23 września 2011

EUA

“Quality Culture” in European universities

New EUA report examines “Quality Culture” in European universities

A new report published last week examines the range of different factors and conditions that help to create a “quality culture” within Europe’s universities.

 

The report “Examining Quality Culture Part II: Processes and Tools - Participation, Ownership and Bureaucracy” is the result of EUA’s EC-supported project “Examining Quality Culture (EQC)”, which has been carried out in collaboration with the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and QAA Scotland.

 

The term “quality culture” in the title refers to the creation of a shared set of values and commitments to monitoring quality within universities. The report argues that establishing a quality culture is the most effective and meaningful way for universities to ensure that quality assurance (QA) mechanisms improve quality and support change within universities. This culture can be promoted through the creation of a space for debate and discussions about quality mechanisms and thus encourage their broad ownership. The report also stresses the need to clarify lines of responsibility and accountability in order to ensure that internal quality assurance mechanisms improve quality levels.

 

At a launch event in Brussels on the 16 September, co-organised by the Polish Presidency of the EU, report author, Andrée Sursock, presented the study findings to an audience of European HE stakeholders. Her presentation was followed by a panel discussion with representatives from universities, a student body and a QA agency.

 

“This report highlights that the vitality and sustainability of a quality culture depend upon both internal and external factors,” she explains. “It has shown that universities with effective quality cultures are generally located in an open environment which avoids over-regulation and enjoys high levels of public trust. These universities do not limit themselves to the definition of quality processes as set by their national QA agencies”.

 

The first part of the EQC study (published last year), based on a survey questionnaire, showed that universities had made remarkable progress in developing quality mechanisms. The second phase, which was based on 59 interviews with ten European universities, examined in greater depth the extent to which these mechanisms and processes have resulted in quality cultures.

 

The full report can be downloaded here.

 

More information about the EQC project is available here.