University of Rijeka QUALITY PROMOTION AT RIJEKA UNIVERSITY

University of Rijeka QUALITY PROMOTION AT RIJEKA UNIVERSITY Petar Bezinović Quality Promotion Office QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka The Quality Promotion Office. . . leads and supports the development of quality assurance and improvement in all areas of Rijeka University operations: • Teaching and learning • Research management • Student support services • Implementing Bologna reforms • Collaborative arrangements • Communication flow and decision-making. . . QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka The Quality Promotion Office Is being started as a reflection of awareness of the academic community about the importance of quality in higher education and aspiration of the University of Rijeka to integrate in the European Higher Education Area. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Some strategic goals of the University Harmonisation with the higher education within EU according to key documents: • Magna Charta Universitatum (1988) • Sorbonne Declaration (1998) • World Declaration on Higher Education, UNESCO, Paris (1998). • Recommendation of the EU Council about the European collaboration in the field of quality promotion of higher education (1998) • Bologna Declaration (1999) • Salamanca Convention (2001) • Communiqué of the European education ministers (Prague, 2001) Making possible the mobility of students, teachers, researchers, graduate students, recognition of diplomas issued at the University of Rijeka within Europe and world-wide. Accomplish the competitiveness of the University at the European labour market. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Some reasons for evaluations and quality monitoring Quality of the system functioning is not evaluated and monitored regularly and efficiently; Long studying period; Qualification level of graduate students is unknown. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka The immediate task To increase the awareness of the need to develop an internal quality culture; To promote the introduction of internal quality management in order to improve quality levels. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Our approach to quality culture EVERYONE has a responsibility for maintaining and enhancing the quality of the product or service. Quality assurance requires a whole-institution approach for a transformation to quality involving top-level commitment, followed by substantial and comprehensive involvement of all personnel. The transformation requires time, effort, and willingness of everyone in the institution to change to a culture which is quality-driven and ever-improving. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Our approach to quality culture – cont. It requires the commitment of everyone in the institution to an organisational culture that prizes quality, relentlessly improving in search of perfection. Impossible to achieve? It is a goal that University would aspire to seek to achieve, or get closer to. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

Organisational structure RECTOR QUALITY PROMOTION BOARD/ HEAD OF THE OFFICE Group for staff development Group for evaluation Groups within faculties Group for curr. development-ECTS Groups within faculties QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

QUALITY PROMOTION BOARD Members: One representative from every Faculty. Responsibilities: To promote collective responsibility for quality improvement and assurance throughout the University. To recommend to Rector/Senate policy and projects in relation to * Quality assurance * Educational development in relation to teaching, learning and assessment * The quality of the students’ learning experience To promote innovation and development which will enhance the quality in both teaching and non-teaching areas. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Methods used for quality promotion • Encouragement of constant discussion on quality, spreading of the quality culture within academic and non-academic community. • Defining standards and criteria of high-quality functioning of higher education institutions. • Development of evaluation and self-evaluation procedures in order to gather information on quality from all stakeholders. • Development of internal mechanisms for quality assurance. • Exploring the quality of leadership, quality of teaching, quality of administrative services. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Methods used for quality promotion – cont. • Ensuring the permanent feedback information from students as well as taking into consideration their suggestions, proposals and critics. • Exploring the quality of curricula, comparison with the studies on eminent European universities (ECTS). • Encouraging international co-operation and scientific competitiveness. • Development of staff – encouragement of vocational training of teachers, leaders and administrative staff. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

Basic strategy: Dynamic quality cycle Planning Evaluation Implementation of measures Aims and projects Quality debate Evaluation Assessment Reflection on results QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka About the quality debate Quality promotion groups at the Faculties co-ordinate their activities with the QPO – set out goals, criteria and standards, define measures and activities, take part in evaluation, apply the instruments, organise SWOT analysis, focus-groups, encourage public debates, monitor the accomplishment of the activities agreed – discover what is to be changed, and seek for efficient procedures that will stimulate changes. QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Projects - 2003/2004 1. Quality Culture Project: Collaborative arrangements, EUA Collaboration of University institutions with external partners (in process) 2. Development of Quality Promotion Groups at the faculties (in process) 3. Curricula development – ECTS implementation (in process) 4. Evaluation of quality of humanities and social studies (September, 2003 – December, 2004) 5. Orientational/motivational workshops for first-year students (October, 2003) QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003

University of Rijeka Projects -2003/2004 – cont. 6. Improvement of quality in teaching - training of younger teachers and future trainers - RWCT (March - June, 2003) 7. Bologna process - understanding trends and adjustment to them - for leaders of all organizational units (November, 2003) 8. Student perspective on quality in higher education – Assessment and guidance for change (March - April, 2004) 9. Teacher perspective on quality in higher education – Assessment and guidance for change (March - April, 2004) 10. Round tables, lectures, visiting programmes… (permanent) QUASYS, Dubrovnik – October 11 -12, 2003