On August 25, the Technical University of Moldova hosted a workshop on the exchange of experience and best practices regarding the evaluation and assurance of quality management in higher education institutions.
The event’s speaker, Dr. Victoria Reinhardt, head of the Department of Curriculum and Education Process Management at the University of Leipzig, who came to UTM as part of an Erasmus+ mobility, shared her experience regarding the institutional internal quality assurance system, the facilitating processes and tools for the development, evaluation and accreditation of study programs, applied especially within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy. The workshop was attended by over 40 representatives of the university management (presidents of the Quality Assurance Commissions, heads of departments and heads of programs, teaching staff, etc.), interested in identifying and implementing models for ensuring the effective management of the quality of educational services within the Technical University of Moldova.
The topic presented by Dr. Victoria Reinhardt concerned several aspects of the quality assurance process, namely: the legal framework and the procedures used by the institution regarding the evaluation of study programs and courses, quality indicators for their evaluation; tools and documentation required to be completed. Mrs. Reinhardt also presented some examples of questionnaires used by the team for the evaluation of study programs, courses by students, the reporting procedure and examples of reports.
Considering the importance and topicality of the discussed matters, the dialogue touched on how strategic planning can contribute to university academic quality, the importance of quality control and improvement, the effectiveness of applied evaluation tools, the right factors and levers for continuous quality improvement, etc. An important part of the meeting was the discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the tools applied in the evaluation of the quality of study programs and courses. Ms. Reinhardt emphasized that the whole process is not a stable one. The university team involved in the assurance and evaluation process constantly guides the institutional process in order to align the institutional quality development strategy with European standards.
At the end, those present thanked the guest, Dr. Victoria Reinhardt, for sharing best practices and valuable suggestions. We hope to continue the exchange of experience for the coming years.
