Quality Assurance: The Voice of the „Victim” The View of a „HE Amateur”

Traditional Understanding of QA University needs only:  Selection of professors  Provision of facilities, infrastructure This paradigm is based on the concept that good professor knows and does what is good for the student provided he/she has got the means to do so

Traditional Interpretation of Academic Freedom The classic Humboldtian approach: Freedom to serve „KNOWLEDGE” (The ultimate truth what matters; not the society or the students) The original concept was to protect professors, students and science from external (political, clerical, etc.) influences (Some current academic resistence takes that concept to hide behid )

The Humboldtian Way of Quality Management  Quality is the responsibility of the professor  University is responsible for high reputation academic environment  Government is responsible for support (that university is a „top down” one, it is administered rather than governed)

Do we really need to deal with Quality issues?  Is the university worse than any time before?  Is there a need to provide substantially different education than before?  Who has raised the issue?  Is it really quality that we are concerned about?

Humboldtian QM is a failure by now  GLOBALIZATION  Mass higher education  Alternative knowledge providing (private, corporate, virtual, etc.)  Diversification of educational needs  Conflits of interests (between professor, university government)  Conflits of interests (between professor, university and government)

What do we mean by quality?  Something is of quality if it is fit for purpose  HE has no single purpose, but a multitude of often conflicting purposes  Is it clear what are the students’ needs, what do they really want?

Free Trade vs Public Service  Shall we rely on market mechanisms of QA, or administer quality by national, European or other authorities?  Who is responsible for quality in the renewed setting? (US has proposed WTO to handle HE in the framework of the GATT’S talks)

Accreditation (the other „Monster”)  Accreditation is a measure of consumer protection – it points out when goods or services may endanger the customer  It will not solve the quality problems by itself (improper use of it may even be discriminatory)

What is the role of government in Quality?  Government can hardly administer or manage quality effectively: they often have narrow minded views, mechanical interpretations, overload universities with bureaucracy (i.e. TQM as magic bullet )  Where governments have lost control, market takes care of quality issues  Government can not do miracle, university can do!

Never believe what the Dutchman says, believe what he means” „Never believe what the Dutchman says, believe what he means”  When people speak about quality they always have their own understanding of quality  When quality issues are raised, it is often to avoid other rather burning issues  When people address quality, find out if they have a clear idea of the purpose

No Alternative of Quality for University  Efficient and effective quality management is the key to strategic survival of the university  Quality is more about stakeholder satisfaction than academic standards  Quality is more about institutional culture than rules and regulations  Quality is specific and not universal  Quality is concrete not abstract

It’s for U to do it!  The only reliable and efficient agent for quality is the university itself  University must constantly monitor stakeholder satisfaction and establish feedback mechanisms  Work out healthy balance between short term and long term quality  Carefully handle the conflict of interest between internal and external stakeholders

CAPITALIZE ON QUALITY TRENDS! Be Proactive! Learn first, than Lead not only follow!