Irish universities are responsible for the quality of their programmes and their awards. The quality assurance system supports institutional autonomy and enables universities to be self-governing enterprises. Universities must have in place internal QA procedures aimed at improving the quality of education and related services they provide.
Universities must organise regular evaluations of the quality of their education and services and publish the outcomes of such evaluations. IUQB is responsible for verifying that the universities’ internal quality assurance procedures are effective.
At a national level, these internal and external quality assurance processes are further explained in the IUA/IUQB publication ‘A Framework for Quality in Irish Universities’ which is available on our website at: www.iuqb.ie
At a European level, these internal and external activities are supported by an agreed document called the ‘Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area’, 2005 (See publication on ENQA website (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) at: www.euqa.eu
The Objective of the Internal Quality Review Process
The objective of the internal review process is to examine the activities of the School/Dept./Unit. The visiting review group evaluates the quality of education and services within the university. The review cycle is generally, every ?ve to six years.
The Objective of the External Quality Review Process
The external quality assurance agency (IUQB) must check the effectiveness of the internal quality assurance processes within the university. It does this by conducting an external review of each of the Irish universities every ?ve to six years.
Both the Internal and External Quality reviews follow the same process which involves:
- Self Assessment
- Review Visit**
- Follow-up and Recommendations
- Quality Review Reports available as Public Information
The review team are sent the Self-Assessment Report and other documentation in advance of the review visit, which takes place over two to three days. Following this a Review Report is prepared. The university internal quality review reports are published on the university quality office website.
The first external review of Quality Assurance Procedures in the seven Irish universities was conducted in 2004. These review reports are available on the IUQB website at: www.iuqb.ie
** In regard to the External Quality Review, the composition of the visiting review team differs as it is appointed by IUQB and includes:
- International and Irish Senior Academics
- A student representative
- International Experts from quality assurance agencies
- An employer representative
The pdf below can be downloaded as a visual aid to understand the Internal Quality Review and External Quality Review processes.