Impact of the Quality Evaluation and Accreditation Policy on Argentine Universities*

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Impact of the Quality Evaluation and
Accreditation Policy on ArgentineUniversities
Ángela Corengia Juan Carlos Del Bello Julio
Durand María Pita Carranza
This paper is the result of a Research Project
conducted at the Universidad de Palermo (PICT UP
Nº 35196) and Universidad Austral (Internal
Contest for Research Projects 2006). It is also
part of the Doctoral Thesis of Angela Corengia.
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INTRODUCTION

• - QAS Increase
  More than 150 countries
• - Argentina
  1995 CONEAU
• 
  -
  Institutional Evaluation
• -
  Undergraduate Courses Accreditation
• -
  Postgraduate Courses Accreditation
• - Efforts and costs incurred by both Higher
  Education
• Institutions and States
• Is Higher Education Quality Improving?
• Are Knowledge Invention and Transmission
  Improving?

Quality Assurance Systems
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PURPOSE
Detect signs of changes towards improvement
Main Functions
Management
and
Teaching Research Extension
1) Intended Declaratory 2) Factual
As a consequence of the Argentine university
quality evaluation and accreditation policy
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BACKGROUND
International (20) and Argentine (10) Studies
- Evaluation and Accreditation Policy ONE of
the
change triggers - QAS
Maturation Phases - Quanti-Qualitative
Approach, Study of Cases - Difficult to
quantify the effect separately from other
variables
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METHOD

• Study of Cases 4 universities (type of
  management, size and
• 
  year of creation)
• Case 1 private, small, created during the
  1990s
• Case 2 state, medium, created during the
  1990s
• Case 3 state, large, old
• Case 4 private, medium, old
• - Descriptive Evaluative
• - Documentary Analysis External evaluation
  reports (4), and
• undergraduate (7) and postgraduate (42)
  accreditation resolutions

First part of a broader research that includes
visits to the institutions and interviews.
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Table 1 Analysis Areas and Dimensions
Analysis Areas (functions) Dimensions
1. Teaching 1.1 Teacher Training Academic Qualification, full-time status, Categorisation, Pedagogic Training. 1.2 Teaching-Learning Process-Methodology. 1.3 Curriculum. Plans and Programmes. 1.4 Students and Graduates. 1.5 Student-Teacher Relationship. 1.6 Infrastructure, financial and material resources. Library
2. Research 2.1 Research Professors. Human Resources Training. 2.2 Research Projects. 2.3 Research Funding.. 2.4 Research Products. 2.5 Infrastructure and Library
3. Extension 3.1 Extension Scope. 3.2 Extension Programmes.
4. Management 4.1 Quality Management of Evaluation and Accreditation Processes



