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Status Report on the Internal Quality Assurance Frameworkof Yerevan State University

in the Context of European Standards and Guidelines

INTRODUCTION

Establishment of internal quality assurance system (IQA) in Yerevan

State University (YSU) in accordance with the requirements of the European

Standards and Guidelines (ESG) started in 2007. YSU has undertaken

appropriate measures to create missing components of YSU IQA and

integrate already existing parts of it in the emerging ESG-based framework

of YSU IQA.

The YSU IQA framework consists of six components:

1. Quality assurance (QA) of study programmes;

2. QA of teaching staff;

3. QA of learning resources and support services;

4. Transparent student assessment system;

5. Internal information systems;

6. Public information.YSU adopted new IQA policy and strategy, and established QA office to

oversee and implement QA related processes within the University.

Below a brief description of the YSU IQA framework is presented in the

light of ESG requirements for IQA in higher education institutions.

1. POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE

Institutions should have a policy and associated procedures for theassurance of the quality and standards of their programmes and awards.

In 2010 YSU formulated and adopted new IQA policy, which meets main

requirements of ESG Standards #1 and #2 for IQA. The aims of the YSU QA

policy are safeguarding of YSU academic standards, assurance and

enhancement of quality of all YSU awards.

Principles relating to the safeguarding of academic standards are as

follows:1

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- Standards are at an appropriate level for the qualification,

identified by the qualification framework (QF) of European Higher

Education Area (EHEA) and/or National QF;

- Standards satisfy the requirements of relevant governmental,

professional & statutory bodies and similar organizations;

- Standards are regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure their

currency and relevance;

- Principles underpinning aims, learning outcomes, teaching, learning

and assessment are defined in the Methodological Guidelines for

Development of YSU Educational Programmes (approved by YSU

Academic Council in October, 2010);

- Feedback of recognized independent external experts is sought

when standards are established, monitored or reviewed.

Principles relating to the assurance of qualityare as follows:

- The quality of student learning experience meets the requirements

of the relevant academic standard and programme specification;

- Quality assurance is informed by robust programme design,

approval, annual monitoring, and periodic (6-year) review, student

and graduate feedback processes;

- Students are involved in the processes of programme monitoring

and review;

- The views of external assessors are taken into account when the

quality of programmes is reviewed;

- Assurance activities focus more on areas where there is a risk of

quality decline.

Principles relating to the enhancement of qualityare as follows:

- Measures of the quality of the student experience are established

and regularly monitored;

- Where possible, such measures will be based upon already existing

data sets, such as those derived from quality monitoring reports,

student/graduate/employer feedbacks, and graduates employment

statistics etc.

The YSU IQA strategy is stated in YSU Strategic Development Plan for

2010-2014 (Goal I, Objective 2: To introduce an internal quality assurance

system in line with the requirements of European Standards and Guidelines).

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To accomplish this objective the following strategies are envisaged in the

Plan:

1. To create a new YSU IQA policy that includes continual quality

enhancement strategy, appropriate procedures, organizational

structures and identifies the roles and responsibilities of administrativeand academic structures of the University.

2. To develop self-assessment criteria for the main performance areas of

the University based on the standards of international accreditation

organizations and National Quality Assurance Center of Professional

Education.

3. To undertake and implement a self-assessment/self-study of the YSU

academic activities with publication of the report, which will serve as a

basis for external QA/accreditation processes and development of

appropriate quality enhancement measures. To prepare the University

for external evaluation/accreditation processes.

4. To develop and introduce new learning outcomes-based educational

standards for YSU Bachelors and Masters degree programmes based

on the Qualification Framework of EHEA and international subject-

benchmark statements.

5. To create internal regulations, guidelines and procedures for

development, approval, routine monitoring and periodic review of YSU

study programmes, to adopt criteria for assessment of programme

needs in teaching and learning resources.

6. To create and publish criteria, regulations and procedures for impartial

assessment of student learning outcomes, which includes appropriate

appeal and complaint mechanisms, and to ensure their publicity and

consistent application.

7. To create and publish mechanisms and criteria for assessment of

professional competences and teaching skills of YSU teaching staff.

8. To develop a set of internal information, which is required for the

effective management of study programmes and educationalprocesses.

9. To ensure transparency and publicity of the criteria for internal quality

evaluation, the self-assessment process and appropriate report to the

internal and external stakeholders of the University, as well as student

participation and feedback in QA processes.

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2. APPROVAL, MONITORING AND PERIODIC REVIEW OF PROGRAMMES ANDAWARDS

Institutions should have formal mechanisms for the approval, periodicreview and monitoring of their programmes and awards.

YSU has developed and adopted several formal mechanisms in the

forms of guidelines, regulations, procedures, criteria, etc., so as to meet

requirements of the ESG Standard #2 for IQA. These mechanisms are as

follows:

1. Methodological Guidelines for Development of YSU Study Programmes

(approved by YSU Academic Council on October 28, 2010). The

contents of the Guidelines are presented inAnnex 1. According to the

resolution of YSU Academic Council all YSU Bachelors and Master's

degree programmes will be developed so as to ensure main principlesstated in the Guidelines, starting from 2nd semester of 2010/11 AY.

2. Regulations for Approval of YSU Study Programmes (will be approved

by YSU Academic Council on February 17, 2011). The contents of the

Regulations are presented inAnnex 2. These Regulations are ensuring

involvement of all internal and external stakeholders in the

authorization, validation and approval activities of YSU study

programmes.

3. The development of the Guidelines and Procedures for YSU Programme

Monitoring and Review is in the process and is envisaged to completeby March, 2011. The Guidelines are expected to be approved by YSU

Academic Council in May, 2011;

4. Other official documents related to development of YSU study

programmes include:

Structure and content of YSU credit-based bachelors degreeprogrammes (for full-time and correspondent/part-time studies);

Structure and content of YSU credit-based masters degreeprogrammes (for full-time and correspondent/part-time studies);

3. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS

Students should be assessed using published criteria, regulations andprocedures which are applied consistently.

In 2007 YSU revised and upgraded its student assessment methods and

regulations in order to comply with the nature of the adopted ECTS credit4

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system, which assumes continuing assessment of students, including the

work they do outside of classroom, as well as with the requirements of ESGs.

The YSU student assessment methods/procedures (i.e., examinations, oral

quizzes, etc.) have the following characteristic features:

1. They have clear and publicly available criteria for making/givinggrades;

2. They have clear, pre-defined examinations and other assessment

methods (i.e., oral tests) in place;

3. They have clear regulations covering student absence, illness and

other mitigating circumstances;

4. Examination regulations ensure that assessments are conducted

securely in accordance with the Universitys stated procedures;

5. The administration checks that the assessment procedures arefollowed;

6. The assessment methods and criteria applied are publicly available, for

example, via student handbooks, study guides, YSU website;

7. The teachers inform students about the applied assessment methods

and criteria at the beginning of the course;

8. The final grade of examination is formed from the results of 2 interim

writing exams, assessment of student class participation, and end-of-

semester oral examination;

9. The student academic standing (performance) is expressed through

GPA (grade point average), which is a credit-weighted mean of student

grads in the semester.

4. QUALITY ASSURANCE OF TEACHING STAFF

Institutions should have ways of satisfying themselves that staff involvedwith the teaching of students is qualified and competent to do so.

YSU has in place several procedures and regulations to make sure that

the teaching staff is qualified and competent. The University has appropriate

central structure - the YSU Extensions and Faculty Development Department,

which provides programmes and services for staff development. Below is the

list of staff QA related procedures and programmes:

1. There is an open competitive system of hiring (recruitment of)

permanent teaching staff with prescribed qualification requirements5

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for each sub-category of teaching staff position (professor, associate

professor, assistant professor, lecturer);

2. There is a contract system for appointment of teaching staff, which

specifies rights and duties/responsibilities of the University and

contracting employee. The contract makes no provisions forprocedures to remove a teacher from his/her duties if they continue to

be demonstrably ineffective;

3. There is a performance evaluation for all permanent academic staff

members through regular (on the semester-basis) student surveys.

Introduction of the effective faculty performance management system,

which comprises student feedback, faculty self-assessment and

supervisor review is among the short-term priorities of YSU;

4. Information on teachers aptitudes and performance (including results

of student surveys) are used in merit based selection/re-selectionprocess of the permanent teaching staff, as well as when differentiated

allowances are fixed/assigned for teachers.

5. Compulsory (as well as optional) pedagogical training is organized for

teachers by the YSU Extensions and Faculty Development Department.

6. YSU adopted a comprehensive credit-based staff development

programme (approved by YSU Academic Council in November, 2010)

for development of professional competences and teaching skills of

YSU permanent teaching staff. The programme will be operating from

2011/12 AY.

5. LEARNING RESOURCES AND STUDENT SUPPORT

Institutions should ensure that the resources available for the support ofstudent learning are adequate and appropriate for each programmeoffered.

In order to meet the requirements of the appropriate ESG standard the

following permanent activities are being done at the University:

1. The University library is regularly upgrading. The library is a member

of the Armenian Library Network and has access to the Network

member libraries online resources. YSU has developed and adopted

strategy for development of its library resources (Goal VI, objective 2

of the YSU Strategic Development Plan 2010-2014), which states: To

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develop information resources of the University according to the

contemporary standards, ensure their effective operation and access.;

2. Computing facilities are permanently upgrading, so there is no urgent

need in enlargement of this facilities;

3. There is a State (President-supported) programme for gradualupgrading of learning and research laboratory base of the University;

4. Methodological support-base of the educational process is being

constantly improved;

5. Students are provided with the necessary information materials related

to their study at YSU, i.e. student guidebooks, programme handbooks,

assessment regulations, credit-based study regulations, etc;

6. There is a system of Academic Advisers (Counselors) which is not well-

developed yet;7. The Student Union and Student Career Center operate at the

University;

8. The graduate satisfaction surveys conducted in YSU evaluate also

satisfaction level of YSU graduates from University services and

facilities;

6. INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Institutions should ensure that they collect, analyse and use relevantinformation for the effective management of their programmes of study andother activities.

YSU does not have yet an overarching (centralized) information system

(i.e. database) to be used for the management of its key activities. However,

the University has a centralized, but non-integrated information system (data

on different activities are not gathered in one data warehouse), whereinternal information is collected through several separate information

subsystems:

1. Annual reports of YSU academic, research and administrative units

(faculties, departments, research laboratories, educational centers,

etc.) on their activities during the previews academic year;

2. The aggregated YSU annual performance report, which is discussed

and approved by the YSU Council;

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3. The reports of the evaluation panels on the results of occasional peer-

reviews of faculty educational and research activities, which are

discussed at both faculty and institutional levels;

4. The results of YSU graduates satisfaction surveys conducted among all

graduates of YSU Bachelors and Masters degree programmes. Thesurveys allow to evaluate students satisfaction level/learning

experience distinguished by areas, such as: study programmes and

their relevance to the needs of the labor market and to required

professional competences; the effectiveness of the applied teaching,

learning and assessment methods; quality of educational process

organization; quality of student support services, computing and

library facilities; the internal ethical/moral and psychological

environment of the University, etc.;

5. The internal computer-aided system (SuperVision) for the input,

processing and presentation of data on student progression (academic

standing) and success rates. The system is used also for academic

planning activities (e.g. estimating teaching staff workloads) and for

processing the results of student surveys.

6. Recently introduced strategic planning process foresees application of

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the University that will serve as

an important tool for institutional self-evaluation and/or self-study. This

set of KPIs consists of 83 indicators that measure YSU performance in

six main areas, i.e.: admission and student body/population;

educational/academic process; resources and administration;

infrastructure/facilities; research and innovations; external affairs and

international cooperation. Values of the KPIs for the last 5 years are

identified and presented in the YSU KPYs booklet, which is published on

biannual basis;

7. Regular collection and analysis of data on profile of the student

population (age, gender, educational background, socio-economic

background, etc.).

7. PUBLIC INFORMATION

Institutions should regularly publish up to date, impartial and objectiveinformation, both quantitative and qualitative, about the programmes andawards they are offering.

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The information that is publicly available about YSU study programmes

includes:

1. The Guide for YSU Applicant (with CD version), which includes brief

information on admission requirements and regulations, study

programmes offered by YSU faculties, admission figures and thresholdgrades by study programmes and modes of study, etc.;

2. YSU First-year Student Information Package, which includes first-year

students guide, rights and responsibilities of the student, information

on YSU administrative and academic structures, the campus map, the

handbooks of the YSU Career Center and Alumni Union, and other

relevant information;

3. The Credit-based Study Handbook & Course Catalog for Bachelors and

Masters degree programme students (published on yearly basis),

which contains all the necessary for students learning information,particularly: key features of ECTS; regulations on organization of

learning process and student assessment; the structure, content and

intended learning outcomes of study programmes offered; the

intended learning outcomes and credit-values of programme

component courses/educational modules; information on the teaching,

learning and assessment procedures used within the programme; etc.;

4. The published annual report of the YSU Rector, which includes detailed

information on both academic and research activities;

5. The YSU annual financial report;

6. Statistics on the students currently involved in the programmes

(number, profile of the student population, etc.);

7. The YSU Web-site, publications or other information materials.

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Annex 1. Contents of the Methodological Guidelines for Development of

YSU Study Programmes

IntroductionPart 1. THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME

1. Statement of the Programme Goals

2. Formulation of Programme Learning Outcomes

3. Formulation of Study Module Learning Outcomes

4. The Map of the Study Programme

5. Selection of Teaching and Learning Methods

6. Graduates Career and Job Opportunities

7. Use of External Reference Points (subject benchmarks)

Part 2. PROGRAMME DOCUMENTATION8. Programme specification

9. Study module descriptors

Part 3. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

10.Requirements

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Annex 2. Contents of the Regulations for Approval of YSU Study

Programmes

Abbreviations

Introduction. AUTHORIZATION AND APPROVAL PROCESSES OF YSU STUDYPROGRAMMES

Part 1. AUTHORIZATION OF YSU STUDY PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT

1.1. Aim and objectives of authorization

1.2. Creation of programme development proposal

1.3. Programme development work-group

1.4. Programme authorization process

Part 2. VALIDATION AND APPROVAL OF YSU STUDY PROGRAMMES

2.1. Aim and objectives of validation and approval2.2. Programme approval document package

2.3. Validation of programme proposal

2.4. Membership of the programme validation panel

2.5. External members of the Panel

2.6. Powers of the Panel

2.7. Validation report

2.8. Follow-up of validation conclusions and programme approval

2.9. Appeal of the validation or approval results

2.10. Programme handbook

Annex 1. The timeline of programme authorization and approval processes(the scheme)

Annex 2. The new programme proposal development pro-forma

Main characteristics of the programme

Anticipated admission figures

Rationale of programme adoption

Labor market analysis

Competitive advantages of the programme

Programme goals and learning outcomes

Unique characteristics of the programme Placement/internship opportunities

Graduates employment opportunities

Teaching staff and its development needs

Requirements to learning space and laboratory equipment

Computers and technical means of learning

Library and other information resources

Annex 3. Programme authorization process (the scheme)

Annex 4. Programme validation and approval processes (the scheme)

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