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