Aarhus University has developed a quality assurance policy for teaching and learning that charts a clear, value-based course for assuring the quality of AU’s degree programmes. The quality assurance policy is based on the students’ perspective and focuses on how the university wants students to experience the university – from choice of degree programme, commencement of studies and during studies, to graduation and transition to the labour market.
In continuation of this, the policy is divided into four sub-policies:
Sub-policy 1: Getting students off to a good start
Sub-policy 2: High-quality, coherent degree programmes
Sub-policy 3: Motivational teaching and learning environments
Sub-policy 4: Highly qualified graduates with relevant competencies
Using the quality assurance policy as a guideline, AU works continuously and systematically to ensure and develop the quality of degree programmes. This takes place within the framework of a common quality assurance system. The purpose of the system is to translate the quality assurance policy into specific standards and processes that can be applied across the organisation.
The quality assurance system also documents quality assurance at all levels, thereby supporting a coherent information flow in the organisation and a clear division of responsibilities between stakeholders.
The system consists of three interacting process levels:
Ongoing quality assurance | Ongoing day-to-day quality assurance in the contexts of lecturer-student interaction as well as in education and management-level forums. |
Degree programme quality assurance processes Holistic view | A holistic view of the individual degree programmes in the form of an annual status review report on quality assurance and degree programme evaluation. |
Consolidating cross-organisational processes Strategic objectives | A cross-organisational process that links quality assurance at the degree programme level with faculty/university level and supports the strategic objectives. |
The foundation for quality assurance at all three levels is the interplay between data, dialogue and follow-up. The goal is to ensure that we act on the basis of sufficient information and are able to track the results of quality assurance work over time.
Quality assurance must be based on the best possible information about the degree programmes.
This applies both to quantitative data such as exam statistics and qualitative data such as teaching evaluations and external examiners’ reports.
Quality assurance must take place through dialogue-based and development-oriented processes involving the relevant stakeholders. Dialogue enriches and clarifies the information provided by the data, and it is through dialogue that future initiatives and actions can be adapted and targeted to the individual degree programmes in the best possible way.
Quality assurance must be documented in meeting minutes, action plans and objectives that can form the basis for follow-up through a clear division of roles and responsibilities.
The AU quality assurance model shows how the interplay between data, dialogue and follow-up unfolds at all three levels of the process:
