Preview of Theme 1: Quality Assurance

The first theme of the tour is quality assurance. With the Bologna process and the development and harmonisation of QA across the EU there has been some coming together of European and UK systems but nonetheless there are considerable historical differences of approach. The rapid growth of private higher education has also raised challenges for the Polish system. As we see more private higher education developing in the UK it will be interesting to learn how another country has coped with this.

Questions we intend to investigate under this theme include (in no particular order): 

• What are the arrangements for QA in Poland?
• Who are the key organisations and stakeholders?
• What are the role of professional bodies in QA?
• Are there differences in how QA is conducted in different kinds of HEI?
• What factors underlie the development of QA arrangements in Poland (e.g. government policy, Bologna process)?
• What is the balance between external quality assurance (inspections and audits) and internal quality assurance (procedures implemented by universities so they themselves can monitor quality)?
• To what extent do you think your procedures help to improve quality?
• Are there differences in public perceptions of quality between different types of HEI?

To this end we will be hoping to meet during the visits both quality assurance professionals, as well as academic managers (Head of Department, course directors, or their Polish equivalents).

Of course if you would like to suggest additional questions, or resources that we may find useful, then please let us know.