Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development*

3-6 July, 2002
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

Quality down under - Integrating quality and audit in higher education with good development practice

Helen Edwards, Monash University, Australia

The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) has been established with the brief of auditing the quality of higher education in Australia. As a result, all Australian Universities will be subject to external audit over the next few years. Monash University has established The Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) whose role is to advise and support the University in developing its quality processes. CHEQ has developed a quality framework which includes centrally located quality advisers, advocates a set of values and principles round quality, covers both academic areas and support services and includes well defined policy and timetable for review of activities. CHEQ is anxious that quality is seen as an ongoing professional responsibility, that the university's internal systems mesh with external audit processes and above all, that review and audit are seen as an opportunity for improvement. To ensure that such a framework can be made operational requires much staff development.

The seminar will begin with a presentation Quality and Audit in Australia and the CHEQ Monash approach to developing a quality framework. This will be followed by opportunity for participants to share their experiences with quality, focussed under headings. Given that ICED is an international conference and different countries have adopted a different approach to Quality, it is expected that a ranges of issues and strategies will emerge.

Finally using the inputs from CHEQ at Monash and from participants, we will collate strategies and ideas on successful staff development for quality.

Key words:
Quality; Development; Australia

Objectives, outcomes and activities:

1. Identify issues and problems in setting the Quality agenda and preparing for audit in a large multi campus international university, Monash University
2. Share experiences of participants with quality the quality processes in their countries and institutions
3. Identify strategies to ensure that quality happens with a development focus.

Helen Edwards is a foundation member of the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) at Monash. Helen was previously Coordinator of Programmes in the Centre for Higher Education Development at Monash. Her earlier career includes work in universities in Australia, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and China and she was a Global Health Leadership Senior Fellow with WHO. She is coeditor of Educating Beginning Practitioners and of Lecturing, Case Studies, Experience and Practice.

Contact: Helen Edwards, email: helen.edwards@adm.monash.edu.au