SELF ASSESSMENT

PROF. DR. AAMIR IJAZ

DIRECTOR
QUALITY ENHANCEMENT CELL

University of the Punjab,

Quaid-e-Azam Campus,
Lahore 54590.
 CONTENTS
FAMOUS QUOTES RELATED TO QUALITY

WHAT IS A QUALITY?

WHAT IS QUALITY ASSURANCE?

ASSESSMENT

ELEMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

OBJECTIVES OF SELF ASSESSMENT

PROCESS OF GENERATING SAR

BENEFITS OF AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

PROCESS

CRITERIA AND STANDARDS

SCORING OF CRITERION ITEMS (RUBRIC FORM)

ASSESSMENT TEAM REPORT FORM

Famous Quotes Related to
Quality
(Aristotle 384 BC-322 BC, Greek Philosopher and Scientist,
Student of Plato and Teacher of Alexander the Great)
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the
result of high intension, sincere effort, intelligent
direction, and skillful execution; it represents the
wise choice of many alternatives”.
(Quality in Education by Willa A Foster)
“Quality begins on the inside…and then
works its way out”.
(Bob Moawad, Quality Quotes)
“Quality in a product or service is not what
the supplier puts in; it is what the customer
gets out and is willing to pay”.
(Peter F Drucker, American Management Guru)
Must be based on the fact that “Quality is not the
responsibility of an individual; rather it is the
responsibility of all”, a complete Quality
Enhancement Cell must work in close
collaboration with the Vice Chancellor to get its
functions through.
What is Quality?
 Defining Quality
A survey of literature reveals “quality” as one
of the widely defined terms:
High degree of goodness (Longman Dictionary of
Contemporary English)
A degree or level of excellence (The Oxford Large Print
Dictionary)
The standard of excellence of something often a high
standard (Cambridge International Dictionary of
English)
Doing the right things right (W. Edwards Deming Pioneer
of the quality movement in industry)
 What is Quality?
It has to do something with a certain degree of
effectiveness or excellence and satisfaction

In academic scenario it means satisfaction of all

the stakeholders

Whether “the satisfaction of all the stakeholders is

relevant to your programme or not”........
Four – Fold dimensions to help understand the
term “quality” as applied in Higher Education
Sector

Quality as excellence

Quality as fitness for purpose

Quality as value for money

Quality as transformation
 What is Quality Assurance?
Its a way by which managers satisfy themselves
and monitor that control mechanisms are
working to maintain and enhance standards.

Refers generally to all planned and systematic

actions or processes necessary for providing
adequate confidence to managers that a
product or a service will satisfy the specified
requirements for quality.
 A sustainable quality assurance
programme

Enhances employment opportunities

Improves the education and training of future

employees

Harnesses/ Connect future leaders

Facilitates an enabling learning environment

Enriches the academic and intellectual

landscape
QECs serve as focal points for quality assurance
in the institutions in order to improve and
uphold the quality of higher education.

Capacity building of academia in quality

assurance is one of the key functions of QAA and
subsequently of QEC.
 Assessment
Assessment is a systematic process of gathering,
reviewing and using important quantitative and
qualitative data and information from multiple and
diverse sources about educational programs, for the
purpose of improving students learning, and evaluating
whether academic and learning standards are being met.
In other words, what will graduates know, are able to do,
or value when they complete an academic program and
how do we know these things about our students.

One cycle of assessment completes when assessment

results are used to improve students learning.
 Self Assessment
Self-assessment is an important tool
for quality assurance and provides
feedback for management to initiate
action plans for the improvement.
 Faculty Involvement
For Academic Program Assessment, the most
important factor is the participation of all faculty
members.

Each department appoints a Program Team (PT)

which will prepare a Self Assessment Report
(SAR) and ensures the conformance of the
program to all the relevant criteria and standards
as stipulated in Self Assessment Manual(SAM), in
coordination with the members of QEC.
 Size of PT can be determined
according to the size of department

Sr. # Number of Students in PT Members

a Department

01 Up to 300 3 PTM + 1
Chairperson
02 300 - 1000 5 PTM + 1
Chairperson
03 1000 and above 6 PTM + 1
Chairperson
Desired Qualities of Program Team Member
Commitment to the principles of quality in higher education
and the policies set by HEC, provided in the form of SAM.

Ability to work in teams.

An enquiring disposition, power of analysis and judgment.

Experience of organization and management, particularly in

relation to teaching and learning matters, time management
skills.

High standards of oral and written communication skills.

To be proactive than reactive

Initiate improvements to achieve academic excellence

Systematize the process of self assessment

To be current and take a leadership role

 Criteria for Self Assessment

The self assessment of an institution /

organization is based on several criteria.

