European Quality Assurance in Higher Education after the

London ministerial meeting: moving towards 2010 (and beyond)

Sofia, 9 November 2007

Emmi HelleSecretary General

ENQA

ENQA

• network in 2000; association in 2004 • umbrella NGO for European QA agencies• 35 Full members, 10 Candidate members• associates and affiliates since 2006: 12+2• structure: Board, General Assembly,

Secretariat • from Helsinki to Brussels in 2008• external reviews of ENQA member agencies

by 2010• co-operation within E4 (EUA, ESU, EURASHE)

European standards and guidelines (ESG)

• drafted by ENQA in consultation with EUA, EURASHE and ESIB

• approved by the Bologna ministerial conference in Bergen in 2005

• consist of ▸ ESG for internal QA within HEIs (Part 1)▸ ESG for the external QA of higher education

(Part 2)▸ ESG for external QA agencies (Part 3)

London Communiqué: extracts on QA (1)

[…ESG] have been a powerful driver of change in relation to QA. All countries have started to implement them and some have made substantial progress. External QA in particular is much better developed than before […] student involvement at all levels has increased […] Since the main responsibility for quality lies with HEIs, they should continue to develop their systems of QA. We acknowledge the progress made with regard to mutual recognition of accreditation and quality assurance decisions, and encourage continued international cooperation amongst QA agencies.

London Communiqué: extracts on QA (2)

The first European Quality Assurance Forum, jointly organised by EUA, ENQA, EURASHE and ESU/ESIB (the E4 Group) in 2006 provided an opportunity to discuss European developments in QA. We encourage the four organisations to continue to organise European QA Fora on an annual basis, to facilitate the sharing of good practice and ensure that quality in the EHEA continues to improve.

London Communiqué: extracts on QA (3)

We thank the E4 Group for responding to our request to further develop the practicalities of setting up a Register of European Higher Education Quality Assurance Agencies. The purpose […] is […] open access to objective information about trustworthy QA agencies that are working in line with the ESG. It will therefore enhance confidence in higher education […] and facilitate the mutual recognition of QA and accreditation decisions. We welcome the establishment of a register by the E4 group […] The register will be voluntary, self-financing, independent and transparent. Applications for inclusion on the register should be evaluated on the basis of substantial compliance with the ESG, evidenced through an independent review process endorsed by national authorities […] We ask the E4 group to report progress to usregularly through BFUG, and to ensure that after two years ofoperation, the register is evaluated externally […]

The Register – progress to date

• after the ministerial endorsement, a Register working group set up by E4

• Project Manager appointed, with EC funding• name and acronym: European Quality Assurance

Register in Higher Education, EQAR• website under construction, will be launched in

December 2007: www.eqar.eu• will be founded as an association under Belgian

Law -> statutes and structure need to conform with that law

• founding GA meeting on 4 March 2008• envisaged first applications in June 2008

EQAR in practise (1)

Secretariat: Director (1 FTE) + Administrative assistant (0.5 FTE)

Founding Members

E4 Group

Register Committee

11 members in their individual capacity

5 government observers

General Assembly

Executive Board: 4 members (elected on proposal of the E4)

Governmental Members EHEA Governments, CoE, CEPES

Approval based on nominations

Social Partners BE and EI

Appeals Committee

3 members

Election

EQAR in practise (2): membership

• non-governmental members:▸ founding members (the E4 organisations)▸ social partner members (EI, BE)

• governmental members▸ all parties to the European Cultural Convention▸ intergovernmental organisations that are

consultative members of the BFUG (CoE, UNESCO-CEPES)

• members not to be confused with the agencies listed in the Register

• members pay annual membership fees, agencies pay fees of application and annual fees (to stay listed)

EQAR in practise (3)

EQAR in practise (4)

• promotes student mobility by providing a basis for the increase of trust among the HEIs;

• reduces opportunities for “accreditation mills” to gain credibility;

• provides a basis for governments to authorise HEIs to choose any agency from the Register, if that is compatible with national arrangements;

• provides a means for the HEIs to choose between different agencies, if that is compatible with national arrangements;

• serves as an instrument to improve the quality of the quality assurance agencies and to promote mutual trust among them.

EQAR in practise (5) – how will it look like?

• will be an easily accessible, publicly available, web-based information tool consisting in a list of QA agencies operating in Europe

• available at www.eqar.eu • contains basic information, such as:

▸ agency’s name and contact information▸ QA services provided by the agency▸ ENQA membership▸ country where the agency is established▸ countries in which the agency operates

Relationship between ENQA and EQAR

• EQAR will be an information tool on trustworthy agencies, a list on the internet▸ will not organise events, publish reports,

share good practise or conduct (research) projects

• ENQA is an umbrella organisation for QA agencies, a membership organisation▸ organises events, publishes reports, shares

good practise, conducts different (research) projects

▸ represents the interests of its members in the EHEA and internationally

Relationship between ENQA and EQAR

• ENQA will be a (founding) member of the EQAR association

• ENQA will nominate two representatives for the Register Committee

• ENQA will nominate one of the four members of the Executive Board and thereby be involved in the day-to-day management of the EQAR

Challenges related with EQAR

• funding and sustainable financial strategy? Self-financing?

• putting the ESG in practise?• duplication with ENQA membership?• different decisions from ENQA?• complexity of structure?

Bologna Process: priorities for 2009

• mobility• social dimension• data collection• employability• EHEA in a global context• stocktaking

▸ degree system and employability of graduates ▸ recognition of degrees and study periods▸ implementation of all aspects of QA in line with the

ESG ▸ national qualifications frameworks, learning

outcomes and credits, lifelong learning, and the recognition of prior learning

Bologna Process: 2010 and beyond

• will go on in some format: BFUG will report to the Leuven/La Neuve ministerial meeting in 2009 on the possible further development and support structures

• possible reformulation of the EHEA vision?

• an independent assessment in 2010 of the Bologna Process

Feedback from members at the Oslo GA – ENQA priorities for short term

▸ strengthen the internal communication within ENQA; ▸ clarify the relationship between ENQA and EQAR; ▸ create standards, supplementary to the ESG, on

transnational themes such as the quality of e-learning;

▸ play a major role in the Bologna Process as an overarching “political” organisation providing frameworks for the evolution of QA agencies;

▸ continue to be open to all agencies and, as a learning organisation, enable agencies to develop continuously;

▸ develop a lead role in representing the interests of its member agencies at European and international levels.

ENQA in the future

• European quality assurance agency?• European think-thank?• inclusiveness / exclusiveness?• compact association or going back to

loose network?• the ‘political’ role after the establishment

of EQAR?• the future of the ESG?• wider international role for ENQA?• radical rethinking of quality assurance?