Report on present status of the quality assurance system at University of Split Željko Dujić, MD, PhD Vice rector for science and international affaires.

Report on present status of the Report on present status of the quality assurance system at quality assurance system at

University of SplitUniversity of Split

Željko Dujić, MD, PhDŽeljko Dujić, MD, PhD

Vice rector for science and international Vice rector for science and international affairesaffaires

University of Split, CroatiaUniversity of Split, Croatia

1. 1. Historical background of Historical background of institutional quality assurance institutional quality assurance

- the University of Split (Uni Split) was officially - the University of Split (Uni Split) was officially established in 1974  established in 1974  

- - currently around 22 000 university and vocational currently around 22 000 university and vocational students are studying at University of Split  students are studying at University of Split  

- - the University of Split is in the process of building the University of Split is in the process of building the University Campus by 2007-8the University Campus by 2007-8

- implementation of the reforms in higher education - implementation of the reforms in higher education included in the Higher Education Act at Uni Split included in the Higher Education Act at Uni Split were delayed by abrupt increase in number of were delayed by abrupt increase in number of vocational students by fusion with former vocational students by fusion with former Politechnic of Split in 2003Politechnic of Split in 2003

- - The most important recent development in The most important recent development in the the short history of the University of Split is the short history of the University of Split is the establishment of the first University campus in establishment of the first University campus in CroatiaCroatia

- - Within next three to four years, most faculties andWithin next three to four years, most faculties and departments willdepartments will move to the new location with move to the new location with more than more than 660.000 m2 of newly built space 0.000 m2 of newly built space

- - The University of Split is still composed of legally The University of Split is still composed of legally independent entities (faculties), but by the end of independent entities (faculties), but by the end of 2007, functionally integrated University should be 2007, functionally integrated University should be created created

- - The realisation of the new campus project will The realisation of the new campus project will facilitate this processfacilitate this process

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Tasks of University Center for Quality Assessment Tasks of University Center for Quality Assessment (CQA) should be:(CQA) should be:

1.1. Organization of the University network for QAOrganization of the University network for QA  

a) organisation of the institutional centers for QA a) organisation of the institutional centers for QA within University,within University,

b) education of the institutional QA centers staff,b) education of the institutional QA centers staff,

c) introduction of a new student information system, c) introduction of a new student information system,

d) education of professors and students,d) education of professors and students,

e) improvement of the public awareness of the QA e) improvement of the public awareness of the QA process at University,process at University,

f) research quality should be evaluated by use of f) research quality should be evaluated by use of differentdifferent performance indicators such as:performance indicators such as:

1. proportion of teachers actively engaged in 1. proportion of teachers actively engaged in research,research,

2. doctoral student/teacher ratio,2. doctoral student/teacher ratio,

3. research funding/teacher ratio,3. research funding/teacher ratio,

4. the number of proportion of full-time researchers,4. the number of proportion of full-time researchers,

5. the average research contract grant per teacher and5. the average research contract grant per teacher and

6. doctorate/teacher ratio, publication/teacher ratio, 6. doctorate/teacher ratio, publication/teacher ratio, citation index. citation index.

2.2. Inauguration of the dynamic quality cycleInauguration of the dynamic quality cycle   a)a) determination of the quality indicators,determination of the quality indicators, b) development of the self-evaluation procedures and b) development of the self-evaluation procedures and

organization of the external review,organization of the external review, c) defining strategic goals to improve quality at University,c) defining strategic goals to improve quality at University, d) research of the student rate of study progress,d) research of the student rate of study progress, e) research of employment after graduation,e) research of employment after graduation, f) feed-back from the employers andf) feed-back from the employers and g) students questionnaires about professors.g) students questionnaires about professors.

3.3. Creation of professors' portfoliosCreation of professors' portfolios   a) results of the students questionnaire,a) results of the students questionnaire, b) rate of success at exams,b) rate of success at exams, c) learning outcome (joint exams),c) learning outcome (joint exams), d) evidences for teaching improvements,d) evidences for teaching improvements, e) introduction to e-learning methods,e) introduction to e-learning methods, f)  involvement in life-long learning seminars andf)  involvement in life-long learning seminars and g) g) self-evaluation.self-evaluation.

