The purpose of the degree programme evaluation is to ensure the quality and relevance of degree programmes. This process focuses on dialogue about degree programmes and development of degree programmes, so that AU's high expectations of degree programmes are aligned with those of external representatives. The academic environment discusses the analyses and proposed actions in the evaluation report with external experts, students, the director of studies, the head of school and the vice-dean for education. The degree programme evaluation ensures a thorough review of the degree programme, focusing on identifying action areas based on a holistic perspective of the degree programme.
The annual status review is structured around the five sub-policies contained in the Aarhus University's policy for quality assurance: (graphics)
The degree programme evaluation allows the academic environments to discuss their wishes, ideas and visions for the degree programmes with selected external experts and the programme management. By appointing and nominating external experts, the academic environment has influence on which profiles they deem to be relevant and help ensure a relevant output. The external experts present an academic and a societal/commercial perspective on the degree programmes. The external experts' task is to make a critical, constructive contribution with their perspectives on the degree programmes. These perspectives can supplement and challenge future work by the academic environment and management on the development and consolidation of degree programmes.
To ensure broader involvement of surrounding society, the evaluation report is submitted for comment to selected employers and the chair of external co-examiners.
Two meetings are held on the day of the evaluation: a preliminary meeting and an evaluation meeting.
Students contribute various inputs to the meetings to ensure a broad representation of student perspectives.
Students who attend the preliminary meeting have no experience working on councils and boards, and can contribute with their immediate insight into the degree programmes from everyday life on campus.
Students who attend the evaluation meeting often have insight into the degree programmes from their work on councils and boards, and can thus supplement with statements by their fellow students in the preliminary meeting.
This wide circle of students contributes indirectly to the evaluation process through their responses to teaching evaluations, questionnaires and feedback to their lecturers, etc. These responses form part of the underlying data material on which the evaluation report is written.
The lecturers attend the preliminary meeting, at which they contribute their knowledge and experience of the degree programmes. In addition to the head of department, one lecturer attends the evaluation meeting. The lecturer elaborates on ongoing work on developing the degree programmes. The other members of the academic environment are involved in the preparation of the evaluation report on an ongoing basis.
The degree programme board is kept informed of the process and output of the evaluation meetings.
The action plan is the output of the degree programme evaluation. At the evaluation meeting, the preliminary action plan is validated, and is then approved by the vice-dean for education. At the evaluation meeting, the direction of developments for the coming period (up to five years) is determined on the basis of the vision section in the evaluation report, and the academic environment strives to accommodate this.
All templates refered to in the text below can be found via this link: Skabeloner og dokumenter
The head of department is responsible for writing the evaluation report. A report template has been developed for this purpose. The template ensures that all sub-policy areas are covered in the evaluation report.
The report template for Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes is available here in Danish and English. The report template for professional Master's degree programmes is available here in Danish.
Action plans for the departments' degree programmes are an important part of the dialogue material in the process of degree programme evaluations. At the Faculty of Arts, we use a template in which the academic environments enter a status of initiated and completed actions in the top field as well as new actions for the current quality process year. The action plan template is available here in Danish and English.
The academic environment must select relevant external experts and invite them to participate in the degree programme evaluation. Recommendations of external experts must be reasoned with academic arguments. The head of department is responsible for drawing up a list of recommended external experts and for forwarding it to the head of school and the director of studies for their comments and subsequent approval. Following approval of the recommended external experts by each school, the vice-dean for education makes a decision on the final composition. At Arts, a recommendation form has been prepared which the head of department uses when drawing up the list. The principles for recommendation of external experts are available here in Danish and English.
Students participate in degree programme evaluations either in the preliminary meeting or in the evaluation meeting. There are different criteria for participating in the preliminary meeting and the evaluation meeting, and these are described in the lists of participants. The different criteria underpin the different purposes of the two meetings. The head of department ensures that the completed list of participants is sent to the administrative coordinator, who invites the students to the meetings. The list of participants for preliminary meetings is available here in Danish and English. The list of participants for evaluation meetings is available here in Danish and English.
Lecturers also participate in teaching evaluations and are broadly represented at the preliminary meetings. The head of department and one representative from the academic environment attend the evaluation meeting. The list of participants for preliminary meetings is available here in Danish and English.
The head of school prepares a report containing management's reflections and decisions regarding the research base of degree programmes. At the Faculty of Arts, we have prepared a template for the report by the head of school, and this supports compliance with the relevant indicators and supplementary material regarding the research base. A short guide has also been prepared on how to write reports by the head of school. The template for the report by the head of school is available here in Danish and English.
