A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

Dr David WoodhousePresident, INQAAHE

Executive Director, AUQA

Feedback on the

Guidelines from

the Perspective of

QA agencies

UNESCO 3rd Global Forum on

International Quality Assurance,

Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications

Dar es Salaam,

Tanzania, 13-14

September 2007

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Overview

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

1. States and Borders;

2. Cross-Border Higher Education;

3. Possible EQA actions;

4. EQA Collaboration;

5. The Role of INQAAHE;

6. Specific Comments on Guidelines.

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The Nation State;The Nation State;Control of internal issues;Control of internal issues;Collaboration on external Issues;Collaboration on external Issues;Higher Education is one area of Higher Education is one area of activity that is state-based, but has activity that is state-based, but has many added complications when it many added complications when it crosses borders.crosses borders.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

1. States and Borders

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Cross-border higher education (CBHE) Cross-border higher education (CBHE) poses a challenge for quality assurance poses a challenge for quality assurance (QA) agencies;(QA) agencies;

Guidelines for Quality Provision in Guidelines for Quality Provision in CBHE;CBHE;

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

2. Cross-Border Higher Education

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There are seven Guidelines for There are seven Guidelines for EQAs, the majority of which imply EQAs, the majority of which imply collaboration;collaboration;

Government action needed;Government action needed;

EQA action: inertia or initiative?EQA action: inertia or initiative?

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

2. Cross-Border Higher Education

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Actions that don’t threaten government or Actions that don’t threaten government or national sovereignty;national sovereignty;Advise and lobby national governments Advise and lobby national governments and agencies;and agencies;Ready themselves to support and Ready themselves to support and implement the Guidelines;implement the Guidelines;Interpretation of the Guidelines.Interpretation of the Guidelines.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

3. Possible EQA actions

3.1 Action Types3.1 Action Types

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Translation of the Guidelines into the Translation of the Guidelines into the national language;national language;Increasing attention to the quality of CBHE Increasing attention to the quality of CBHE (EQA Guideline (a));(EQA Guideline (a));Attention to the Guidelines in meetings and Attention to the Guidelines in meetings and conferences (b);conferences (b);Joint initiatives with peer agencies ©;Joint initiatives with peer agencies ©;

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

3. Possible EQA actions

3.2 Examples3.2 Examples

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EQA expectations that the institutions will EQA expectations that the institutions will address the institutional section of the address the institutional section of the Guidelines (d);Guidelines (d);The UNESCO / Council of Europe ‘Code of The UNESCO / Council of Europe ‘Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Good Practice in the Provision of Transnational Education’ (e);Transnational Education’ (e);Discussions on mutual recognition of EQA Discussions on mutual recognition of EQA judgements, and use of colleagues from judgements, and use of colleagues from other countries (g);other countries (g);

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

3.2 Examples (cont)3.2 Examples (cont)

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Compensate for lack of necessary Compensate for lack of necessary resources;resources;Compensate for lack HE or EQA capacity;Compensate for lack HE or EQA capacity;Compensate for clear policies or intentions Compensate for clear policies or intentions on the role and place of HE;on the role and place of HE;Overcome corruption of various kinds that Overcome corruption of various kinds that affect HE and its quality.affect HE and its quality.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

3. Possible EQA actions

3.3 What the Guidelines cannot do3.3 What the Guidelines cannot do

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Collaborating to act on common national Collaborating to act on common national issues;issues;Collaborating to act on issues that occur at Collaborating to act on issues that occur at the supra-national or international level;the supra-national or international level;Regional Networks;Regional Networks;

sharing ideas, andsharing ideas, andco-operating on cross-border issues.co-operating on cross-border issues.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

4. EQA Collaboration

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INQAAHE Guidelines for Good Practice INQAAHE Guidelines for Good Practice in Quality Assurance (GGP);in Quality Assurance (GGP);

Good Practice Database (GPDB);Good Practice Database (GPDB);

Clearinghouse;Clearinghouse;

Handbooks;Handbooks;

Consulting Service.Consulting Service.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

5. The Role of INQAAHE

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Cross-border education (a);Cross-border education (a);Principles of good practice in TNE Principles of good practice in TNE (e);(e);Information on standards (d).Information on standards (d).

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

6. Specific Comments on Guidelines

Part 1 Guidelines that can bePart 1 Guidelines that can be

addressed by individual EQAsaddressed by individual EQAs

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strengthen the existing regional and strengthen the existing regional and international networks (b)international networks (b);;Establish links… between the bodies of the Establish links… between the bodies of the sending & receiving countries ©sending & receiving countries ©;;International panels, benchmarking, and International panels, benchmarking, and joint projects (g)joint projects (g);;Mutual recognition agreements (f)Mutual recognition agreements (f)..

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

6. Specific Comments on Guidelines

Part 2 Guidelines that need Part 2 Guidelines that need

collaboration between EQAscollaboration between EQAs

14A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

6. ConclusionEQAs are very supportive of the Guidelines EQAs are very supportive of the Guidelines and many are actively working on their and many are actively working on their implementation. The main difficulties are that implementation. The main difficulties are that the first steps may need to be taken by others the first steps may need to be taken by others (eg governments) and are out of the control of (eg governments) and are out of the control of the EQAs, and that EQAs are already the EQAs, and that EQAs are already extremely busy so there is little ‘mental space’ extremely busy so there is little ‘mental space’ for the extra effort needed to seriously plan for for the extra effort needed to seriously plan for implementing the Guidelines.implementing the Guidelines.

INQAAHE is also supportive of the Guidelines, INQAAHE is also supportive of the Guidelines, and supportive of its member agencies in their and supportive of its member agencies in their attention to them.attention to them.

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Stella, A. (2007), ‘Dissemination and Implementation of the Stella, A. (2007), ‘Dissemination and Implementation of the UNESCO-OECD Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border UNESCO-OECD Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education: A Synthesis Report’, Report to 2007 General Higher Education: A Synthesis Report’, Report to 2007 General Conference of UNESCO.Conference of UNESCO.Woodhouse, D. (2004), ‘Desarrollo Global del Aseguramiento de la Woodhouse, D. (2004), ‘Desarrollo Global del Aseguramiento de la Calidad’, Calidad en la Educación, N°21, December 2004, Consejo Calidad’, Calidad en la Educación, N°21, December 2004, Consejo Superior de Educación, Santiago, ChileSuperior de Educación, Santiago, ChileWoodhouse, D. (2006), ‘The Role of Quality Assurance Agencies in Woodhouse, D. (2006), ‘The Role of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education in the 21st Century’, Keynote address to 1st Higher Education in the 21st Century’, Keynote address to 1st International Conference on Assessing Quality in Higher Education, International Conference on Assessing Quality in Higher Education, Lahore, Pakistan, 11-13 December 2006Lahore, Pakistan, 11-13 December 2006Woodhouse, D. (2007), ‘Emerging Issues in Quality Assurance in Woodhouse, D. (2007), ‘Emerging Issues in Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Perspectives of the INQAAHE’, Invited Higher Education: Perspectives of the INQAAHE’, Invited presentation to Second International Conference on Quality presentation to Second International Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Assurance in Higher Education in Africa, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 17-19 September 200717-19 September 2007

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

References

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David WoodhousePresident, INQAAHE Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,

13-14 September 2007

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y