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Butlletí

A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

74

September 2014

EDITORIAL

It’s not the duration, but the quality that counts

Even though they have been talking about it for some years now, and undoubtedly right from the very day when the current legislation (Royal Decree) on the new structure for recognised degree programmes was approved, it would seem that now they really mean business. The Ministry has already put forward a proposal to modify the duration of Bachelor-level degrees, from the current 240 ECTS to 180 or rather any value between 180 and 240 ECTS.


AQU NEWS

ARTICLES

  • AQU Quality labels for degree programmes and institutions
    AQU Catalunya is a key instrument for university policy in Catalonia that instigated and has consolidated an internationally recognised external quality assurance system for degree courses in Catalonia. The purpose of quality assurance procedures by the Agency is, as far as study programmes are concerned, to improve and enhance their academic quality. At the same time, the European Union faces the strategic challenge of improving the quality of higher education and learning and aligning them with the needs and requirements of society and the labour market. One of the instruments available for successfully dealing with these challenges are external quality assurance agencies like AQU Catalunya.
    AQU Catalunya - Editorial Department
  • Analysis on the effectiveness of reports issued on tenure-track (pre-/non-career grade) teaching staff (2003-2013)
    Since the requirement for assessment reports to be issued for tenure-track (pre-/non-career grade) teaching staff was first introduced in 2003, more than 6,600 cases have been assessed, of which 60% received a favourable evaluation. As stipulated in law, a position as a pre-/non-career grade (tenure-track) university lecturer (lector) opens the door to a career in academia (as contract staff) and subsequently leads to higher categories with an open-ended contract. This article describes three relevant variables used to analyse the effectiveness of these assessment reports. The three variables used are the success rate, the age at which applicants receive a favourable assessment, and the appeal rate.
    Esteve Arboix Codina - Head of Teaching Staff Assessment department
 

OPINION

  • Some Thoughts on Reports

    Peter Findlay
    Assistant Director at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (United Kingdom)

    This collection of reflections and questions about the quality assurance reports produced by agencies is based on a presentation, part serious, part light-hearted and occasionally provocative, made at the EQArep workshop held in January 2014. These draw on personal experience and do not necessarily represent the policy or practice of QAA.

 

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