Quality University of Sydney Quality Assurance and Change Unit

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Quality University of SydneyQuality
Assurance and Change Unit
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Who are AUQA and what do they do?

• Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) is
  an independent national body - formally
  established by the Ministerial Council on
  Education, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA)
  in March 2000
• To promote, audit report on quality assurance
  in Australian higher education
• Review Panel will visit Sydney on 26 - 29 July
  2004

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What will AUQA be looking at?

• Universitys goals
• Quality Teaching Learning
• Diversity, Access Equity
• Excellence in Research
• Internationalisation
• Engagement with Industry and the Professions
• Effective Management
• Service to the Community
• Emphasis on
• Achievements (outcomes)
• QA processes
• Links between outcomes processes
• Priorities for improvement
• Plans to address challenges represented by
  priorities

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How does Quality Assurance work at Sydney?

• Strategy to enhance effectiveness of core
  activities of learning, teaching, research,
  research training and associated administrative
  services
• Process Internal Reviews
• Academic Board Reviews
• Administrative Services Review
• Governance Quality Advisory Coordination Group
  (QACG)
• Quality Assurance Policy
• Membership representative of staff (Faculty
  Administrative)

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What is the Performance Portfolio?

• A self reflective report card on how the
  University is doing against its goals.
• Chapter 1 Governance, leadership quality
• Chapter 2 Teaching and learning the student
  experience
• Chapter 3 Research innovation
• Chapter 4 Strategic infrastructure resources
• Chapter 5 Looking ahead
• Identifies areas for improvement describes
  plans to address them in faculties and units

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Major Achievements

• Teaching, Learning the student experience
• Research-led and evidence-based teaching
• Participation in a range of activities beyond the
  classroom
• Fostering diversity of student backgrounds
• Enhancing the student experience through SWOT
• Increase in international undergraduate and
  postgraduate student numbers (17 of the total
  student population)
• Research Innovation
• National leader in ARC funding and Federation
  Fellows
• National leader in NHMRC project funding
• Key participant in CRCs, Key Centres, Centres of
  Excellence
• Leading Australian performer in research
  development
• Strong growth in revenue from commercialisation
• Significant increase in higher degree research

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Major Achievements

• Strategic infrastructure resources
• Robust capital program budgeting and control
• Improved financial service process
• Improved student recruitment and enrolment
  processes
• Strengthening our relationship with schools
• Effective PMD program
• Review of Human Resources and IT
• Engaging with communities at all levels
• Increasing level of bequests and donations
• Internationalisation
• Strategic review completed
• Strategic action framework developed
• International Policy Advisory Committee formed

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What are QA processes?

• Processes for monitoring outcomes, measuring
  progress and identifying best practice and areas
  of improvement to ensure that the Universitys
  goals are met.

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QA processes at Sydney

• Examples of QA processes at Sydney are
• Academic Board Faculty review system
• Administrative Services review system
• Strategic management of teaching learning
• Policy development monitoring
• PMD
• Student course evaluation mechanisms (eg SCEQ)
• Benchmarking
• Academic Board resolutions for course approval
  and review
• Processes for supporting teaching excellence ITL
  training, promotion, teaching awards

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Major challenges

• Teaching, learning student experience
• Linked to revised University teaching Learning
  Plan
• Multi-campus university
• Vertical/horizontal decentralisation of
  responsibility
• Research innovation
• Improving research infrastructure
• Developing better research information management
  systems
• Strategic infrastructure resources
• Redesigning service delivery to guarantee
  seamless service to all staff, students and
  clients
• More effective management practices in regard to
  planning, co-ordination, communication, staffing,
  resource and cost-efficiencies

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Outcomes of the Audit

• The AUQA Audit is a public review and their
  report of findings on the University of Sydney
  will be openly available. The Audit provides an
  opportunity for the University to demonstrate its
  achievements, quality assurance processes and
  plans for continuous improvement.

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For more information

• www.usyd.edu.au/quality
• www.auqa.edu.au
• Executive Officer Quality Assurance
• Ms Barb McLean
• Ext 15200
• bmclean_at_mail.usyd.edu.au