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Program Quality Assurance - updates and information on the new system

RMIT's new system for assuring program quality

The framework of RMIT's Program Quality Assurance process (PQA) was approved at the March meeting of Academic Board and the Board of Technical Studies. PQA will replace EQA as the university's approach to ensuring the quality of programs and courses across the university.

It is intended to build on processes used for EQA, with a continuing focus on improvement and the use of internal peer reviewers to act as critical friends for program teams. Current EQA reviewers will be briefed and invited to participate.  In addition, a five-yearly re-accreditation process is being introduced, with panels of external reviewers, to attest to the currency, design and implementation of each program.

Currently implementation is being piloted in the Faculty of Life Sciences.

Aspects of the PQA system and the current state of play are:

• Common criteria for accreditation and re-accreditation of programs, focusing on the currency, design and implementation of the program.
  These criteria have been approved by the Boards and will be incorporated in revised New Program Proposal guidelines, which will be distributed for consultation shortly.

• Program documentation to build on systems developed under EQA
  A new Program Quality Management system handbook is being developed using the Course Management System  as a basis.  This will be available electronically.
  Options for an electronic indexing system are being discussed with program leaders.

• Annual reports by program leaders to their managers.
  Guidelines for these reports have been approved in principle by the Boards.  They will be road-tested in the Life Sciences pilot.

• Faculty responsibility for oversighting programs and the provision of administrative support to programs.
  Issues and useful practices are being explored in the Life Sciences pilot.

• Deans' accountabilities re quality of programs
  Acquittal processes are currently being developed. The first round of reports to senior management have focused on the external validation of assessment and outcomes.

• A five year Review and Re-accreditation cycle
  Programs will be scheduled for review/reaccreditation in discipline clusters. Details of grouping and scheduling are currently being discussed and proposals will be circulated shortly..
  At Year 3 there will be a review process considering the range and currency of RMIT's provision in a discipline, followed by program-level workshops, with input from peer reviewers acting as critical friends. The format of this process is currently being developed in consultation with DoTQs and program leaders.  An initial approach will be trialled in Life Sciences in Semester 2.
  At Year 5 external re-accreditation panels will consider planning and program documentation against the re-accreditation criteria, and report to Academic Board via Programs Committee.
  
  

This page will provide updates on progress and links to documentation as it is developed.

For further information, contact Kate Patrick, Acting Manager, PQA, in the Quality Unit - kate.patrick@rmit.edu.au, x 52641.

 

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Last Modified 09 June 2001 by Josie Ryan