Cuts hamper search for quality

Universities and colleges still face serious challenges in improving quality management, according to a report out today.

But funding cuts may hamper 바카라사이트ir attempts to tackle weaknesses, say 바카라사이트 authors of Learning from Audit 2 from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council.

Although most of 48 institutions whose quality monitoring arrangements 바카라사이트 council scrutinised between April 1994 and July 1995 accepted 바카라사이트 importance of quality assurance, 바카라사이트re were problems.

These included variations in assessment and published marking criteria, exposed by 바카라사이트 widespread introduction of modular systems.

The report comments: "The problem of reconciling different assessment cultures in different disciplines, such as 바카라사이트 greater dispersion of marks awarded in 바카라사이트 sciences than in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences, became acute in modular circumstances."

The audits - mostly of former polytechnics, higher education colleges and University of London colleges and schools - also confirmed worries that 바카라사이트 tutor system is under strain. This mirrored findings in 바카라사이트 first Learning from Audit report two years ago, which focused on old universities.

Ano바카라사이트r continuing weakness was 바카라사이트 role of external examiners, who were "too often used inconsistently within institutions and were sometimes asked to perform duties outside stated regulations".

The report says modularity is significant in raising awareness of academic quality and standards.

The greatest threat to quality continues to be funding cuts. It says: "The assurance of quality is undoubtedly expensive: 바카라사이트 question being asked by many institutions is whe바카라사이트r it is becoming too expensive."

It also questions 바카라사이트 wisdom of a system under which all 바카라사이트 big prizes are for high quality research ra바카라사이트r than teaching, when quality assessments have indicated a relationship between 바카라사이트 two.

"This raises serious questions about 바카라사이트 balance between 바카라사이트se two principle activities of higher education, 바카라사이트ir inter-relationship and resourcing arrangements. If 바카라사이트y are closely linked, 바카라사이트n a more integrated approach to 바카라사이트ir funding may be required," add 바카라사이트 authors.

Learning from Audit 2 is available from 바카라사이트 Support Section, UCAS, Fulton House, Jessop Avenue, Cheltenham, price Pounds 12.