1. QUALITY ENHANCEMENT CELL University of the Punjab,
SELF ASSESSMENT
PROF. DR. AAMIR IJAZ
DIRECTOR
QUALITY ENHANCEMENT CELL
University of the Punjab,
Quaid-e-Azam Campus,
Lahore

2. CONTENTS FAMOUS QUOTES RELATED TO QUALITY WHAT IS A QUALITY?
WHAT IS QUALITY ASSURANCE?
ASSESSMENT
ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
OBJECTIVES OF SELF ASSESSMENT
PROCESS OF GENERATING SAR
BENEFITS OF AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM ASSESSMENT PROCESS
CRITERIA AND STANDARDS
SCORING OF CRITERION ITEMS (RUBRIC FORM)
ASSESSMENT TEAM REPORT FORM

3. Famous Quotes Related to Quality

4. (Aristotle 384 BC-322 BC, Greek Philosopher and Scientist, Student of Plato and Teacher of Alexander the Great)

5. “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intension, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives”.
(Quality in Education by Willa A Foster)

6. “Quality begins on the inside…and then works its way out”.
(Bob Moawad, Quality Quotes)

7. “Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in; it is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay”.
(Peter F Drucker, American Management Guru)

8. Must be based on the fact that “Quality is not the responsibility of an individual; rather it is the responsibility of all”, a complete Quality Enhancement Cell must work in close collaboration with the Vice Chancellor to get its functions through.

9. What is Quality?

10. Defining Quality
A survey of literature reveals “quality” as one of the widely defined terms:
High degree of goodness (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)
A degree or level of excellence (The Oxford Large Print Dictionary)
The standard of excellence of something often a high standard (Cambridge International Dictionary of English)
Doing the right things right (W. Edwards Deming Pioneer of the quality movement in industry)

11. What is Quality?
It has to do something with a certain degree of effectiveness or excellence and satisfaction
In academic scenario it means satisfaction of all the stakeholders
Whether “the satisfaction of all the stakeholders is relevant to your programme or not”

12. Four – Fold dimensions to help understand the term “quality” as applied in Higher Education Sector
Quality as excellence
Quality as fitness for purpose
Quality as value for money
Quality as transformation

13. What is Quality Assurance?
Its a way by which managers satisfy themselves and monitor that control mechanisms are working to maintain and enhance standards.
Refers generally to all planned and systematic actions or processes necessary for providing adequate confidence to managers that a product or a service will satisfy the specified requirements for quality.

14. A sustainable quality assurance programme
Enhances employment opportunities
Improves the education and training of future employees
Harnesses/ Connect future leaders
Facilitates an enabling learning environment
Enriches the academic and intellectual landscape

15. QECs serve as focal points for quality assurance in the institutions in order to improve and uphold the quality of higher education.
Capacity building of academia in quality assurance is one of the key functions of QAA and subsequently of QEC.

16. Assessment
Assessment is a systematic process of gathering, reviewing and using important quantitative and qualitative data and information from multiple and diverse sources about educational programs, for the purpose of improving students learning, and evaluating whether academic and learning standards are being met. In other words, what will graduates know, are able to do, or value when they complete an academic program and how do we know these things about our students.
One cycle of assessment completes when assessment results are used to improve students learning.

17. Self Assessment
Self-assessment is an important tool for quality assurance and provides feedback for management to initiate action plans for the improvement.

18. Faculty Involvement
For Academic Program Assessment, the most important factor is the participation of all faculty members.
Each department appoints a Program Team (PT) which will prepare a Self Assessment Report (SAR) and ensures the conformance of the program to all the relevant criteria and standards as stipulated in Self Assessment Manual(SAM), in coordination with the members of QEC.

