Academic Quality Assurance

Professor Richard JamesDeputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Provost

The University of Melbourne

National Taiwan Normal University, June 2017

What policies, mechanisms and practices can be put in place to assure academic quality and improve quality?

Overview

1. The national policies and activities for quality assurance for teaching and learning

2. Typical university policies and practices for academic quality assurance

Australian national policies and programs

1. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)

2. Higher Education Standards Framework

3. Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

4. National survey suite: Student Experience Survey (SES), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS), Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS)

5. Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website

6. National awards for teaching excellence

7. [The former] Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) (Grants for innovation, National Teaching Fellows, etc.)

8. The Future?: Performance contingent funding (@7.5% of federal grant for teaching)

Australian national policies and programsWhat has the most impact on QA?

1. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)

2. Higher Education Standards Framework

3. Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

4. National survey suite: Student Experience Survey (SES), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS), Employer Satisfaction Survey (ESS)

5. Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website

6. National awards for teaching excellence

7. [The former] Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) (Grants for innovation, National Teaching Fellows, etc.)

8. The Future?: Performance contingent funding (@7.5% of federal grant for teaching)

12 University of Melbourne policies and activities

1. Explicit academic governance and management responsibilities

2. Senior Chancellery management roles (Provost, DVC Academic, PVC Teaching and Learning)Faculty/Graduate School leadership roles

3. Performance targets in the University’s strategic plan

4. Academic Board, Teaching & Learning Quality Assurance Committee (TALQAC)

5. Cyclical ‘deep dive’ reviews of every course

6. Central approval processes for new courses/subjects and changes to existing courses/subjectCentral approval processes for new courses/subjects and changes to existing courses/subjects

7. Quality of teaching embedded in confirmation criteria (for tenure), promotion criteria and annual performance review.

8. Student experience surveys for every unit/subject that is taught

9. Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education: research, professional development, expert policy advice

10. Grants for learning and teaching innovation

11. Awards for teaching excellence

12. Modern infrastructure (buildings, teaching spaces, wifi, etc.)

Academic governance

The specific roles …

• University Council – ‘corporate governance’Oversees the development and adoption of institutional strategic plans and key policies, monitors and reviews institutional performance and bears ultimate accountability for the institution, including its financial performance.

• Academic Board or Senate – ‘academic governance’Oversees the quality of academic activities and ensures standards.

• Executive Management – ‘institutional management’Carries out the leadership and management involved in day-to-day teaching and learning.

Academic Performance Framework

Teaching & Learning

Research & Research Training

Leadership& Service

ActivityThe range and volume of

academic activities, inputs and outputs

EngagementThe nature and role of

engagement with communities, industry and government

Quality & ImpactWithin and beyond the

academy, including academic excellence, originality, recognition, influence,

translation and adoption

What has the most impact on QA for teaching and learning and quality improvement?

1. Explicit academic governance and management responsibilities

2. Senior Chancellery management roles (Provost, DVC Academic, PVC Teaching and Learning)Faculty/Graduate School leadership roles

3. Performance targets in the University’s strategic plan

4. Academic Board, Teaching & Learning Quality Assurance Committee (TALQAC)

5. Cyclical ‘deep dive’ reviews of every course

6. Central approval processes for new courses/subjects and changes to existing courses/subjectCentral approval processes for new courses/subjects and changes to existing courses/subjects

7. Quality of teaching embedded in confirmation criteria (for tenure), promotion criteria and annual performance review.

8. Student experience surveys for every unit/subject that is taught

9. Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education: research, professional development, expert policy advice

10. Grants for learning and teaching innovation

11. Awards for teaching excellence

12. Modern infrastructure (buildings, teaching spaces, wifi, etc.)

melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au© Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne

2015