To meet each criterion; a number of

standards must be satisfied. The following
part of this presentation illustrates criteria
and standards for self assessment by
Program Team.
Elements Of A Successful Assessment Program

Purpose identification
Outcomes identification
Measurement and evaluation design
Data collection
Analysis and evaluation
Decision-making regarding corrective
and preventive actions to be taken.
Objectives of Self Assessment
Improvement and maintenance of academic
standards.

Enhancement of student’s learning.

Verification of the existing programs to meet

their objectives and institutional goals.

Providing feedback for quality assurance of

academic programs.

Prepare the academic program for review by

discipline councils (HEC).
Process of Generating SAR
 • QEC initiates Self Assessment exercise
1
• Department forms Program teams, who will be
responsible for preparing and generating Self
2 Assessment Report (SAR)

• QEC reviews the Final SAR in one month

3

• If SAR is declared complete by QEC it moves to next

step, other wise it goes back to step 2
4

• Vice Chancellor forms Assessment Team in consultation

with and recommendation of QEC
5
 • QEC plans and fixes AT visits
6

• AT conducts assessment and presents its findings to

QEC
7

• QEC submits the Executive Summary to the Vice

Chancellor along with AT findings, and
8 implementation plan for the department (Table A2)

• QEC performs follow-up of corrective measures

9
Table A.2 Assessment Results Implementation Plan Summary

AT Corrective Implementation Responsible Resources

findings Action Date Body Needed

Chairman's Comments
Name & Signature

Dean’s Comments
Name & Signature

QEC Comments
Name & Signature
 QCs

Assessment Team
joins here

Corrective Measures
Benefits of an Academic Program
Assessment Process
Identify Program Weakness

Take Financial Decisions based on

academic priorities

Provide information to constituents on

the quality of education students receive

Ensure continuous improvement of

programs and curricula
 Criteria
The self-assessment is based on several
criteria. To meet each criterion a
number of standards must be satisfied.
There are eight criterion for self
assessment manual provided by HEC.
Next section describes each criterion and
its associated standards.
 Criteria & Standards
Program Mission, Objectives and Outcomes

Curriculum Design and Organization

Laboratories and Computing Facilities

Student Support and Guidance

Process Control

Faculty

Institutional Facilities

Institutional Support
Criterion-1: Program Mission, Objectives
& Outcomes

Intent: Each program must have a

mission, quantifiable measurable
objectives and expected outcomes for
graduates. Outcomes include competency
and tasks graduates are expected to
perform after completing the program.
Why do we need a Program Mission Statement

Mission statement is the guiding philosophy of

all activities. Such statements provide the
foundation which supports all other aspects of
program assessment. Mission statements clarify
the program to all stakeholders (faculty, staff,
student, alumni, potential donors, etc.), allowing
programs to focus their resources and efforts on
issues that are critical to the mission.
 What is Mission Statement ?

It is a brief description of an institution’s

fundamental purpose and articulates the
rationale of its existence to the
stakeholders. At the very least the mission
statement must convey the institution’s
purpose in a way that inspires commitment,
innovation and courage.
 The Programme Mission Statement should

 Be in line with University’s Mission Statement

 Express your faculty/department/programme’s purpose
in a way that inspires support and ongoing commitment
 Motivate the stakeholders
 Be convincing and easy to grasp
 Use proactive verbs to describe “what, why and how”
 Explain reason for it’s existence
 Be free of jargon
 Be short enough so that anyone related to the
faculty/department/programmes can repeat it.
 How to Write / Revisit a Mission Statement
Step 1 (Ask Questions while writing Mission Statements)
Does the mission statement communicate your
purpose?
Is it short and concise?
Is it specific enough to be distinctive?
Does it give you guidance to determine your
programmes?
Is it inclusive of all your activities? If not, do you
need to broaden your mission or narrow your
programmes?
Does it inspire you? bestow
Step 2 (Process to create or review mission statement)

To ensure relevance, it is important to review the

mission statement periodically
Review every three years or whenever there is
significant change
Engage faculty members, programme team
members or key volunteers in the process
At onset, clarify roles
Typically the Head will play a leadership role and is
responsible for approving / adopting the final
mission statement Continue…
Step 2 contd. (Process to create or review
mission statement)

Consultative Working Group meeting is effective

to develop or update a mission statement, but
final fine tuning is best done by an individual or
smaller sub committee.
The mission statement cannot be developed in a
single meeting.
A neutral facilitator/moderator can be helpful to
bring the discussion to resolution.
Example of a well defined Mission Statement
“The mission of the civil engineering program is to
prepare students for professional engineering and
management positions in all phases of civil engineering
projects. The program will provide a broad educational
background with a foundation in basic engineering and
business principles. These basic skills will be
complemented by advanced topics in engineering design,
management, finance, computer application, and real
world civil engineering experiences throughout the
Baccalaureate Degree program”. (Department of Civil
Engineering, Western Kentucky University).
 Characteristics of Program Objectives
Clearly related to the Faculty Mission

Reflective of Program priorities in the long term

Illustrates the ideal graduates of the program

Represents faculty aspirations of the program

Focus on the core characteristics of program graduates.

