A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya

88

January 2018

AQU Catalunya published its Annual Report for 2016, which describes the main activities carried out by the Agency over the course of the year, in September.

The Agency's activities in 2016 included the following:

It continued working on adapting to the requirements of Act 15/2015 of 21 July concerning the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya Act).

In the sphere of institutional quality, an important development was the endorsement of the new Framework for the ex-ante accreditation, monitoring, modification and ex-post accreditation of degree programmes at all universities and higher education institutions in Catalonia, which in the future will allow for the self-accreditation of institutions. Another positive aspect was the fact that around 60% of the reports issued by the Agency on accreditation were favourable, with more than 25% being awarded accreditation "on track to excellence".

In the quality assurance of teaching staff, AQU Catalunya continued to cooperate with the Government of Catalonia’s Executive Council (Govern) in the Serra Húnter programme, with a total number of 293 applications being received and processed for tenure-eligible lecturing staff posts and research posts in 2016.

Of particular note in the area of strategic management was the setting up and launching of the EUC (Estudis Universitaris de Catalunya) and EUC Reports web portals, which make reliable and easy to comprehend information on all recognised degree programmes in Catalonia available to the various different stakeholders, together with the results and outcomes of the Agency's QA and review procedures.

A highlight as regards the transition to employment of graduates (graduate employment outcomes) was the completion of the fifth study and survey in the graduate employment outcomes project, which was brought to a close with an event that included the presentation of the findings of the Masters survey and the start of preparatory work for the sixth graduate employment outcomes survey, which will involve the participation of all public and private universities in Catalonia, together with their affiliated schools and institutions. Within the framework of the Employers project, the joint collaboration agreement between Obra Social la Caixa and AQU Catalunya was renewed, thereby giving continuity to the project during the period from 2017-2019.

• Summary of the AQU Catalunya annual report 2016