UNIVERSITY OF SPLIT
UNIVERSITAS STUDIORUM SPALATENSIS
Class: 003-05/12-02/0006
Ref.no.: 003-05/12-02/0006
Split, 21 May 2012
Pursuant to Article 78, paragraph 6 of the University of Split Statute, the University of Split Senate, at its 71st session held on 21 May adopted the following
REGULATIONS ON ORGANISATION AND ROLE OF THE QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMOF THE UNIVERSITY OF SPLIT
I. SUBJECT OF REGULATIONS
Subject of regulations
Article 1
(1) The Regulations regulate the basic issues in relation to organisation and functioning of the Quality Enhancement Centre(hereinafter: Centre) established at the level of the University of Split (hereinafter: University), Quality Enhancement Committees (hereinafter: Committees) that are established at the level of constituents and studies provided directly by the University and other quality assurance system bodies of the University of Split
II. MISSION, VISION, STRATEGY, OBJECTIVES, AREAS OF EVALUATION
Mission, vision, strategy and objectives
Article 2
(1) The Centre and the Committees work together and share responsibility for quality assurance and enhancement in all areas of University activities.
(2) The mission of the Centre and the Committees is to integrate quality into all aspects of University activities, with full participation of all stakeholders in the process of higher education, scientific, artistic and professional work. The stakeholders are academic, scientific and the wider community.
(3) The vision of the Centre and the Committee is to develop an integrated system that would enable continuous review and enhancement of quality in all aspects of University and constituents’ activities, in accordance with the mission of the University and its constituents.
(4) The strategy of the Centreand the Committee:
-Encouraging regular discussions on quality and fostering the culture of quality within the academic and wider community,
-Developing, organizing and conducting evaluation and self-evaluation necessary for investigation of various aspects of quality in higher education, scientific and professional work,
-Promoting continuous collecting of information from the students and the teaching staff, and taking action based on the information,
-Defining quality standards,
-Development of its own quality enhancement mechanisms,
-Exchanging examples of good practice between the constituents of the University,
-Securing advancement of teaching, scientific, artistic, professional and administrative staff.
(5) The aims of the Centreand the Committees are:
-Creating the quality assurance system at the university though initiating and coordinating the initiatives and implementing the program for the continuous enhancement of quality, defining indicators, standards and criteria for quality enhancement, ensuring internal assessment as one of the preconditions for quality management, encouraging and organizing professional training of internal users of the system and ensuring feedback from the users and following their suggestions, proposals and criticism,
-Developing mechanisms and integrating the culture of quality enhancement into the normative documents and other aspects of university activity, and especially though development of the Quality Assurance Handbook of the University and its constituents, containing the following:
-procedures foranalysing student performance,
-procedures foradmission analysis and student motivation,
-procedures forstudent surveys,
-procedures forteaching staff surveys,
-procedures forinstitutional quality review,
-procedures forprofessional advancement of teaching staff,
-procedures forperformance analysis of scientific work,
-procedures forperformance analysis of professional work,
-procedures for dissemination of results,
-procedures forperformance analysis of management,
-integrating the University into the national quality management system,
-integrating the University into the European quality management system.
Areas of evaluation
Article 3
(1) Areas of evaluation conducted by the Centre and theCommittees are:
-rules and procedures in promoting quality,
-study programmes,
-professional training programmes,
-admission of students,
-efficiency of studies,
-learning and teaching process,
-students’ standard of living,
-quality of teaching activity,
-quality of scientific activity,
-quality of artistic creation,
-quality of professional activity,
-quality of other activities,
-procedure of evaluation and the system of staff selection,
-mobility of students, teaching staff and other staff,
-equipment and relevancy of educational and scientific-research systems,
-quality of library services,
-public information and activity,
-compliance with the European quality enhancement trends.
(2) Within the evaluation system, specifics of individual areas of science and art at the University are taken into consideration.
III. QUALITY ENHANCEMENT CENTRE
Status and bodies of the Centre
Article 4
(1) The Centre is a constituent of the University, assuming professional and advisory role as an organisational unit, however it does not have the status of a legal entity or branch office of a legal entity.
(2) The bodies of the Centre are:
-Council of the Centre,
-Head of the Centre,
-other bodies.
Activities of the Centre
Article 5
(1) Within its jurisdiction the Centre performs the following activities:
-organises promotion of quality enhancement culture in the academic community, and promotes the culture of quality enhancement in the wider community,
-defines the standards and the criteria for quality activities at the University,
-develops evaluation and self-evaluation procedures in investigation the quality of education,
-proposes to the rector and the Senate of the University of Split (hereinafter: Senate) the measures and activities for quality enhancement at the University,
-conducts institutional investigation of quality,
-collects data relevant for quality management,
-investigates the causes of inefficient and lengthy studies,
-promotes international cooperation, scientific and professional competitiveness,
-includes the students into all quality management programs,
-ensures the efficiency of procedures and monitors the effectiveness of implementation of quality assurance system,
-coordinates its work with the Quality Enhancement Committees at the constituents, and especially in carrying out of the student survey
-promotes professional training of teaching and non-teaching staff,
-performs other activities related to quality management.
(2) The Centre develops and proposes the annual and long-term plan of activities for quality enhancement at the University, adopted by the Senate.
