Quality assurance of the programme The Finnish experiences

1
Quality assurance of the programmeThe Finnish
experiences

• Riitta Pyykkö
• University of Turku, FINHEEC
• Developing Joint Programmes and Degrees
• Tampere 14 December 2007

2
The Finnish national context

• higher education system quite stable, although a
  structural development process going on
• 20 research universities, 30 polytechnics/universi
  ties of applied sciences (2020 12-15 15-18?)
• no fees universities select their own students,
  annual intake quotas
• a national higher education and innovation policy
• traditionally a society of mutual trust
• gt Universities responsible for the quality of
  their activities

3
Finnish universities and quality assurance

• universities by law responsible for the quality
  of their work must evaluate their education,
  research and other activities and their
  effectiveness
• universities shall take part in external
  evaluations findings of evaluations must be
  published
• evaluation policy based on development and
  improvement approach
• the steering system of HEIs also highlights the
  role of evaluation
• HEIs now building QA systems that cover all their
  operations all HEIs will be audited by FINHEEC

4
The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council
(FINHEEC)

• an independent expert body
• assists universities, polytechnics and the
  Ministry of Education in matters relating to
  evaluation
• governed by a Government Decree (1995)
• 12 members, appointed by the Ministry for a four
  year period a secretariat
• member of ENQA
• organises audits of quality work, institutional,
  programme and thematic evaluations provides
  advisory and consultant services develops
  evaluation methodology disseminates good Finnish
  and international practices

5
Audits of quality assurance systems of HEIs

• Why auditing?
• - promotes the independence and diversity of the
  HEIs
• - is a flexible evaluation tool
• - shows confidence in the HEIs own operation
• Aims of audits
• - to evaluate how the HEIs QA system works as a
  quality management and improvement tool
• - to evaluate the QA system with regard to the
  audit criteria
• - to highlight strengths and good practices
• - to give development recommendations
• Audit manual 2008-2011 (www.finheec.fi)

6
Starting new education in Finland

• university has the right to start new education
  (Bachelor Master Doctor) in the fields
  mentioned in the appendix to the Government
  Decree on University Degrees (e.g. History gt
  Cultural History or Finnish History)
• for starting to offer education in other fields,
  the university has to apply to the Ministry for
  changes in the education responsibility
• new fields are negotiated in the annual
  performance negotiations between the Ministry of
  education and each university
• from 2004 also separate Master Degree Programmes
  (now 125 programmes, mostly thematic,
  multidisciplinary, taught in English)
• starting a separate programme university submits
  a proposal to the Ministry gt Ministry gives
  annually an amendment to the Decree on Masters
  Degree Programmes

7
Main criteria for starting a MDP (August 2007)

• status in the national education system based on
  Bachelor level education, gives eligibility for
  Doctoral education
• student admission criteria and annual intake
  quota clearly determined
• the students status, rights and services
  defined
• 120 ECTS (some international programmes 90 ECTS)
• a clearly defined demand for new education (from
  the point of view of labour market or development
  of science)
• emphasis on multidisciplinarity and cooperation
  ( added value compared with specialization
  within one discipline)
• cooperation partners recognised/accredited
  intitutions

8
Main criteria for starting a MDP (August 2007)

• learning outcomes, programme content and teaching
  and study arrangements clearly defined
• evaluation and QA system (all partners)
• students represented in QA system (also in
  international programmes)
• in international programmes assurance of the
  level of language skills (both students and
  teachers)
• resources both human resources and financing and
  its continuity (usually no extra funding from the
  Ministry)