Quality Assurance in Academics and Research

Academic quality describes how well the learning opportunities available to students help them to achieve their award. It is about making sure that appropriate and effective teaching, support, assessment and learning opportunities are provided. Quality assurance in higher education refers to the policies, processes and actions through which the quality of higher education is maintained and developed.

It ensures a learning environment in which the content of programmes, learning opportunities and facilities are fit for purpose and meet agreed standards. It covers teaching and learning opportunities, and student support services.

Academic audit is a quality assurance review process that focuses on the procedures an institution uses to assure its academic standards and quality. It evaluates how the institution satisfies that its chosen standards are being achieved and makes a judgement about threshold standards.

Quality assurance can take different forms depending on the audit process, which can be internal or external. Internal quality assurance refers to the policies, processes and actions that higher institutions themselves put in place internally to monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of their programmes and activities.

External quality assurance refers to those policies, processes and actions that external bodies or agencies undertake. External audit process is generally undertaken by government mandated agencies or panels.

Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)

The primary responsibility for quality assurance “rests with the institutions through their internal quality assurance processes”. Internal quality assurance “makes use of available information on the experiences of students and staff in the higher education programmes offered by the institutions, and on students’ study progress and outcomes.

In pursuance of its Action Plan for performance evaluation, assessment, accreditation & quality up-gradation of institutions of higher education, accreditation bodies (such as NAAC/NBA/ABET) and national/global ranking frameworks (such as QS, NORF) strongly recommend that every accredited institution, or institution aspiring to apply and receive the accreditation, should establish a mechanism/system such as IQAC.

Strategies

• Ensuring timely, efficient and progressive performance of academic, administrative and financial tasks
• The relevance and quality of academic and research programmes
• Optimization and integration of modern methods of teaching and learning
• The credibility of evaluation procedures
• Ensuring the adequacy, maintenance and functioning of the support structure and services
• Research sharing and networking with other institutions in India and abroad

Functions

• Development and application of quality benchmarks/parameters for various academic and administrative activities of the institution
• Facilitating the creation of a learner-centric environment conducive to quality education and faculty maturation
• Arrangement for feedback response from students, parents and other stakeholders
• Dissemination of information on various quality parameters of higher education
• Organization of workshops and seminars on quality related themes
• Documentation of quality improvement activities
• Acting as a nodal agency for coordinating quality-related activities
• Development and maintenance of institutional database in digital form through MIS/ERP
• Development of Quality Culture in the institution
• Preparation of AQAR, SAR and QAR reports

Benefits

• Ensure heightened level of clarity and focus in institutional functioning towards quality enhancement
• Ensure internalization of the quality culture
• Ensure enhancement and coordination among various activities of the institution and institutionalize all good practices
• Provide a sound basis for decision-making to improve institutional functioning
• Act as a dynamic system for quality changes
• Build an organized methodology of documentation and internal communication

Composition

Operational Features of the IQAC

IQAC will establish procedures and modalities to collect data and information on various aspects of institutional functioning. The IQAC may derive major support from the already existing units and mechanisms.

Preparation of Quality Assurance Report (QAR) and Self Assessment Report (SAR)

• Preparation and submission of QAR and SAR in the templates provided by accreditation agencies such as NAAC/NBA
• Registration on online portals of NAAC and NBA
• Annual submission of QA data through MIS/ERP
• Submission of data to ranking agencies such as NIRF/QS/THE
• Participation in reputed institutional surveys
• Undertaking all related accreditation and ranking activities