The quality programme at Linkping University

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The quality programme at Linköping University

• Håkan Hult
• Gdansk March 13, 2009

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Linköping University

• 25000 Students
• 1300 Research students
• 3500 Employees
• 14 multidisciplinary departments
• 130 study programmes
• 600 single-subject courses
• Total revenue app 260 million euro

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Four faculties

• Institute of technology
• Arts and sciences
• Health sciences
• Educational sciences

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Fundamental principles

• Linköping University is a campus and programme
  university
• Multidisciplinary departments serving more than
  one faculty
• Both staff and students have a responsibility for
  the quality
• Teacher support Centre for teaching and
  learning, 10 weeks education

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Educational (pedagogical) standpoints

• Student centred education
• Profession rather than discipline in focus
• Representatives from the surrounding society take
  part in the decisions about the content of the
  study programmes
• Sandwich model courses (theory and practice) are
  important in many programmes

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The Bologna process

• Learning outcomes
• Assessing every outcome
• Course evaluations (every course)
• Every programme will be evaluated every sixth
  year (peer review)

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The PhD education

• The PhD students are employed at the university
• An individual study plan is mandatory
• A minimum of 2 supervisors for every student
• Satisfied PhD student survey every other year
• Peer review of the PhD education

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Quality and strategy

• Quality is to fulfil the universitys strategic
  aims and visions
• The strategy map summarizes the aims
• Connected to the strategic aims are indicators
  needed for dialogues between rector and heads of
  departments

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Action plans

• Action plans, measures, evaluations and quality
  improvement is something that is periodically
  recurrent
• The plans are a result of the dialogue between
  rector and the departments
• It must be possible to implement the plans
• Staff and students take an active role in the
  work
• Deadlines as well as evaluations are important

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The faculties evaluations of the quality work
every year

• The teachers competence
• How many students finish their studies
• The average study time
• International mobility
• The result of Satisfied Student Index (survey
  every other year)
• Course evaluation index (KURT)
• How many of the graduates have got a job

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Indicators

• The idea behind the indictors at Linköping
  University is to stimulate faculties and
  departments to work with issues which are of
  importance in the national evaluations. The
  Linköping University solution is Balanced Score
  card

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Balanced Scorecards

• Implementing Balanced Scorecards includes
• 1. Translating the vision into operational
  goals
• 2. Communicating the vision and link it to
  individual
• performance
• 3. Business planning index setting
• 4. Feedback and learning and adjusting the
  strategy
• accordingly

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Example 1 Indicator for scientific publishing

• The strategic aim is to create and to disseminate
  excellent scientific results
• Indicator citation index

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Citation index

• Aim A high index indicates high quality
• Definition The average amount of citations per
  publication compared to the mean value for the
  journal
• Frequency Update every year
• Resources xx hours of work is needed to update
  this indicator every year
• Responsible for this process xx
• Report to Rector and the university board

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Example 2 Indicators for the academic leadership

• The strategic aim is to develop the academic
  leaders
• Indicator Leadership index

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Leadership index

• Aim A high leadership index indicates high
  confidence in the leadership
• Definition The leadership index is a part of the
  Satisfied Staff Index (SSI)
• Frequency SSI every other year
• Resources The work is done by an external
  company
• Responsible for the process The personnel
  manager

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Other strategic aims at Linköping University

• To further develop the profile of a campus and
  programme university with stimulating, demanding
  and student centred education
• To improve the strategic work to find excellent
  post docs, senior lecturers and professors

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The quality work at a department

• Work with the indicators decided by the rector
• Initiatives taken quality programme for
  undergraduate education, quality indicators for
  PhD education, indicators for the working
  environment

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The quality work from the perspective of a
department

• Interesting and valuable initially but now of
  less importance
• Who knows best about the department the head of
  the department or the rector?
• Broadening rectors concept of excellence
• Is quality always measurable?

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Simple problem Baking a cake

• The recipe is essential. No expertise is required
  but expertise increases success rate. A good
  recipe produces nearly the same cake every time.
  A good recipe states the quantity and nature of
  the parts needed, but there is room for
  experimentation

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Complicated problem Sending a rocket to the moon

• Rigid protocols are needed. Sending one rocket
  increases the likelihood that the next will be a
  success. High levels of expertise is needed. Key
  elements of each rocket must be identical.
  Certainty of outcome. Success depends on
  blueprint (directing development of parts and
  their relationship)

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Complex problem Raising a child

• Rigid protocols have limited value. Raising one
  child is no guarantee of success with the next.
  Expertise helps but only when balanced with
  responsi-veness to the particular child. Every
  child is unique. Uncertainty of outcome. Can't
  separate parts from the whole