Professor Dolina Dowling
Executive Director: Higher Education Review Unit
Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training
Kingdom of Bahrain
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
Why do we need Quality Assurance Units

Mandate

Models
Challenges
Strategies
facing Quality Assurance (QA) Units
to overcome challenges
2
External


QA agencies and their requirements for:
Institutional audits
Program reviews
Accreditation at institutional and program
levels
Professional body accreditation
3
Internal

Assisting in preparing for institutional audits/
accreditation

Assisting departments/faculties in preparing for program
reviews/ accreditation

Benchmarking – all levels

User surveys

Impact studies

Graduate tracking
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Internal contd.
Developing
and monitoring implementation of
policies and procedures to manage the quality
assurance arrangements of the institution
Program
development and approvals
Facilitating
quinquennial
departmental reviews
Staff
program
reviews/
development
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Decide on what ‘quality’ means for your
institution

Fitness of purpose


Depends on institutional type, age, mission
What is the institution’s approach?

Compliance

Improvement

Enhancement
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Decision about role and responsibilities influences structure and
resources
Does it influence location?
 QA is an institution-wide activity
So what is best location and reporting line?
The President/Vice Chancellor?
Why?
If to VP: Academic: student and administrative support services do not lie in this
portfolio. e.g. library, IT, counseling; residences; examinations and certification
If to VP: Administration: core academic functions of teaching and learning,
research and community engagement outside this remit
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Staffing and other resources depends on institutional
type, size and shape as well as meaning of quality
Institutional types in Oman, some examples:
 Publicly funded institutions
◦ National University
◦ Colleges of Technology
Private institutions
Transnational providers/cross border
Range of institutions - different sizes, offer varying
numbers of programs at different levels, niche
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
Decision on meaning of quality, roles and
responsibilities of QA Unit depends on all
these factors

There is no one right way
And

No one size fits all
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QUALITY
MANAGER
STUDENT
EVALUATION
CO-ORDINATOR
DIRECTOR
UNIT
ADMINISTRATOR
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
ADMINISTRATIVE
QUALITY
MANAGER
RESEARCH
ASSISTANT
QUALITY
MANAGER
QUALITY
MANAGER
PROGRAM
ADMINISTRATION
ASSISTANT
EXTERNAL
REVIEW
COORDINATOR
SUPPORT
DIVISION REVIEW
CO-ORDINATOR
PART TIME
TYPIST
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INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL
SENATE
JOINT
COUNCIL AND Academic Board/Senate
Institutional Quality Assurance
Central Academic Planning Committee
Academic Board/Senate Committees
Library Committee
Discretionary Exemption Committee
Enrolment Management Committee
Rules and Regulations Committee
Timetable Committee
Teaching and Learning Committee
Research Committee
FACULTY LEVEL
Faculty Boards
Faculty Planning and Management Committee
Faculty Executive Committee
Subcommittees of FPMC
Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee
Faculty Quality Assurance Committee
Faculty Research and Higher Degrees Committee
Examinations Committees
Monitors and evaluates policy
implementation
Implementation of feedback
Reports on quarterly basis to
Academic Board, Council
Quality
Assurance Unit
Director
Manager
Administrator
SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT LEVEL
Heads of Department
Academic Staff
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Head of
Institution
Manager:
QA
Academic
Administration
QAU reference point between external quality agency ,
accreditation bodies and academic departments
Supports QA activities in departments
Member of institutional QA Committee
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Vice Chancellor
Deputy Vice
Chancellor:
Academic
Dean
Dean
Dean
Head of
School
International
Campus Head
Pro Vice
Chancellor:
Quality
Dean
Head of
School
Director: Quality
Pro Vice Chancellor: Quality – overall responsibility for quality across all campuses;
sets policies and procedures; monitors and evaluates through reporting system
Director of Quality – responsible for ensuring consistency of implementation of
parent quality assurance arrangements
Heads of Schools consult with Deans in parent institution regarding program
delivery
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President
Centre for Planning and
Institutional Development
Strategic and
Institutional
Planning
Quality Management
Integrates
QM into
planning and
ensures that
information
is basis of
decisionmaking
Management
Information
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



Break into Groups
Decide on your institutional type, size and
mission
Develop an understanding of quality for this
institution
In light of the above: develop roles and
responsibilities of Unit, capacity requirements
All the time bearing in mind external agencies/bodies:
audits/accreditation and what this means for your
institution in terms of resourcing; e.g. time, capacity
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