19. Size of PT can be determined according to the size of department
Sr. #
Number of Students in a Department
PT Members 01
Up to 300
3 PTM + 1 Chairperson 02
5 PTM + 1 Chairperson 03
1000 and above
6 PTM + 1 Chairperson

20. Desired Qualities of Program Team Member
Commitment to the principles of quality in higher education and the policies set by HEC, provided in the form of SAM.
Ability to work in teams.
An enquiring disposition, power of analysis and judgment.
Experience of organization and management, particularly in relation to teaching and learning matters, time management skills.
High standards of oral and written communication skills.
To be proactive than reactive
Initiate improvements to achieve academic excellence
Systematize the process of self assessment
To be current and take a leadership role

21. Criteria for Self Assessment
The self assessment of an institution / organization is based on several criteria.
To meet each criterion; a number of standards must be satisfied. The following part of this presentation illustrates criteria and standards for self assessment by Program Team.

22. Elements Of A Successful Assessment Program
Purpose identification
Outcomes identification
Measurement and evaluation design
Data collection
Analysis and evaluation
Decision-making regarding corrective and preventive actions to be taken.

23. Objectives of Self Assessment
Improvement and maintenance of academic standards.
Enhancement of student’s learning.
Verification of the existing programs to meet their objectives and institutional goals.
Providing feedback for quality assurance of academic programs.
Prepare the academic program for review by discipline councils (HEC).

24. Process of Generating SAR

25. 1
QEC initiates Self Assessment exercise 2
Department forms Program teams, who will be responsible for preparing and generating Self Assessment Report (SAR) 3
QEC reviews the Final SAR in one month 4
If SAR is declared complete by QEC it moves to next step, other wise it goes back to step 2 5
Vice Chancellor forms Assessment Team in consultation with and recommendation of QEC

26. 6
QEC plans and fixes AT visits 7
AT conducts assessment and presents its findings to QEC 8
QEC submits the Executive Summary to the Vice Chancellor along with AT findings, and implementation plan for the department (Table A2) 9
QEC performs follow-up of corrective measures

27. Table A.2 Assessment Results Implementation Plan Summary
AT findings
Corrective
Action
Implementation Date
Responsible
Body
Resources
Needed 1 2 3
Chairman's Comments
Name & Signature
Dean’s Comments
QEC Comments

28. Assessment Team joins here
QCs
Assessment Team joins here
Corrective Measures

29. Benefits of an Academic Program Assessment Process
Identify Program Weakness
Take Financial Decisions based on academic priorities
Provide information to constituents on the quality of education students receive
Ensure continuous improvement of programs and curricula

30. Criteria
The self-assessment is based on several criteria. To meet each criterion a number of standards must be satisfied. There are eight criterion for self assessment manual provided by HEC. Next section describes each criterion and its associated standards.

31. Criteria & Standards Program Mission, Objectives and Outcomes
Curriculum  Design and Organization
Laboratories and Computing Facilities
Student Support and Guidance
Process Control
Faculty
Institutional Facilities
Institutional Support

32. Criterion-1: Program Mission, Objectives & Outcomes
Intent: Each program must have a mission, quantifiable measurable objectives and expected outcomes for graduates. Outcomes include competency and tasks graduates are expected to perform after completing the program.

33. Why do we need a Program Mission Statement
Mission statement is the guiding philosophy of all activities. Such statements provide the foundation which supports all other aspects of program assessment. Mission statements clarify the program to all stakeholders (faculty, staff, student, alumni, potential donors, etc.), allowing programs to focus their resources and efforts on issues that are critical to the mission.

34. What is Mission Statement ?
It is a brief description of an institution’s fundamental purpose and articulates the rationale of its existence to the stakeholders. At the very least the mission statement must convey the institution’s purpose in a way that inspires commitment, innovation and courage.

35. The Programme Mission Statement should
Be in line with University’s Mission Statement
Express your faculty/department/programme’s purpose in a way that inspires support and ongoing commitment
Motivate the stakeholders
Be convincing and easy to grasp
Use proactive verbs to describe “what, why and how”
Explain reason for it’s existence
Be free of jargon
Be short enough so that anyone related to the faculty/department/programmes can repeat it.