What is a Program Outcome?

A program outcome is a specific, measurable, statement of
what student should know, be able to do, or value when they
complete a program, course or sequence of
courses/experiences/activities. All academic programs should
include program outcomes and their assessment plan.
Criterion-2: Curriculum Design & Organization

Intent: The curriculum must be designed and

organized to achieve the program’s objectives and
outcomes. Also course objectives must be in line
with program outcomes. Curriculum standards are
specified in terms of credit hours of study. A
semester credit hour equals one class hour or two
to three laboratory hours per week. The semester is
approximately of fifteen weeks.
Criterion-3: Laboratories & Computing
Facilities

Intent: Laboratories and computing

facilities must be adequately available and
accessible to faculty members and students
to support teaching and research activities.
In addition departments may benchmark
with similar departments in reputable
institutions to identify their shortcomings if
any.
Criterion-4: Student Support & Advising

Intent: Student must have an adequate

support to complete the program in a timely
manner and must have ample opportunity to
interact with their instructors and receive
timely advice about program requirements
and career alternatives.
 Criterion-5: Process Control

Intent: The processes by which major

functions are delivered must be in place,

controlled, periodically reviewed and

continuously improved. To meet this

criterion a set of standards must be

satisfied.
 Criterion-6: Faculty

Intent: Faculty members must be current

and active in their discipline and have the
necessary technical depth and breadth to
support the program. There must be
enough faculty members to provide
continuity and stability, to cover the
curriculum adequately and effectively, and
to allow for scholarly activities.
Criterion-7: Institutional Facilities

Intent: Institutional facilities, including

library, computing facilities, classrooms

and offices must be adequate to support

the objective of the program.

 Criterion-8: Institutional Support

Intent: The institution’s support and the

financial resources for the program must be

sufficient to provide an environment in

which the program can achieve its

objectives and retain its strength.

 Scoring of Criterion Items
The visiting team is required to award the score by encircling
one of the entries against each item

Results Scores
Poor performance in most of the areas. 1
Fair performance in most of the areas. 2
Good performance for most areas. 3
No poor performance in any areas.
Good to excellent performance in all areas. 4
Excellent performance in all areas. 5
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 1 – Program Mission, Objectives and Weight=0.05
Outcomes

Factors Scores

Does the program have documented measurable 1 2 3 4 5

objectives that support faculty / college and institution
mission statement?
Does the program have documented outcomes for 1 2 3 4 5
graduating students?
Do these outcomes support the program objectives? 1 2 3 4 5

Are the graduating students capable of performing 1 2 3 4 5

these outcomes?
Does the department assess its overall performance 1 2 3 4 5
periodically using quantifiable measureable?
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 1 – Program Mission, Objectives and Weight=0.05
Outcomes

Factors Scores

Is the result of the Program Assessment documented? 1 2 3 4 5

SCORE (S1)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 2 – Curriculum Design and Organization Weight=0.20

Factors Scores

Is the curriculum consistent? 1 2 3 4 5

Does the curriculum support the program’s 1 2 3 4 5

documented objectives?
Are theoretical background, problem analysis and 1 2 3 4 5
solution design stressed within the program’s core
material?
Does the curriculum satisfy the core requirements laid 1 2 3 4 5
down by the respective accreditation bodies? (refer to
appendix A of the SAM)
Does the curriculum satisfy the major requirements 1 2 3 4 5
laid down by HEC and the respective councils /
accreditation bodies? (refer to appendix A of the SAM)
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 2 – Curriculum Design and Organization Weight=0.20

Factors Scores

Does the curriculum satisfy the general education, 1 2 3 4 5

arts and professional and other discipline
requirements as laid down by the respective councils /
accreditation bodies? (refer to appendix A of the SAM)
Is the information technology component integrated 1 2 3 4 5
throughout the program?
Are oral and written skills of the students developed 1 2 3 4 5
and applied in the Program?
SCORE (S2)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 3 – Laboratories and Computing Facilities Weight=0.10

Factors Scores

Are laboratories manuals / documentation /instruction 1 2 3 4 5

etc. for experiments available and readily accessible
to faculty and students?
Are there adequate number of support personnel for 1 2 3 4 5
instruction and maintaining the laboratories?

Are the university’s infrastructure and facilities 1 2 3 4 5

adequate to support the program’s objective?