(3) The Centresubmits to the Senate regular reports on its work and activities. Regular reports are submitted once in a semester, and the Senate may request additional reports as necessary.
The Council of the Centre
Article 6
(1) The Centre Council consists of:
-the Head of the Centre, also acting as the President of the Centre Council,
-all heads of the committeesof scientific-educational constituents and studies directly provided by the University, the University Library and the StudentCentrein Split,
-all vice-rectors,
-all members of the Presidency of the Student Assembly of the University of Split,
-two external members holding a university degree and experience in activities related to quality, appointed by the Senate following the proposal of the Centre Council, to hold term until the appointment is revoked.
(2) One employee of the Rector’s Office, having a job description including jurisdiction over issues of quality participates in the work of the Centre Council.
(3) The Centre Council adopts decisions on strategic documents and guidelines related to quality assurance and enhancement.
(4) The Centre Council shall hold sessions at least twice in one semester.
(5) The Centre Council shall adopt decisions at the sessions by simple majority of votes of all members of the Centre Council.
(6) The heads of the Committeesat the sessions of the Centre Council can be substituted by any members of the Committees, assuming the same rights and obligations as the member of the Centre Council.
Head of the Centre
Article 7
(1) The Head of the Centreis appointed by the Senateto a term of 2 years, starting from the date of appointment. The Head of the Centreshall hold a scientific-educational title. The Head of the Centremay be reappointed.
(2) Within its jurisdiction, the Head of the Centre:
- represents the Centre,
- convenes and presides over the sessions of the Centre Council,
- coordinates the work of the Centre and the work of Committees and Commissions,
- prepares annual and long-term plan of activities,
- submits reports to the Senate,
- performs other activities within the jurisdiction of the Centre, that are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Centre Council, with assistance from the employees of the Rector’s Office, having a job description including jurisdiction over issues of quality.
Studies Commission
Article 8
(1) The Studies Commission (hereinafter: Commission) consists of:
- all vice-rectors, of which the vice-rector for education shall be the President of the Commission by function,
- one member each for every scientific and artistic area, holding a scientific-educational title, appointed by the Centre Council to hold term until the appointment is revoked.
(2) One employee of the Rector’s Office, having a job description including jurisdiction over issues of quality participates in the work of the Commission.
IV. QUALITY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEES
Constitution of the Committees
Article 10
(1) Members of the Committees are:
- Head of the Quality Enhancement Committee of the constituent,
- other members, with at least one student member.
Activities of the Committees
Article 11
(1) The Committee organizes, coordinates and implements evaluation procedures and develops internal mechanisms for quality assessment and enhancement at the level of University constituents, particularly considering the following elements:
-self-evaluation,
-developing quality indicators,
-student participation in monitoring the quality of implementation of studies,
-investigating student performance and the causes of low-quality, inefficient and lengthy studies,
-conducting institutional investigation of quality,
-conducting student survey,
-investigating competencies of the teaching staff,
-professional development of university professors (life-long learning),
-professional development of administrative and technical staff,
-evidence on improvements in teaching,
-quality of general and specific competences acquired in the study programme,
-defining and implementing standardization in the administrative work of the constituents.
(2) The Committee, in cooperation with the Centre and the founding constituent:
-plans the strategy of quality enhancement at the founding constituent,
-implements the review programme and the procedure of quality enhancement at the founding constituent,
-coordinates the implementation of professional training and development of staff (academic, administrative and technical) at the founding constituent.
(3) All other issues related to the Committeesare regulated in more detail by general acts of the University constituent, in accordance with the Regulations.
V. COMMISSION FOR INTERNAL AUDIT OF THE QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM
Commission for internal audit of the quality assurance system
Article 12
(1) The internal audit of the quality assurance system at the University shall be conducted annually. The procedure of internal audit of the quality assurance system shall be conducted by the Commission for internal audit of the quality assurance system appointed by the Senate, following the proposal of the Centre Council,to hold term until the appointment is revoked.The members of the Commission are: the president of the Commission,one representative of each scientific and artistic area, plus one representative of students. The members of the Commission for internal audit of the quality assurance system shall not also be appointed to the quality enhancement bodies of the University or its constituents.
(2) The activities of the Commission, as referred to in Article 1 shall include assessment of efficiency of the established quality assurance system, audit in the narrower sense, annual reporting and follow-up monitoring.
VI. TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS
Transitional and final provisions
Article 13
(1) All members of the bodies referred to in the Regulations appointed before entry into force of the Regulations shall remain in their positions until the end of the term of appointment, whereas new members shall be appointed in accordance with the Regulations.
(2) Upon entry into force of the Regulations, the provisions of the Regulations on quality enhancement centre and committees of the University of Split dated 24 July 2009 related to issues regulated by these Regulations shall no longer be valid.
(3) Issues concerning study programmes shall be regulated by separate Regulations. Until the separate Regulations are adopted, the provisions of the Regulations on quality enhancement centre and committeesof the University of Split dated 24 July 2009 shall be applied, the provisions whereof were not declared invalid by these Regulations.
(4) The Regulations shall come into effect eight days after they are published on the bulletin board of the University.
RECTOR
Professor Ivan Pavić Ph.D.
The Regulations were published on the bulletin board of the University of Split on 21 May 2012 and had entered into force on the same date.
HEAD SECRETARY
Paula Vučemilović Šimunović LLB
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