A new report by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), launched today by the Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has found that higher education institutions are focusing more on improving the experience students have while in college.
QQI, which regulates and promotes quality and accountability in higher education, launched two reports today with Mitchell O’Connor. The first, “Quality within Higher Education”, summarises the quality assurance and quality enhancement activities in state-funded higher education institutions over the last academic year, while the second evaluates professional accreditation in Ireland.
In a press statement, Mitchell O’Connor said: “These reports provide evidence of the commitment of our publicly funded higher education institutions to maintain and promote quality of teaching and learning. There are positive messages in terms of the emergence of a ‘quality’ culture within our institutions and in how our institutions are using data collated through national surveys or at institutional level to improve the student experience.”
The first report highlights the work continuing across Irish colleges to improve the first-year experience and increase progression rates. The report also notes that the profile of quality offices within higher education institutions is increasing and that quality assurance is becoming more strategically important. Finally, the report emphasises the importance of data in this context, mentioning that the Irish Survey of the Student Engagement (ISSE) has provided a way for institutions to benchmark nationally.
The second report, “Professional Body Accreditation in Higher Education Institutions in Ireland”, was commissioned by the QQI in order to establish a more coherent image of the professional accreditation landscape in Ireland.
The Professional Association Research Network compiled this report in collaboration with colleges across the country. The report itself focuses on the scale of professional body accreditation activity, with over 140 professional bodies active in the area. In addition, the report draws on the benefits of accreditation activity, whilst also recognising that this activity can be a drain on resources.
Mitchell O’Connor said that the “report provides for the first time a clear picture of the professional accreditation landscape in Irish higher education. I expect that it will allow QQI to identify where efficiencies can be made in the future and to explore future data sharing opportunities which will reduce the impact of such accreditation on our higher education institutions while maintaining the benefits to institutions and their students”.
