Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Study of Developing Countries by David Lim

Author:David Lim [Lim, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Business & Economics, Total Quality Management, Education, Higher, Social Science, Sociology, General, Developing & Emerging Countries
ISBN: 9781000160277
Google: IIXxDwAAQBAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 34566799
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2017-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

4.5 Australian University Quality Agency

These concerns led the government to propose, in December 1999, the establishment of the Australian University Quality Agency in 2001 (Kemp, 1999). In sharp contrast to the position taken earlier (Commonwealth of Australia, 1999), it identifies a number of serious weaknesses in the current system. These include the focus on inputs and processes at the expense of outcomes, the complete discretion of universities over the rigour of their quality assurance processes, and the absence of an external review of standards and the quality assurance processes. Other important weaknesses are the inability to compare degrees between Australian institutions or Australian standards with those of other countries, and the lack of coherence in policies and procedures for accrediting institutions and courses.

These weaknesses are less tolerated now because of developments in a number of areas. The massive growth in government expenditure on higher education, A$8.2 billion in 1997, has led to the need for greater public accountability, good management practices and flexibility in using resources to provide quality education efficiently. Students pay a higher proportion of the costs of their education and demand better quality and value for their money. Developments in information and communication technology have produced greater flexibility in the delivery of university education and enabled inter-state and foreign suppliers to compete effectively in the local market. This gives students a greater choice of suppliers, with the greater competition increasing the need for institutions to supply quality programmes. Australia’s major competitors in the highly competitive international higher education market (e.g., the UK) have external quality assurance mechanisms, which disadvantages it because customers in the major markets look to government verification of quality standards. The states, the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee and the learned academies (e.g., the Australian Academy of Science) have also pressed for initiatives to improve the current system.

The proposed agency has four functions. The first is to conduct and publish periodic quality audits of self-accrediting institutions and State/Territory accreditation authorities. The second is to monitor, review and provide reports on quality assurance processes and procedures in self-accrediting institutions and State/Territory accreditation authorities and on their impact on quality. The third is to monitor, review and negotiate, in consultation with all other stakeholders, amendments to criteria for recognition as a university and the accreditation of non-university higher education awards. The fourth is to monitor and report on the comparative world standing of Australian higher education and its quality assurance framework.

An instrumental and holistic approach will be used, where each institution will be asked to submit a self-assessment of the performance of its onshore and offshore teaching, research and management against its mission. The agency has five specific tasks. The first is to assess the appropriateness of the quality assurance and improvement plan against the institution’s context and mission. The second is to evaluate the rigour of the mechanisms used to review courses and the academic organisational units, and to monitor performances against the institution’s plan. The third is to assess the research activities and outputs, the fourth,

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