The Association of North German Universities is currently developing a cross-university procedure for further improving internal quality assurance procedures in teaching and studies. The universities of Lübeck and Oldenburg are currently running a pilot phase.
The multi-stage, cross-university procedure for quality assurance and development in the area of teaching and studies – NordAudit – aims in the long-term to further develop system accreditation and institutional quality audits. It follows these approaches systematically and methodically – but takes up the critique of existing accreditation procedures – and continues them with a focus on the intrinsic needs of universities. It offers universities the opportunity to improve quality development based on scientific adequacy and university autonomy.
The concept of NordAudit consists of three elements, but initially only two of these will be piloted:
In NordAudit A, a small group of experts evaluates the quality assurance and development system of a member university in the area of studies and teaching. In addition, the university selects one or more aspects as a focus area for which it would like to receive recommendations.
In the case of NordAudit B – for the “Dies Qualitatis” – the management of the university conducting the audit invites the other member universities to discuss the results and benefit from the expertise of their colleagues with regard to their own further development and the implementation of the auditors’ recommendations.
The plan is to pilot this procedure – Audit A and Audit B – at two universities in the network and then apply to the Accreditation Council for recognition as an interim evaluation within the framework of system accreditation. An external advisory board will monitor this pilot phase critically and constructively.
NordAudit A and B can be implemented with comparatively low costs.
If this process is successfully implemented, it may be possible in the future to develop a “Große EvaluatioN” (major evaluation, NordAudit C) as an alternative to the existing system accreditation and integrate it into the process.
For further questions, please contact your local quality representative.