SCORE (S3)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 4 – Student Support and Advising Weight=0.10

Factors Scores

Are the courses being offered in sufficient frequency 1 2 3 4 5

and number for the students to complete the program
in a timely manner?
the courses in the major area structured to optimized 1 2 3 4 5
interaction between the students, faculty and teaching
assistants?

Does the university provide academic advising on 1 2 3 4 5

course decisions and career choices to all students?

SCORE (S4)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight

 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 5 – Process Control Weight=0.15

Factors Scores

Is the process to enroll students to a program based on 1 2 3 4 5

quantitative and qualitative criteria?
Is the process above clearly documented and periodically 1 2 3 4 5
evaluated to ensure that it is meeting its objectives?
Is the process to register students in the program and 1 2 3 4 5
monitoring their progress documented?
Is the process above periodically evaluated to ensure that it 1 2 3 4 5
is meeting its objectives?
Is the process to recruit and retain faculty in place and 1 2 3 4 5
documented?
Are the processes for faculty evaluation and promotion 1 2 3 4 5
consistent with the institution mission?
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 5 – Process Control Weight=0.15

Factors Scores

Are the processes in 5 and 6 above periodically evaluated to 1 2 3 4 5

ensure that they are meeting their objectives?
Do the processes and procedures ensure that teaching and 1 2 3 4 5
delivery of course material emphasize active learning and
that course learning outcomes are met?
Is the process in 8 above periodically evaluated to ensure 1 2 3 4 5
that it is meeting its objectives?
Is the process to ensure that graduates have completed the 1 2 3 4 5
requirements of the program based on standards and
documented procedures?
Is the process in 10 above periodically evaluated to ensure 1 2 3 4 5
that it is meeting its objectives?
SCORE (S5)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 6 – Faculty Weight=0.20

Factors Scores

Are there full time faculty members to provide 1 2 3 4 5

adequate coverage of the program areas / courses
with continuity and stability?
Are the qualifications and interests of the faculty 1 2 3 4 5
members sufficient to teach all courses, plan, modify
and update courses and curricula?
Do the faculty members process a level of 1 2 3 4 5
competence that would be obtained through graduate
work in the discipline?
Do the majority of faculty members hold a Ph. D 1 2 3 4 5
degree in their discipline?
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 6 – Faculty Weight=0.20

Factors Scores

Do the faculty members dedicate sufficient time to 1 2 3 4 5

research to remain current in their disciplines?

Are there mechanisms in place for faculty 1 2 3 4 5

development?
Are faculty members motivated and satisfies so as to 1 2 3 4 5
excel in their profession?
SCORE (S6)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 7 – Institutional Facilities Weight=0.10

Factors Score

Does the institution have the infrastructure to support 1 2 3 4 5

new trends such as e-learning?

Does the library contain technical collection relevant 1 2 3 4 5

to the program and is adequately staffed?

Are the class rooms and offices adequately equipped 1 2 3 4 5

and capable of helping faculty carry out their
responsibilities?
SCORE (S7)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Criterion 8 – Institutional Support Weight=0.10

Factors Scores

Is their sufficient support and finances to attract and 1 2 3 4 5

retain high quality faculty?

Are there an adequate number of high quality 1 2 3 4 5

graduate students, teaching assistants and Ph.D.
students?
SCORE (S8)= [TV / (No. of Question * 5)] * 100 * Weight
 Scoring of Criterion Items
Overall Assessment Score= S1 + S2 + S3 + S4 + S5 + S6
+S7 + S8

Remarks:

__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
 ASSESSMENT TEAM’S REPORT FORM
(To be used by QEC)
REPORT CONTENTS
Does the report contain primary contact person and
Y N
information
Does the report clearly indicate the name of the program, the
college to which it reports, and the year covered by the Y N
report?
Does the report contain a summary of the assessment
Y N
method (s) for outcome assessed?
Does the report contain a summary of the assessment results?
Y N
Dees the report identify the group (s) who participated in the
Y N
discussion of the assessment results and proposed changes?
Does the report provide specific recommendations for
Y N
changes or improvements based on the assessment results?
Does he report specify who will be responsible for
Y N
implementing the proposed change(s)?
Does the report identify the resources needed to implement
Y N
the proposed change(s)?
 ASSESSMENT TEAM REPORT FORM
(To be used by QEC)
FEEDBACK ON REPORT CONTENTS COMMENTS

Assessment Methods/Results
Does the summary indicate any modifications
from the method (s) outlined in the Program
Assessment Plan?
Does the summary clearly identify the persons
responsible and the procedures employed for
data collection and analysis?
Does the summary provide specific details of the
results of the assessment?
Does the summary identify the extent to which
the outcomes was achieved?
Does the summary provide a description of the
process used to disseminate the results and with
whom they were compared?
Assessment is a Continuous Improvement