Public Providers Forum

Murisi AuditoriumCHE

21 February 2012

Demonstrating quality in higher education

Public Providers QA Forum Council on Higher Education

Dr Mark HayExecutive Director: Quality Assurance

21 February 2012

Quality assurance and what is ‘higher’ about higher education

OutlineUpdate on CHE activitiesDemonstrating quality and academic standards

Update on CHE activities CHE’s QA and QP mandate Defining quality and its

achievement The national and institutional

contexts What’s to be done? Available tools in the QA

toolbox

Our higher education system Maturing HE system, public and

private Institutions at various levels of

quality maturity Some public institutions are

struggling Need for both accountability and

development tools Next period of quality assurance

CHE’s QA tools

QA and the public good: society, students and staff

AccreditationNational reviewsInstitutional audits/reviewsQuality promotion and development

Some thoughts on demonstrating quality – 1 Quality, integrity and accountability Transparency QA that ensures best service to society,

students and staff Moving beyond the status quo (asking

the right questions and doing the right things?)

Positioning HEIs -21st century global institutions

Some thoughts on demonstrating quality – 2

How institutional quality is managed and assured: Systems (quality management, support,

administration) Staff qualifications Academic programmes (approval and review) Teaching and learning, and assessment Research Community engagement EQA (HEQC, professional bodies, reviews …)

Some thoughts on demonstrating quality – 3

Academic standards that are transparent, e.g. Staff qualifications, prof development Student learning and student experience Programme Quality of teaching Assessment/ formative feedback Use of (external) reference points (NQF,

professional, research…)

Some thoughts on demonstrating quality What if… institutions had

agreed metrics and data on the website (that can be understandable!) [one place, location and site] Snapshot of the institution - data Programme information Accreditation history (who accredits you, when

and history) Contact information (with names and titles)

(including who to phone for complaints)

Some thoughts on demonstrating quality – 5

Staff qualifications/credentials What a programme will enable a student to

do What is in place to support student

learning Clear overview of (all) costs to students Pass rates … Staff to student ratios (disaggregated). Do we need a discussion on what

information HEIs should disclose?

Conclusion

www.che.ac.za

Demonstrating quality on the way to system maturity and greater self-regulation.