1. GC University Lahore Quality Enhancement Cell
QEC Progress: An Overview
Presented by: Iram Sohail
Director-QEC
Prepared by: Syeda Amina Hasan
Deputy Director-QEC

2. Establishment of the Quality Enhancement Cell
The Quality Enhancement Cell is fully operational at GC University Lahore
The office of the QEC at GCU, Lahore was established at the end of March At present, it is located at the 1st floor of the Registrar’s office.
The necessary staff at QEC has been recruited. The Cell is being headed by the Director, QEC. The other staff of QEC includes the Deputy Director, the Consultant (part time) and the Office Attendant.
The necessary Office Equipments (stationery items, furniture, computer systems and telephone) are available in the office of QEC.

3. QEC’s Mission Statement
The mission of the Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) within the GCU, Lahore is to monitor and enhance academic processes, procedures and practices within academic departments, keeping in view the proposals put forward by the HEC, and also keeping in view international quality assurance developments.

4. Status of the University Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Departmental Mission Statements and the Formulation of Departmental Program Teams
The GCU, Lahore’s Mission Statement and the Vision Statement are mentioned in the QA Policy Paper_001, which was issued in Feb
All the academic departments of the University offering 4-years B.A/B.S /BS (CS) degree programs and higher degree programs have formulated their departmental QA Program Teams and have prepared their Departments’ Mission Statements. The PTs will handle the QA work as per QEC’ s guidelines which are in accordance with the HEC’ s guidelines.

5. QEC’s Curriculum Planning Training Sessions / Meetings
The QEC conducted Curriculum Planning meetings / training sessions (13) with all the academic / teaching departments of the University for the development of the course outlines of all the courses of 4-years Bachelor’s degree programs of the University according to QEC approved course outline format. (May 2007 – October 2007).

6. The mandatory fields of the QEC approved course
outline format include the
course title
course code
credit hours
course pre-requisite (s)
course co-requisite (s)
course description
course goals and objectives
the percentages of scheduled learning activities (SLAs)
the GCU Graduate Attributes Matrix-GGA matrix (mapping of GGAs and the course goals)
the assessment strategy and the recommended course readers

7. Status of the Self-Assessment Exercise in the Academic Departments of the University
Status of Self Assessment of One Model Department.
Status of Self Assessment Exercise in all the Academic Departments of the University.

8. Status of Self Assessment of One Model Department
The Program Quality Assurance Report (PQAR) Focus Group has been formulated for the preparation and submission of PQA report as a part of the Departmental Self Assessment Procedures. (April 2007)
The PQAR Focus Group included the Department of Chemistry, the Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics (CASP) and the Department of Economics.

9. Nine Meetings / Training Sessions were held for the PQAR Focus Group for the preparation of PQA Report. (April – August 2007)
The Department of Chemistry and the Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics (CASP) had submitted the 1st draft of their PQA report (August 2007)
After review of the reports, the QEC recommended the Department of Chemistry for the submission of the final PQA report. (September 2007)

10. The Department of Chemistry had prepared their report
using the data which they had collected and analyzed
according to the PQA data collection template which
includes the data related to nine Quality Criteria (QCs)-
QC1:Mission Statement, Graduate Attributes and Outcomes;
QC2: Curriculum;
QC3:Teaching and Research Support;
QC4: Student Support and Guidance;
QC5: Program Process, Procedures and Administration;
QC6: Faculty;
QC7: Institutional Facilities;
QC8: Institutional Support and
QC9: Academic Quality Enhancement Plans.

11. The Department of Chemistry also conducted the surveys regarding
the Student Course Evaluation Questionnaire,
Faculty Course Review Report,
Survey of Graduating Students,
Research Students Progress Review,
Faculty Surveys,
Survey of PhD programs,
Alumni Survey,
Employer Survey,
Faculty Resumes and Teachers’ Evaluation.
The data collected from most of these surveys served as the
backup data for their PQA report.

12. At present, the internal assessment team (AT) of the Department of Chemistry comprising of three faculty members is in the process of reviewing the report. They will submit the final report and their findings to the QEC in November 2007.
The QEC will review the findings and submit them along with the final report to the Higher Education Commission.

13. B. Status of Self Assessment Exercise in all the Departments of the University
The ten survey Performas regarding the Student course Evaluation Questionnaire, Faculty Course Review, Survey of Graduating Students, Research students Progress Review, Faculty Surveys, Surveys of Departments offering PhD programs, alumni Survey, Faculty Resume and Teachers’ Evaluation have been distributed to all the academic departments of the University for data collection in June 2007.

14. The departments are in the process of data collection which will be used for the preparation of PQA reports as a part of the departmental self assessment procedures
Prior to the current Self Assessment Exercise, SWOT and POST-SWOT analysis of the academic departments have been done (Nov/ Dec 2006)

15. QEC Documentations
Minutes of the meetings of the PQAR Focus Group (April - August 2007)
Minutes of the meetings of the Curriculum planning Training Sessions (May - October 2007)
QEC’s Management Documents (Letters-general and related to QA matters – 200+ in number, Training Schedules, Presentations, Progress Reports and Purchase Requisitions etc.)

16. QA Policy Memorandum_001 (Dec. 2006)
QA Policy Paper_001 (Feb. 2007) which also includes the GCU’s Mission Statement, the nine (9) Quality Criteria and eight (8) GCU Graduate Attributes.
Research Handbook – The CWG-RHD had submitted the 1st draft of the handbook.
QEC Files are organized and are 30+ in number.

17. QEC Academic Audits
QEC Academic Audits of Teaching Departments were held in order to check the availability, organization and implementation of the key QA documents.
Audit 1: March & April 2007
Audit 2: May 2007

18. Status of QEC Website
The QEC Web Page is fully functional / operational. The link is ‘QEC at GCU’ in the GC University, Lahore’s web page (
It is being updated from time to time

19. QEC Training Workshops and Seminars
Apart from the curriculum planning meetings/ training sessions, QEC training sessions for staff awareness on various issues of QA were also held - Two Sessions were held on April 21, 2007 and May 30, 2007
HRDC workshops regarding faculty development program were held in March 2007 and June 2007

20. Status of the QEC Plans/Projects to be initiated / launched in the Near Future
The development of the GCU Graduate Attribute 7 (Specific Professional Program Skills) Matrix – Mapping of the program Skills and the courses of the program) by the academic departments of the University.
Assessment Management System (AMS) is being launched. A preliminary meeting in this regard has been held on Oct. 26, The Consultative Working Group for AMS is being formulated.

21. QEC-HRDC 3rd training workshop as a part of the Faculty Development Programme is being planned
QEC Training Session for the Young Lecturers / New Inductees of the GC University, Lahore has been scheduled and will be held in Nov. 2007