Quality assurance in higher
education in Croatia –
standards, procedures, results
Đurđica Dragojević & Emita Blagdan
Agency for Science and Higher Education
Networking visit of SEE QA experts
to the ARACIS and the Bologna Secretariat
19 - 20 October 2011, Bucharest
Croatian HE
• In the academic year 2005/06
3+2+3 system was introduced
 the 3-cycle system fully
implemented in Croatia
• Binary system
• Development of the CROQF and
referencing to EQF and EHEA
• New external and internal QA
procedures in HE and science
• All program components linked
with ECTS credits
• Centralised system for
enrolment to HEIs
2
3
3
3-cycle system
HE and scientific sector in Croatia
Number of HEIs:
• 122 (90 public / 32 private)
• 10 universities (7 public / 3 private)
• 13 polytechnics / 27 colleges
• Number of students: 174 000
• Number of scientific organizations: 103 + 46 other
legal persons registered in the Register of
Scientific Organisations
Study Programme Register
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•
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•
Cca 1250 study programmes
Undergraduate cca 450
Graduate cca 525
Postgraduate 275
Binary system
• University cca 1068
• Professional courses cca 215
University autonomy in Croatia
Since 2003 universities in Croatia have autonomously determined:
– Enrolment quotas and admission conditions and procedures
– Tuition fees and tuition fee remissions
– All lump-sum related decisions within budgetary limits
– Strategies and development priorities
– All questions related to teaching and studies (including the
implementation of Bologna reforms)
– Establishment of administrative support (additional staff positions
were provided for this)
– Internal distribution of new staff positions (but not salaries)
National governance bodies
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•
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Ministry of Science, Education and Sports
Agency for Science and Higher Education
Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes
Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult
Education
National Councils for Science and Higher Education
National Foundation for Science
Rectors’ Conference and the Council of Polytechnics and
Colleges
National Council for the Funding of Research and Higher
Education, National Ethics Council
National Centre for the Evaluation of Education
Agency for Science and HE (ASHE)
• Independent public institution responsible for QA in HE and
science
• Started with activities in 2005
• ASHE's mission is to protect the public interest with keeping the
standards of higher-education qualifications and working on the
quality improvement in science and higher education
• Main activities: initial accreditation, re-accreditation, thematic
evaluation, external audit of QA systems of HEIs, collecting and
processing information on system of science and HE, professional
recognition of foreign HE qualifications, providing information on
conditions for enrolment into HE system and collecting
information on fulfilment of conditions for enrolment into HEIs,
supporting work of various national bodies, international
cooperation.
Legal framework
• Act on Scientific Activity and Higher Education (2003 with
amendments in 2004 and 2007)
• Act on Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (2003 with
amendments in 2004)
• Act on QA in Science and Higher Education (2009)
ASHE organizational structure
ASHE international context
• Since October 2011 full ENQA member
• Since 2008 CEENQA member
• Since 2008 member of OECD IMHE (Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development – Programme for
Institutional Management in Higher Education).
• Since 2006 member of INQAAHE
• Since 2003 part of ENIC and NARIC network
ASHE QA role (1)
2005-2009
ASHE
NCS/NCHE
carries out QA
activities
issues
recommendation
ASHE
Since 2009 carries out QA
activities/issues
recommendation
AC
gives its opinion
NCS/NCHE
strategic body
in decision
making
ASHE QA role (2)
2005 – 2009
Accreditation of new study programs
Accreditation of new HEIs
Re-accreditation of existing HEIs
Accreditation of new scientific organizations
Re-accreditation of existing scientific organizations
ASHE QA role (3)
2005 – 2009
Accreditation of new study programmes:
• part of Bologna transition (4-year programmes
3+2 years + ECTS)
• in 2005 ~800 study programmes accredited (mostly Bacc./Master)
• between 2005 and 2009 ~ 400 study programmes accredited (mostly
postgraduate)
• outcome: YES/NO/CONDITIONAL (related to staff numbers only)
• paper based, peer review – 2 reviewers appointed, one usually outside
Croatia
• specialised software developed due to huge workload (MOZVAG)
ASHE QA role (4)
2005 – 2009
Accreditation of new HEIs:
• 60 requests, half of those approved
• outcome: YES/NO/CONDITIONAL (related to staff
numbers only)
• site visits, mostly Croatian panels of experts, no
students
• reports were not public
ASHE QA role (5)
2005 – 2009
Accreditation of new scientific organizations:
• 40 requests, 35 approved
• outcome: YES/NO decision
• paper, based, reports not public
Accreditation of existing scientific organizations:
• 24 scientific organizations
• outcome: YES/NO/LETTER OF EXPECTATION +
recommendations for improvement (elements of institutional
evaluation)
• self - evaluation, site visits, international experts
ASHE QA role (6)
Since 2009
ASHE activities
Self assessment
Peer
review
Site
visit
Publication Follow-up
of a report procedure
Reaccreditation
+
+
+
+
+
Thematic
evaluation
+
+
Possible,
not
compulsory
+
Not formally,
but a negative
outcome is
followed up by
reaccreditation
Audit
+
+
+
+
+
ASHE QA role (7)
Since 2009
Re-accreditation:
• 5 – year cycles
• All public and private HEIs + scientific organizations
established and/or financed by the state
• Checking fulfilment of necessary conditions prescribed by
the Statute + quality assessment on the basis of established
criteria
• Quality assessment affects the amount of financing from
the state budget
• First round almost finished -17 HEIs went through the
process so far, 32 planned for 2011/12
ASHE QA role (8)
Since 2009
Thematic evaluation:
• Focus on a single segment of activities of a HEI or a
scientific organization or the whole HE/science system
• Outcome: a review report with an assessment; if the
assessment is negative, ASHE can launch a reaccreditation
procedure
• Currently in procedure – thematic evaluation of public
research institutes
ASHE QA role (9)
Since 2009
Audit of QA systems of HEIs:
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CARDS 2003 project in 2006
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Seminars for HEIs, Audit manual, education for ASHE staff
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Develop & promote quality culture
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ASHE established the audit model in line with good international
practice and the ESG
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Audit serves to determine the degree of development and effectiveness
of a QA system of a HEI

Audit outcomes are: final report with recommendations for
improvement and a certificate; re-audit within a period of no longer than 18
months or launching a re-accreditation of a HEI
ASHE QA role (10)
Since 2009
Audit of QA systems of HEIs – Impact:
• Enhancement of quality culture
• 105 QA units at Uni/Faculties established
• 42 QA units at polytechnics/ colleges established
• Database of auditors
ASHE role in
collecting and analysing data on the systems
of science and higher education (1)
National Infromation System for Sience and HE (NISSHE):
• To become a central database with all relevant and official
data and information on Croatian higher education and
scientific research
• Should provide relevant information for national bodies in the
context of accreditation, reaccreditation and licensing of study
programmes and institutions
• Should provide Croatian higher education institutions and
scientific organizations with relevant information for their
own quality management
ASHE role in
collecting and analysing data on the systems
of science and higher education (2)
Directory of study programmes:
• The aim of the Directory is to provide information regarding
accredited study programmes and Croatian HEIs
• Database enables searches according to various criteria:
1. type of study programme
2. institution providing the programme
3. name of study programme
4. study field
5. location of the institution etc.
Thank you for your attention!
www.azvo.hr