A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya

80

January 2016

La Pursuant to Law 1/2003, 19 February, concerning the universities in Catalonia (LUC), the present-day AQU Catalunya was established with specific functions as the main instrument for the promotion and assurance of quality in the system of higher education in Catalonia. In order to facilitate the adaptation of AQU Catalunya to the new scenarios resulting from developments in the culture of quality and new requirements at European level concerning quality assurance bodies, and also to encourage innovation in teaching, research and management, the Parliament of Catalonia recently passed new legislation specifically dealing with the Agency, for which there was broad consensus both in the universities and at political level.

The new legislation (Law 15/2015, 21 July, on the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency/AQU Catalunya/Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya) consolidates the role of AQU Catalunya as the foremost institution responsible for keeping abreast with the concepts of quality and excellence underpinning the system of universities and higher education in Catalonia both now and in the future, in line with developments at international level, while at the same time attentively taking into consideration the needs and requirements of the sector and society as a whole.

The new legislation also provides for flexibility in the operations of the Agency’s decision-making bodies that deal with institutional and programme review, especially with regard to the composition and number of members. In this regard, the Governing Board of AQU Catalunya has endorsed the setting up of a new Institutional and Programme Review Commission (Comissió d’Avaluació Institucional i de Programes/CAIP), which has the following functions:

a) The review and assessment of teaching, research, knowledge transfer and management in the system of universities and higher education.

b) The review, certification, auditing and accreditation of quality in the universities, their research and innovation centres and other higher education institutions.

c) The review, certification, monitoring and accreditation, in accordance with international academic and social standards, of courses and study programmes leading to recognised and non-recognised qualifications awarded by universities and other higher education institutions.

d) Promotion of the review and comparison of quality criteria, in accordance with international standards, especially with regard to teaching, research and knowledge transfer.

e) The preparation and communication of information on deficiencies in quality detected in universities, their research and innovation centres and higher education institutions, with the aim of quality enhancement.

f) Support and promotion for the research and innovation of models and procedures for the review, certification and accreditation of quality.

g) The promotion of thematic reviews and internal quality procedures in universities and other higher education institutions, and the development of external review and quality assurance procedures.

The Institutional and Programme Review Commission performs these functions through special committees that are represented on the Commission by the corresponding committee chairperson/s. The Institutional and Programme Review Commission has, up until the present time, special committees dealing with programme review according to subject area for the purposes of validation (ex ante assessment), modification, monitoring and accreditation, and a Certification Committee that deals with the certification of internal quality assurance systems in university faculties and schools.

Members of the Institutional and Programme Review Commission and all committees set up and created by it shall be appointed for four years and may be reappointed once only. The composition of the Institutional and Programme Review Commission is as follows:

a) The director of AQU Catalunya, who holds the position of chairperson.

b) A maximum of up to ten academics with a recognised professional career of standing.

c) A maximum of two professionals of recognised standing and experience in the field of quality management.

d) A maximum of two students taking either an undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degree at a university in the university system in Catalonia.

The following have been appointed members of the Institutional and Programme Review Commission by the AQU Catalunya Governing Board:

Chair

• Martí Casadesús Fa, Director of AQU Catalunya

Academics

• Joaquim Albareda Salvadó (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
• Julià Cufí Sobregreau (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
• Rosa Maria Martí Laborda (Universitat de Lleida)
• Jordi Suriñach Caralt (Universitat de Barcelona)
• Elena Valderrama Vallés (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
• Violeta Demonte Barreto (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)
• José António Sarsfield Cabral (Universidade do Porto)
• Èric Jover (Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Andorra)

Professional members

• Steffen Westergard (The Danish Accreditation Institution)
• Fiona Crozier (University of Cork)

Student member

• Isaac Corderroure López, final-year student taking a BSc in Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona