A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

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Dr. Antony Stella, Audit Director
Student Participation in QA
17 September 2006 Bangalore, India
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BUT
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Participation of Students?Participation of all
Stakeholders???Striking a balance needs
attention
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Merits of Student Involvement GivenTo what
extent?What is optimum?
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Assumptions

• Interpretation of participation
• National context
• Cultural Context
• Capacity of stakeholders involved (Students,
  HEIs, QA Agencies)

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Evaluation Vs Feedback

• Student Satisfaction Vs Learning Outcome

Contentious in eighties and nineties
Participation in QA
Extended role of students
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Changing characteristics

• Black cat in a dark room?
• 20 or matured learners?
• Increasing commitment outside the campus

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Australian ContextFederation of six States and
two Territories. 37 universities established by
State or Territory legislationfour other
self-accrediting institutions established under
Australian Government legislation two private
universities recognised through State Acts over
120, mainly private, HEIs andone approved
branch of an overseas university (Carnegie Mellon
University in Adelaide)
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Australian Context

• Mature HE sector
• Emphasis on Internal QA processes
• Well established national surveys on student
  experience
• Funding links to special schemes (HEIs)
• Funding to Student Organization - Full time
  office bearers
• Student representation in governance
• Student representation in academic structures
• Students manage their campus activities

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Student Survey Results

• National data
• Managed external to HEIs
• Published by the government
• Category wise comparisons are possible
• Consequences links to special funding schemes
  (there are criticisms)
• In general, the system is driven by professional
• commitment and not by consequences and funding
  sanctions

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• HEIs
• Take the survey results seriously
• Resource crunch in the HE sector
• Need to attract fee paying students
• (International Domestic)
• Strong Student Associations (NUS Ranks HEIs for
  student support)

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• AUQA
• Considers national survey results.
• Examines trend data.
• Pays attention to issues that emerge from the
  surveys.
• Checks action taken on issues identified.
• Examines feedback given to students about the
  action taken.

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Australian Universities Quality Forum

• Most of the workshops of 2006 Forum were on
  student experiences and student feedback
• Student representative on the Joint Steering
  Group (JSG)

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Good Practice Database

• Many entries on student experience

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Audit Process

• Scheduled meetings with students over lunch
• Scheduled meetings with student representatives
• Walk around
• Open Sessions
• Input from ombudsmen
• Appeals and Grievance Committee

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External Review of AUQA

• Recommendation to increase student participation
  in the QA process
• Recommendation to strengthen relationship with
  stakeholders

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Implementation Plan

• Meetings with student structures
• Encourage HEIs to increase student participation
• QA managers are briefed about student involvement
• QA-Contact List includes student organisations

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• Boards thinking.
• HEIs are our direct clients
• Direct student submissions to QA agency might
  breed mistrust
• QA agencies have no existence of their own. They
  exist to service the HEIs. Similarly, HEIs exist
  for students
• QA agencies should be facilitators and not
  intruders
• HEIs-Students relationship is on-going and Audits
  are once-in-five-year activities
• QA should not become an intrusive process
• Over enthusiasm should not result in wrong
  precedence
• Evidence that efforts match benefits?

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• Cycle 1 ..
• Audit reports have significant sections on
  student experiences and student support
• Reports do not indicate any major problems
• There are many commendations for the innovative
  strategies followed by HEIs to involve students
  holistically
• Student participation in self assessment and
  campus briefing is significant
• Audit in Australia is not a stage managed process

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• Cycle 2 ..
• To be launched in November/December 2006
• Cycle 2 Framework has been sent to the Ministers
  for approval
• Owners of AUQA States and Territories and the
  Australian Government want AUQA to focus on
  standards and learning outcomes.
• That would intensify our approach to student
  experiences
• AUQA will look at more effective ways of
  interacting with student structures during the
  audit visit
• Beyond that there are questions

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• In Conclusion.
• National Student Surveys
• Comparable public data
• Stakes are high
• Strong Student Associations
• Funding to Student Associations
• Student Representation in Governance
• Student Representation in academic structures
• AUQA considers students as one of the
  stakeholders and their involvement is well in
  place
• More emphasis in cycle 2

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• In Conclusion.
• Student involvement in QA depends on the capacity
  of HEIs to absorb student involvement
• Capacity Building is necessary for Students and
  HEIs

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Thank you
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