Tasks of Institutional CQA should be:Tasks of Institutional CQA should be:    1. Creation of professors' portfolios1. Creation of professors' portfolios  2. Evaluation procedures and creation of University 2. Evaluation procedures and creation of University

network of CQAnetwork of CQA

3. Influence on institutional policies (strategic scientific and 3. Influence on institutional policies (strategic scientific and educational mission)educational mission)

2. 2. Perceived needs and strategic approachesPerceived needs and strategic approaches to to quality assurance system at thequality assurance system at the institutioninstitution

- Uni Split is in the first stages of the reform - Uni Split is in the first stages of the reform processprocess towards functionally integrated Uni, towards functionally integrated Uni,

- there is a strong commitment amongst senior - there is a strong commitment amongst senior management to work towards achieving the management to work towards achieving the reform objectives which will reform objectives which will are are set in the set in the llaw, aw,

- - University Statute University Statute included establishment of included establishment of the University CQA the University CQA asas one of the main one of the main cornerstones of the new organization at cornerstones of the new organization at UniversityUniversity,,

- University CQA coordinators for teaching - University CQA coordinators for teaching (Snježana Tomić) and research (Ivan (Snježana Tomić) and research (Ivan Slapničar) have been elected (2004), Slapničar) have been elected (2004),

- Full time administrator will be employed - Full time administrator will be employed during this year as a start of this process during this year as a start of this process

-- A permanent Teacher Support Unit should be A permanent Teacher Support Unit should be established at the University levelestablished at the University level

- All teaching staff should be trained and retrained on - All teaching staff should be trained and retrained on a regular basis, especially professors poorly a regular basis, especially professors poorly evaluated by students.evaluated by students.

- - this should help in the openness of the this should help in the openness of the University to their surrounding local University to their surrounding local environment, environment,

- - successful evaluation of teaching at University successful evaluation of teaching at University would raise the status of teaching in the would raise the status of teaching in the wider academic communitywider academic community,,

- in the assessment procedure of research and - in the assessment procedure of research and teaching it is important to link results of the teaching it is important to link results of the evaluation with clear benefits with future evaluation with clear benefits with future distribution of resources (finances, human, distribution of resources (finances, human, space, space, establishment of departments, establishment of departments, etc) etc)

3. 3. Implementation of quality assurance Implementation of quality assurance system at the institutionsystem at the institution

- the only faculty at the moment who has quality - the only faculty at the moment who has quality control (studentcontrol (student questionnaire) for last six years questionnaire) for last six years is the Faculty of Medicine, together with other is the Faculty of Medicine, together with other quality indicators (quality of enroling students quality indicators (quality of enroling students and students progress, questionnaire about skills and students progress, questionnaire about skills and competences, follow-up after graduation, etc) and competences, follow-up after graduation, etc)

- - other faculties do not have this kind of quality other faculties do not have this kind of quality control on the regular basis, although trend is control on the regular basis, although trend is changing changing

- - CQA office should be created and staffed with CQA office should be created and staffed with trained personnel to ensure the smooth trained personnel to ensure the smooth application of the evaluation procedures (in application of the evaluation procedures (in process)process)

- - CQA will organize a collection and production of CQA will organize a collection and production of necessary materials, language revision and necessary materials, language revision and translation, provison of instructions for the translation, provison of instructions for the faculties and depts, site visits of national and faculties and depts, site visits of national and international external experts, collection and international external experts, collection and analysis of the results of the evaluation analysis of the results of the evaluation procedure and finally, disseminate the procedure and finally, disseminate the information. information.

4. 4. Foreseen trends in development of quality Foreseen trends in development of quality assurance systemassurance system

- - in the international higher educational sector in the international higher educational sector there is an increasing trend to rank there is an increasing trend to rank UniversitiesUniversities

- - it is of the interest for each regional or it is of the interest for each regional or international University to know how its international University to know how its degrees and research compare with other degrees and research compare with other institutions in Europeinstitutions in Europe

- - the whole University should take an active the whole University should take an active initiative in evaluation procedures and in initiative in evaluation procedures and in definition of the evaluation criteriadefinition of the evaluation criteria

- - evaluation procedures should include research as evaluation procedures should include research as well as teaching activitieswell as teaching activities

- - demand on creating innovative and more efficient demand on creating innovative and more efficient academic programmes and studies is present in academic programmes and studies is present in any European countryany European country

- - the culture of quality assurance system should the culture of quality assurance system should become part of the life of every department become part of the life of every department and university and should include academic and university and should include academic and administrative staff and students and administrative staff and students