promotes economic,
technological and social change. (UNESCO)
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“Education is about more than literacy and
numeracy – it is also about citizenry. Education
must fully assume its central role in helping
people to forge more just, peaceful and tolerant
societies.” — BAN KI-MOON, FORMER UN
SECRETARY-GENERAL
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The Need for Quality Assurance in
higher education
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Since the first 1980s and on into the twenty-first
century, quality issues have surfaced in every industry
and almost every organization in the US.
The standard movement started in manufacturing
and then moved to service industries.
Initially service organizations failed to feel quality
systems would transfer very easily from manufacturing,
but today service companies are reaping substantial
rewards from implementing quality programs.
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Mediaeval Institutions and Their Influence on
the Foundation of American Higher Education
(World higher education as well)
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Process of quality assurance
Guidelines and standards for quality assurance
National Level
• Establishment of Quality Assurance and Accreditation Directorate
• Development of a system to oversee quality
• Capacity building of QAA members, staff and peer-reviewers
Institutional Level
• Establishment of internal quality assurance units (IQAU) and organizational structures
• Development of strategic plans at each institution
• Development of operation plans (work plan)
• Regular self-assessment each year
Faculty/Program Level
• Establishment of sub-QA units at each faculty/program
• Regular assessment of courses through Annual program monitoring
• Development of individual plans
Levels of Quality assurance
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1. Policy and procedures for quality assurance
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4. Quality assurance of teaching staff
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6. Information systems
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Key Barriers to quality in education
Lack of funding, increased dependence on
short-term external funding sources.
Increasing numbers of unethical practices,
fraud, corruption by different stakeholders.
Language barriers for education and
research
Lack of full engagement of faculty and staff
Lack of integration of institutional, national
and supranational policies
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Confusing terms
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• Quality assurance in education is the guidelines,
policies, and procedures to make a high-quality
teaching learning experience and avoid defects.
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