Source Authorss elaboration
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RESULTS
Policy Effects Institutional Evaluation
References Signs of intended /
declaratory changes Signs of
factual changes
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Change signs (X) intended (X) factual Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4
1. Teaching
- Pedagogic training and raise Full-time professors X X X
- Academic qualification (postgraduate training) X X X
- Distance education X X
- Curricular flexibilisation X X X X
- Undergradaute and postgraduate articulation X X X
- Academic yield and retention X X X X X
- Teacher / Student relationship X X X
- Articulation with High School X
2. Research
- Design of lines, policies. Funding. X X
- Incorporation of young researchers and students X X X X
- Publications (encourage more) X X
- Unify production (one and only catalogue, data base) X X
- Project evaluation X
- Library, newspaper library, equipment and fittings X X X
3. Extension
- Extension definition X X
- Association with other institutions X X
4. Management
- Generate conditions for continuous sellf assessment X X X X X
- Preparation of strategic plans X X X
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RESULTS
Policy Effects Undergraduate Courses
Accreditation -Medicine-
References Signs of intended /
declaratory changes Signs of
factual changes
Note All three courses (Cases 1, 3 and 4) went
through two accreditation phases
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Change Signs (X) intended (X) factual Case 1 Case 3 Case 4
1. Teaching
- Teachers selection X X
- Raise Full-Time professors X X X X X
- Improve professor qualification (postgraduate training) X X
- Teachers performance evaluation (by peers and students) X X
- Incorporation of teachers related to Health Centres X
- Methodology. Teaching-Learning process X X X X
- Study Plan changes changes in subjects, creation of commissions X X X X
- Definition of the educative capacity, entry quota X X X
2. Research
- Mechanisms to encourage clinic reasearch projects X X
- Plan projects, amonts, reserachers. Incorporation of studentes and graduates. X
- Survey of scientific production of professors X
- Increase in the number of publications and doctoral defense thesis X
Creation of the research system regulations, of the Higher Reserach Centre First Health Research Seminar X
- Signature of agreements to ensure the continuity of the projects X
3. Extension
- Implement community internships and extension deeds based on standards X
- Identify real needs of the population (social area). Systematize X
4. Management
Preparation and realisation of improvement plans with objectives, amounts, responsible ones X X X X X X
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RESULTS
Policy Effects Undergraduate Courses
Accreditation -Engineering-
References Signs of intended /
declaratory changes Signs of
factual changes
Note All three courses went through only one
accreditation phase (Cases 1, 2 and 3). Case 4
went through two accreditation phases.
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Change Signs (X) intended (X) factual Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4
1. Teaching
- Raise Full-Time professors X X X X X
- Improve teacher qualification (postgraduate degree holder) X X X X
- Improve pedagogic training of teachers X X X
- Creation of the Commission for the Evaluation and Distribution of Teachers X
- Curriculum strengthen experimental training X
- Implement Program of Internal Auditors Training X
- Standardisation of mechanism of student evaluation X
- Revisions and modificatios in the Study Plan X X X X X
2. Research
- Plan of development of research lines in Engineering X X X X X
- Incorporation of teachers and students to these lines X X X X X
- Allocate more funds to research development X X X X X
- Creation of an instance to the promotion and evaluation of researchers, projects and innovative developments X
- Laboratories and libraries X X X X
3. Extension
- Development of institutional linking activities X X
4. Management
Preparation and realisation of improvement plans with objectives, amounts, responsible ones XX XX XX XX
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RESULTS
Policy Effects Postgraduate Courses
Accreditation -Health Sciences, Applied Sciences,
Social Sciences-
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Postgraduate courses studied Postgraduate courses studied Postgraduate courses studied Postgraduate courses studied
Discipline Cases Health Sciences Applied Sciences Social Sciences Total
Case 1 3 1 7 11
Case 2 2 3 8 13
Case 3 6 2 4 12
Case 4 0 2 4 6
Total 12 8 23 42
Signs of change recommendations for quality
improvement
Function Dimensions Recommendation Frequency
Teaching - Curriculum. Study plan and programs. 65 of the cases
- Students and Graduates. 30 of the cases
Research - Projects. - Human Resources Training. 40 of the cases
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DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Institutional Evaluation Policy
institutional change trigger
leads to internal
reflection in universities about matters to
improve



No
significant differences of change size
were observed in terms of
year of creation Exception
the only large university included in the case
panel There was a shift in the Medicine course
from a mass direct admission system to an
indirect system which ruled the entry of students
based on the educative capacity of the Medicine
School.
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DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Impact Differences were observed according to
Type of Management of the Institutions Type of Implemented Policy
In the research function For undergraduate courses accreditation policy, private universities had to face structural change actions in terms of research organisation aimed at the quality improvement of teaching programs. The undergraduate courses accreditation policy showed the most significant intended and factual signs of change, mainly those that have passed through two phases of accreditation. From a documentary analysis, it was methodologically insufficient to track significant signs of change produced as consequence of the postgraduate courses accreditation.
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DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

• Measure the impact in terms of change
• towards improvement from documentary
• sources is methodologically appropriate but
• insufficient.
• The second stage of this research -which is
• being carried out- includes interviews and in
• situ questionnaires in all 4 universities.

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Impact of the Quality Evaluation and
Accreditation Policy on Argentine Universities
THANK YOU!
acorengia_at_austral.edu.ar