The university organization of quality assurance

On the 1st of January 2007 the management of the University established the Office of Quality Assurance (OQA), where quality assurance rapporteurs work. The Rector exercises the OQA’s employer power.

On the 15th of April 2007 the management of the University established the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) assigned to the Rector. The OQA rapporteurs are technically instructed by the QAC Chairman. The members of the QAC are the competent vice-deans of the faculties and the quality assurance delegates of the central organizations concerned.

The Committee, as the main professional body of the University’s quality assurance system, carries out the setting up and improvement of the quality assurance system of the institution. Its system administrator tasks are to actuate and improve the self-assessment methodology and to elaborate and disseminate the quality development plan on the university level. Its consultative support tasks are to design faculty self-assessments, make and monitor quality improvement plans, and to assure the necessary knowledge and experiential background.

In both areas the Committee’s task is to provide internal training courses, Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques and project management knowledge. On the basis of the Rector’s decision the Quality Assurance Committee presents its project schedule and reports to the Senate.

Operational Structure of the Committee

Diagram 1: Organizational Structure of QAC

The three functions are covered by three professional teams. The Committee has mainly a supporting, consultative and counselling role in all three functions.
The work is implemented by different operative teams, which the Rector orders to be set up upon the proposal of the QAC.

The Committee is competent to decide the strategic trends and key processes, to specify the targets relating to the particular quality assurance areas, and to draw up the University’s mission and quality assurance policy. These proposals become decisions based on the Rector’s and the Senate’s decisions.

The regulations of the QAC are laid down by the committee and are presented to the Rector.

Tasks of the Office of Quality Assurance

• to actuate and supervise globally the university’s quality assurance system,
• to act as a consultative advisor to perform  faculty self-assessments,
• to summarize the organizational unit self-assessments at university level, to evaluate the results, and to submit  development  proposals to the Quality Assurance Committee;
• to elaborate the university’s annual quality development programmes, using the results of the faculty self-assessments;
• to contribute to the elaboration of the institutional development plan;
• to prepare bi-annual self-assessments, to decide on methodology, and to summarize  assessment materials;
• to monitor  the university’s quality assurance system yearly, to compile, register and deliver quality management documents to the concerned parties, and to withdraw and archive invalidated copies;
• to ensure publicity of results in connection with the function of the university quality assurance system;
• to participate in elaborating the university quality assurance system procedures and to supervise their efficient implementation;
• to assist the accreditation procedure.
• The quality management executives of the faculties are appointed by the responsible vice-deans of the faculties.

Tasks of the faculty quality management executives:

• to actuate and supervise globally the university quality assurance system;
• to perform the faculty self-assessments, to evaluate the results, and to submit development proposals;
• to elaborate the faculty’s annual quality development programmes;
• to forward the  faculty self-assessment results to the Office of Quality Assurance;
• to supervise yearly the faculty quality assurance system, to compile and register the quality management documents, to forward them to the concerned parties, and to withdraw and archive invalidated copies;
• to elaborate the procedures of the faculty quality assurance system and to monitor their efficient realization;
• to provide support for the accreditation procedure;
• to aid in the preparation of annual reports;
• to encourage a quality-oriented approach at the faculty;
• to keep in continuous contact with the University’s OQA.

The members of the Quality Assurance Committee