Quality Assurance
Quality assurance is a process for monitoring and evaluating various aspects of a project, service, or facility to ensure that standards of quality are being met. Quality assurance aims at ensuring a learning environment in which the content of offered programmes, learning opportunities and facilities are fit for purpose.
Quality Policy Statement
The Quality Policy of CityU is expressed in the commitment of its leadership/administration, and is included in the official documents of the college regarding the provision of education and the production of new knowledge in conditions safeguarding safety, equality and transparency befitting academic ethics.
The Quality Policy is structured on two main pillars:
- a strategic pillar which defines the mission and the strategic quality objectives of the college and
- an operational pillar which defines the procedures for quality assurance
Supporting research initiatives and establishing research areas within the offered programmes/departments both nationally and internationally is a priority of CityU.
Mission and Tasks
The Quality Assurance Unit, established under the Laws the publication at hand by the Office of the Law Commissioner is an English translation and consolidation of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education and the Establishment and Operation of an Agency on Related Matters Laws, 2015 and 2016 [i.e. Laws 136(I) of 2015, 47(I) of 2016], is the focal coordinating Committee, accountable for ensuring quality standards.
The Quality Assurance Unit organises and coordinates all respective evaluation and accreditation processes, both institutionally and departmentally, under the quality principles, standards and requirements, set out by CYQAA and the Law may be cited as the Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education and the Establishment and Operation of an Agency on Related Matters Laws, 2015 and 2016.
The Quality Assurance Unit is responsible for applying the Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS), which includes procedures for assuring quality in teaching, learning, assessment, research and other related academic activities, as well as administrative services.
- The development of specific policies, strategies and procedures necessary for the continuous improvement of the quality of the college’s work and services which constitute the internal quality assurance system
- The organisation, operation and continuous improvement of the Internal Quality Assurance System
- The coordination and support of the evaluation procedures of the academic units and other services of the college
- The support for the external evaluation and accreditation processes of the Departments’ Study Programmes/Curricula and the college’s internal quality assurance system, under the College’s Internal Regulations principles and guidelines
- The development of an evaluation data management information system in collaboration with the College Data Protection Officer (DPO)
- The systematic monitoring and the publication of the procedures related to the evaluation and their results
More specifically, the Quality Assurance Unit is among others responsible for the following:
- The systematic revision/updating of the Quality Manual of the Internal System for Quality Assurance of the college
- Monitoring its implementation and the periodic review of its operation in the fields of its application
- Drafting and submitting to the responsible Administration bodies the internal evaluation report of the Internal System for Quality Assurance aiming to detect potential discrepancies and make recommendations for improvement
- The observance of control procedures regarding criteria for the design, approval and revision of study programs aiming to safeguard the ongoing improvement of their quality
- The collection, monitoring and analysis of quality data
- The statistical analysis and depiction of quality data and evaluation outcomes which are significant tools for decision making on every level of college function
- Indexing all types of reports highlighting weaknesses aiming to formulate proposals to responsible bodies regarding the enhancement of areas in need of improvement
- Informing the Director of Administration about international trends and good practices regarding quality assurance in tertiary education
- The establishment of advisory committees in order to assist the Quality Assurance Unit
- Conducting research/ studies for the quality of academic/educational, research and administrative work accomplished by the college
Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS)
The Internal Quality Assurance System of the college was designed in order to ensure and continually improve the quality of college’s and its Departments’ teaching and research work, as well as the effective operation and performance of its services. The Quality assurance system of the college is established under the principles, criteria and guidelines of international practices for evaluation.
The Quality Assurance Handbook is an official document of the Internal Quality Assurance System and is used as a guide to its implementation.
Quality Assurance Information System
The Quality Assurance Information System of the college was internally developed, in order for Quality Assurance Unit and Internal Evaluations Groups to efficiently collect and manage the evaluation data that are required of the Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS). The Quality Assurance Information System enables the systematic monitoring of the evaluation data, including the following subsystems:
All authorised users may have access to the Quality Assurance Information System
Internal Evaluation Groups
The Internal Evaluation Groups of the Departments of the college, are responsible for the departments’ evaluation and accreditation procedures.
In particular, the Internal Evaluation Groups responsibilities concern:
- The implementation of the internal and external evaluation procedures within the Department in cooperation with the Quality Assurance Unit of the college.
- The implementation of the accreditation procedures within the Department in cooperation with the Quality Assurance Unit of the college.
The collaboration with the Head of the Quality Assurance Unit for carrying out the external evaluation and accreditations.
Quality Assurance Office
The Office of the Quality Assurance Unit of the college reports directly to the Head of the Quality Assurance Unit. Its responsibilities concern the administrative support and the general management for implementing and executing the Quality Assurance Unit decisions and duties.
