QA Mechanism of HEC
Definition of Quality
Quality can be defined as the means through which an institution can guarantee, with confidence and certainty, that the standards of its educational provision are being maintained and enhanced.
- Quality assurance is used as a common denomination for a variety of mechanisms intended to control, guarantee and promote quality in higher education institutions.
- It is a developmental aspect of higher education and therefore will never be achieved in total.
- We often consider graduates as the end product or output of education. It is not just the output but the outcome of higher education institutions that matters in today’s market economy.
- The number of graduating students is the output, while the quality of graduates is the outcome — in other words, the competency of a graduate is what makes them useful to society.
The Three Pillars of Higher Education
Quality assurance is one of the three pillars upon which the whole structure of higher education in Pakistan is based.
- Increasing access to higher education without enhancing its quality and relevance to the needs of the country cannot be expected to achieve the goal of a knowledge-based economy.
- It is a common perception that the majority of Pakistani universities do not meet international standards of higher education.
- Quality assurance must be accepted as a challenge, which cannot be met without enhancing quality on a sustainable basis.
Two Levels of Quality Assurance
External Quality Assurance
Also called accreditation, this is carried out by regulatory and professional bodies at national level — in this case the HEC — to ensure the minimum performance level of educational programmes and institutions.
Internal Quality Assurance
An internal and integral part of the institution’s administration and management systems. It implements a set of policies, programmes and procedures set up by the institution.
QEC Processes
Academic standards are developed and arranged as predetermined, explicit levels of achievement that must be reached by students. The learning facilities and environment must be arranged by the institution, and the procedures must be administered efficiently and effectively by the different persons and bodies within the university. Quality assurance is therefore carried out in three cycles.
Cycle 1 — Monitoring Every year
Continuous monitoring of the programme by the Programme Director, resulting in an Annual Monitoring Report. The report is based on the Programme Director’s account of running the programme — the problems encountered and those which could not be solved.
The assessment of each resident is carried out by evaluating residents at 360 degrees in the light of the Portfolio. To assess students and residents of the clinical programmes according to the six elements of the portfolio at 360 degrees, opinions are also obtained from patients, peers, nurses, paramedics and others related to the programme. This internal evaluation by the Programme Faculty, coordinated by the Programme Director, informs the decision to grant progression to the next year.
Cycle 2 — Internal Review Every three years
A peer review conducted by a Peer Review Committee constituted by the University, comprising two teachers of the same specialty as the programme who are not members of the Programme Faculty Committee — preferably from outside the University where available. The Programme Director assists the Peer Review Committee in carrying out the review.
Cycle 3 — External Review Every five years
Accreditation, or external review, is carried out by external reviewers appointed by a non-governmental accreditation body, board or council which does not run, manage or administer any similar programme. The University makes all accreditation reports available to the public.
The University prepares the Monitoring Reports and Internal Review Reports of each programme and offers them to the External Review in order to obtain accreditation.
