Post on 29-Dec-2015
Quality in Higher Education: A Pragmatic approach
King Saud University 2009Professor Hilary Winchester
Quality: A Pragmatic Approach
This lecture views quality from three perspectives:
As senior manager responsible for quality, preparing my own institution for audit;
As auditor, particularly as Chair of an audit/accreditation panel;
As auditee.
The quality manager’s perspective
The university quality manager needs to have a big picture, and to understand:
What is the University’s intent, as encapsulated in its Mission, Vision and Values?
Where is it on its journey towards its goal?
How does it compare to others on a similar journey (benchmarking)?
The quality manager’s perspective
To prepare a University for quality audit, the quality manager needs to understand the University’s improvement cycle:
Plan – Act – Evaluate – Improve
Approach- Deployment- Review-Improve
The quality manager’s perspective
Unfortunately the quality manager often swings into action at the evaluation or review stage – because a quality audit is imminent
They then have to rewrite history to give a coherent story
The quality manager’s perspective
The evaluation process requires:
• self-review• real evidence (quantitative or qualitative)• useful measures• fresh eyes• a ‘trial audit’ can be a useful mechanism
The quality manager’s perspective
The quality manager needs to:
• Identify gaps/problems• Find appropriate measures• Explain matters of significance • Set priorities for action• Work to the key standards
The quality manager’s perspective
To prepare an institution for audit, the quality manager needs to:
Identify and use existing accountabilities, structures and policies to bring about improvement
Identify the champions of change
Consider a communication strategy
Institutional readiness is a process of cultural change
Towards a self-assessment checklist
The themes and expectations of the national audit body are outlined by the
National Commission for Academic Accreditation & Assessment
Standards for Accreditation and Quality Assurance
Five groups; 11 standards
Standards for Accreditation and Quality Assurance
A. Institutional Context
1. Mission and Objectives
2. Governance and Administration
3. Management and Quality assurance and Improvement
B. Quality of Learning and Teaching
4. Learning and Teaching
C. Support for Student Learning
5. Student Administration and Support Services
6. Learning Resources
Standards for Accreditation and Quality Assurance
D. Supporting Infrastructure
7. Facilities and Equipment
8. Financial Planning and Management
9. Employment Processes
E. Community Contributions
10. Research
11. Institutional Relationships with the Community
The auditor’s perspective
How do auditors work?• Reading the self-assessment document• Identifying issues for discussion• Following audit trails• Triangulating at interview – horizontal slices
across the institution • Sampling schools and programs
The auditor’s perspective
Auditors’ favourite questions:• How do you know this committee/ program/
approach is effective?• How do you know policy x is complied with in
all departments?• How do you benchmark good practice?• What are your processes for evaluation and
review?
The auditor’s perspective
Auditors least favourite answers:
• I’m new here and I don’t know...• That policy/program/function is under review• We’ve always done it this way• We don’t need quality assurance because
we are the oldest/most prestigious/ best funded University
Auditee’s perspective
At the audit:• Know who you are and where you are – your mission, how far you
are on the journey and how you compare with others• Give an honest assessment• Prepare as well as you can• Engage your governors, managers, academics and professional
staff, external partners• Students are your best ambassadors (and sometimes alumni)
Auditee’s perspective
At the audit:
• Ensure the logistics are perfect• Walk the tightrope between briefing and coaching your staff• Share the talking• Three sentence answers are great• Treat it as a formal occasion
Pragmatic tips
• Engage staff in the process of improvement• Quality audit is an opportunity to drive the change
you want• Find some quick wins• Set priorities and targets• Use existing processes when you can• Avoid generating a huge bureaucracy – quality is
not about the paperchase, it’s what people do every day
Final comments
Thank you for the opportunity to visit your country and your university.
Best wishes in preparing King Saud University for quality audit.
hilary.winchester@unisa.edu.au