36. How to Write / Revisit a Mission Statement
Step 1 (Ask Questions while writing Mission Statements)
Does the mission statement communicate your purpose?
Is it short and concise?
Is it specific enough to be distinctive?
Does it give you guidance to determine your programmes?
Is it inclusive of all your activities? If not, do you need to broaden your mission or narrow your programmes?
Does it inspire you? bestow

37. Step 2 (Process to create or review mission statement)
To ensure relevance, it is important to review the mission statement periodically
Review every three years or whenever there is significant change
Engage faculty members, programme team members or key volunteers in the process
At onset, clarify roles
Typically the Head will play a leadership role and is responsible for approving / adopting the final mission statement
Continue…

38. Step 2 contd. (Process to create or review mission statement)
Consultative Working Group meeting is effective to develop or update a mission statement, but final fine tuning is best done by an individual or smaller sub committee.
The mission statement cannot be developed in a single meeting.
A neutral facilitator/moderator can be helpful to bring the discussion to resolution.

39. Example of a well defined Mission Statement
“The mission of the civil engineering program is to prepare students for professional engineering and management positions in all phases of civil engineering projects. The program will provide a broad educational background with a foundation in basic engineering and business principles. These basic skills will be complemented by advanced topics in engineering design, management, finance, computer application, and real world civil engineering experiences throughout the Baccalaureate Degree program”. (Department of Civil Engineering, Western Kentucky University).

40. Characteristics of Program Objectives
Clearly related to the Faculty Mission
Reflective of Program priorities in the long term
Illustrates the ideal graduates of the program
Represents faculty aspirations of the program
Focus on the core characteristics of program graduates.
What is a Program Outcome?
A program outcome is a specific, measurable, statement of what student should know, be able to do, or value when they complete a program, course or sequence of courses/experiences/activities. All academic programs should include program outcomes and their assessment plan.

41. Criterion-2: Curriculum Design & Organization
Intent: The curriculum must be designed and organized to achieve the program’s objectives and outcomes. Also course objectives must be in line with program outcomes. Curriculum standards are specified in terms of credit hours of study. A semester credit hour equals one class hour or two to three laboratory hours per week. The semester is approximately of fifteen weeks.

42. Criterion-3: Laboratories & Computing Facilities
Intent: Laboratories and computing facilities must be adequately available and accessible to faculty members and students to support teaching and research activities. In addition departments may benchmark with similar departments in reputable institutions to identify their shortcomings if any.

43. Criterion-4: Student Support & Advising
Intent: Student must have an adequate support to complete the program in a timely manner and must have ample opportunity to interact with their instructors and receive timely advice about program requirements and career alternatives.

44. Criterion-5: Process Control
Intent: The processes by which major functions are delivered must be in place, controlled, periodically reviewed and continuously improved. To meet this criterion a set of standards must be satisfied.

45. Criterion-6: Faculty
Intent: Faculty members must be current and active in their discipline and have the necessary technical depth and breadth to support the program. There must be enough faculty members to provide continuity and stability, to cover the curriculum adequately and effectively, and to allow for scholarly activities.

46. Criterion-7: Institutional Facilities
Intent: Institutional facilities, including library, computing facilities, classrooms and offices must be adequate to support the objective of the program.

47. Criterion-8: Institutional Support
Intent: The institution’s support and the financial resources for the program must be sufficient to provide an environment in which the program can achieve its objectives and retain its strength.

48. Scoring of Criterion Items The visiting team is required to award the score by encircling one of the entries against each item
Results
Scores
Poor performance in most of the areas. 1
Fair performance in most of the areas. 2
Good performance for most areas.
No poor performance in any areas. 3
Good to excellent performance in all areas. 4
Excellent performance in all areas. 5

49. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 1 – Program Mission, Objectives and Outcomes
Weight=0.05
Factors
Scores
Does the program have documented measurable objectives that support faculty / college and institution mission statement?
Does the program have documented outcomes for graduating students?
Do these outcomes support the program objectives?
Are the graduating students capable of performing these outcomes?
Does the department assess its overall performance periodically using quantifiable measureable?

50. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 1 – Program Mission, Objectives and Outcomes
Weight=0.05
Factors
Scores
Is the result of the Program Assessment documented?
SCORE (S1)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

51. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 2 – Curriculum Design and Organization
Weight=0.20
Factors
Scores
Is the curriculum consistent?
Does the curriculum support the program’s documented objectives?
Are theoretical background, problem analysis and solution design stressed within the program’s core material?
Does the curriculum satisfy the core requirements laid down by the respective accreditation bodies? (refer to appendix A of the SAM)
Does the curriculum satisfy the major requirements laid down by HEC and the respective councils / accreditation bodies? (refer to appendix A of the SAM)

52. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 2 – Curriculum Design and Organization
Weight=0.20
Factors
Scores
Does the curriculum satisfy the general education, arts and professional and other discipline requirements as laid down by the respective councils / accreditation bodies? (refer to appendix A of the SAM)
Is the information technology component integrated throughout the program?
Are oral and written skills of the students developed and applied in the Program?
SCORE (S2)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

53. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 3 – Laboratories and Computing Facilities
Weight=0.10
Factors
Scores
Are laboratories manuals / documentation /instruction etc. for experiments available and readily accessible to faculty and students?
Are there adequate number of support personnel for instruction and maintaining the laboratories?
Are the university’s infrastructure and facilities adequate to support the program’s objective?
SCORE (S3)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

54. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 4 – Student Support and Advising
Weight=0.10
Factors
Scores
Are the courses being offered in sufficient frequency and number for the students to complete the program in a timely manner?
the courses in the major area structured to optimized interaction between the students, faculty and teaching assistants?
Does the university provide academic advising on course decisions and career choices to all students?
SCORE (S4)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

55. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 5 – Process Control
Weight=0.15
Factors
Scores
Is the process to enroll students to a program based on quantitative and qualitative criteria?
Is the process above clearly documented and periodically evaluated to ensure that it is meeting its objectives?
Is the process to register students in the program and monitoring their progress documented?
Is the process above periodically evaluated to ensure that it is meeting its objectives?
Is the process to recruit and retain faculty in place and documented?
Are the processes for faculty evaluation and promotion consistent with the institution mission?

56. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 5 – Process Control
Weight=0.15
Factors
Scores
Are the processes in 5 and 6 above periodically evaluated to ensure that they are meeting their objectives?
Do the processes and procedures ensure that teaching and delivery of course material emphasize active learning and that course learning outcomes are met?
Is the process in 8 above periodically evaluated to ensure that it is meeting its objectives?
Is the process to ensure that graduates have completed the requirements of the program based on standards and documented procedures?
Is the process in 10 above periodically evaluated to ensure that it is meeting its objectives?
SCORE (S5)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

57. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 6 – Faculty
Weight=0.20
Factors
Scores
Are there full time faculty members to provide adequate coverage of the program areas / courses with continuity and stability?
Are the qualifications and interests of the faculty members sufficient to teach all courses, plan, modify and update courses and curricula?
Do the faculty members process a level of competence that would be obtained through graduate work in the discipline?
Do the majority of faculty members hold a Ph. D degree in their discipline?

58. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 6 – Faculty
Weight=0.20
Factors
Scores
Do the faculty members dedicate sufficient time to research to remain current in their disciplines?
Are there mechanisms in place for faculty development?
Are faculty members motivated and satisfies so as to excel in their profession?
SCORE (S6)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

59. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 7 – Institutional Facilities
Weight=0.10
Factors
Score
Does the institution have the infrastructure to support new trends such as e-learning?
Does the library contain technical collection relevant to the program and is adequately staffed?
Are the class rooms and offices adequately equipped and capable of helping faculty carry out their responsibilities?
SCORE (S7)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

60. Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 8 – Institutional Support
Weight=0.10
Factors
Scores
Is their sufficient support and finances to attract and retain high quality faculty?
Are there an adequate number of high quality graduate students, teaching assistants and Ph.D. students?
SCORE (S8)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

61. Scoring of Criterion Items
Overall Assessment Score= S1 + S2 + S3 + S4 + S5 + S6 +S7 + S8 =
Remarks:
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62. ASSESSMENT TEAM’S REPORT FORM (To be used by QEC)

63. ASSESSMENT TEAM REPORT FORM (To be used by QEC)

64. Assessment is a Continuous Improvement