Quality Promotion Office - Quality in Irish Universities

Quality in Irish Universities

Framework for the conduct of School and Unit Quality Reviews

The process provides a self-critical evaluation and a review by peers of the teaching, research and administration/planning in the School, Faculty or Unit, and of a variety of aspects of the student experience.

The Components of the methodology are:

• a self-assessment report is prepared by a co-ordinating committee of the School, Faculty or Unit,
• evaluation of the report by a peer review group who visit the School/Faculty/Unit and discuss the report with staff, students, graduates and other stakeholders
• a final report by the peer review group incorporating recommendations for quality improvement, and
• implementation of the report, in tandem with on-going quality improvement
• publication of the outcome of the evaluations by the Governing Authority of the University

This methodology can be described essentially as one of self-regulation. In many countries, the quality system is controlled by an external inspectorate. The Irish Universities successfully argued against this approach, in their interaction with government during the framing of the legislation which eventually became the Universities Act (1997).

The reviews are carried out by the School, Faculty or Unit together with a small group of colleagues from DCU and other universities. The review is of the Schools, Faculties and Units and not of individuals. When a review has been completed a report will emerge which will not identify individuals by name. The aim of the process is Quality Improvement.