Quality assurance and enhancement (QAE) concerns how effectively USJ and its academic, administrative, support and service units are working and how they are improving. It empowers its members to have a voice in the development of the University and their place in it. QAE is built on several firm foundations:
- It is a transparent in all its operations, evidence-based, evidence-informed and documented, so that it can be tracked at all stages. It includes internal and external evaluation and self-evaluation, review and benchmarking.
- It addresses inputs, processes, procedures, outcomes and outputs. To address these it moves from description ® judgement ® evaluation ® consequent planning ® implementation ® monitoring ® evaluation ® reporting ® impact and onwards to the next cycle, in a seamless process of continuous improvement. QAE moves beyond monitoring and reporting; it must lead to action which, in turn, is evaluated for its contribution to continuous improvement.
- It addresses many interpretations of ‘quality’ and its hallmarks, being ongoing, systematic, methodical, rigorous, objective, impartial, equitable, expert-informed and externally benchmarked. These play a significant role in enabling the University to meet international standards in all its work and operations.
- It must embrace involvement and collaboration within and across its academic, administrative, support and service units. An institutional culture and pan-university ownership of QAE is essential in USJ; it is everybody’s responsibility.
- QAE promotes effectiveness, efficiency, efficacy and high impact of all USJ’s work and operations, focusing on input, uptake, processes, outcomes, action planning and effects.