eqar's role in the ehea and cross-border recognition of ......
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European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education
EQAR's role in the EHEA and cross-border
recognition of quality assurance
Supporting the Belarus Roadmap for Higher Education ReformMinsk, 19 May 2017
Colin Tück
History
1999 2003 2005 2007 2012 2015
First intentions:
“Promotion of European co-operation in quality
assurance”
(Bologna Communiqué)
Initial commitment:
Key elements of quality assurance
systems
(Berlin)
Common principles:
Standards and Guidelines for Quality
Assurance in the EHEA
(Bergen)
European organisation:
European Quality Assurance Register
(EQAR)
(London)
Closer integration:
“allow EQAR-registered agencies to perform their
activities across the EHEA”
(Bucharest)
Further consolidation:
ESG revised, European Approach for QA of Joint Programmes
(Yerevan)
European Framework for Quality Assurance in HE
Standards and Guidelinesfor Quality Assurance
in the EHEA (ESG)
Common frameworkEnable assurance and improvement
Support mutual trust
European Quality AssuranceRegister for HE (EQAR)
Transparency of QAInformation on bona fide agencies
Mutual trust and recognition
Qualifications Frameworkof the EHEA (QF EHEA)
Three levels (Ba, Ma, PhD)Learning outcomes
ECTS ranges
European Approach forQA of Joint Programmes
Agreed standards and procedurefor joint programmes
Criteria forregistration
Based onESG & QF
Applied byEQAR-reg. Agencies
Referred instandard 1.2
European Quality AssuranceRegister (EQAR)
Mission:
Enhance trust and confidence in HE
Role:
EHEA’s official register of quality assurance agencies that comply substantially with the ESG
Established by E4 (ENQA, ESU, EUA, ERUASHE) at request of ministers
Non-profit and independent
Acting in the public interest
Stakeholder organisations
Governments
Observers
Register CommitteeIndependent QA experts,
nominated by stakeholders
Governance of the organisation
Decisions on registration of agencies
EQAR Objectives
Enhance trust in registered agencies
Prevent „accreditation mills“ from gaining credibility
Recognition of QA decisions and results
Support recognition of qualifications
Allow registered QAAs to operate across the entire EHEA(see Yerevan Communiqué 2015)
Enable HEIs to choose suitable QAA
Impact of EQAR registration
Other (please include your motivation below):
Enhance possibilities to accredit/evaluate/audit HEIs abroad
Improve reputation nationally
Facilitate (international) recognition of reviewed HEIS and programmes
Fulfill expectations of government(s) and/or stakeholders
Improve reputation internationally
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
54%
5%
16%
7%
3%
5%
0%
13%
7%
7%
5%
2%
4%
28%
20%
25%
25%
23%
38%
44%
52%
54%
60%
69%
What were/are the main motivations for your QAA to join EQAR ?
relevant somewhat relevant rather irrelevant irrelevant not applicable
(EQAR Self-Evaluation 2015, Survey of Quality Assurance Agencies, n=61)
EQAR-registered agencies
44 registered QAAs
Governmental members without registered agency
CC
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map
by
Mar
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EQAR in practice
Registration based on external review of agency
Annual updates on reviews and countries
Substantive change reports
Third-party complaints
Periodic renewal every 5 years
Icons: Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0
Planned: database ofexternal QA results
How Things Works Together
QA NQF A
QF- EHEA
NQF B
ESG & EQAR self-certification
Qualification in country A
Level in country Bmap & recognise
EHEA Key Commitments
1) A Three-Cycle System compatible with the QF-EHEA and scaled by ECTS2) Compliance with the Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC)3) Quality Assurance in conformity with European Standards and
Guidelines (ESG)Institutions granting degrees assure the quality of their programmes leading to degrees within the three-cycle system following the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG 2015).External quality assurance (be it at programme or institutional level) is performed by Agencies that have demonstrably complied with the standards and guidelines stipulated in the current ESG. This is best ensured where only those agencies registered on the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) are allowed to operate in the country.
Implementation Report 2015
Source: European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2015. The European Higher Education Area in 2015: Bologna Process Implementation Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union(Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged.)
Key Commitment on External Quality Assurance
External QA performed by agencies that demonstrably comply with the ESG, registered on EQAR
For some, but not all higher education institutions
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External quality assurance across borders
IEP
EAPAAECCE
FIBAA
BACev
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AAQ
ACSUG
AAC-DEVA
ACQUIN CTI
AQ-Austr
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AQAS
HCERES
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6 1 1 1
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36 26
15 16 82 6 3 17 3 7 2
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5 110 81 11119 6 136 67
71 112 97 702 271 55 278 739 1097
Total Home Inst CBEQA Prog CBEQA
CBQA: opportunities & challenges
Opportunities Challenges
Higher Education Institutions
● International visibility● Valuable feedback● Increased commitment● Different approaches● Suit their own mission
● Identify suitable agency● Workload and costs● Unknown expectations● Language
Quality Assurance Agencies
● International profile● Experience relevant for
work at home● Diversification
● Unfamiliar context● Adapting standards● Language
CBQA: national legal frameworks lag behind
Despite the robust European framework in place … Cross-border
accreditation/ evaluation not fully recognised
In addition/parallel to obligatory national external QA
Duplication of efforts for institutions Recognising EQAR-registered agencies as part of the national
requirements for external QA
Recognising foreign agencies with own/specific framework
Discussions ongoing
Countries not recognising external QA by foreign agency
CC
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by
Mar
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E4/EQAR: Key Considerations for CBQA
E4 Group and EQAR ad-hoc group, following up recommendation from RIQAA project (2012)
Reaffirm ESG as the basis for CB QA
Key issues that should be taken into consideration by HEIs and QAAs:
A. Engaging in cross-border QA
Rationale, suitable agency, legal framework, internal and external stakeholders
B. Carrying out cross-border QA
Procedures, preparation, expert selection/training, practical specificities
C. Addressing the results of cross-border QA
Recognition, complaints, appeals, follow-up
