Quality at Otago
The term 'quality' has generally come to mean that the University can reach the goals that it has set itself as an institution; that it not only says that it provides high levels of expertise and commitment to its stakeholders, but that it can also prove it and that, where necessary, processes will be put in place to address weaknesses via improvement initiatives.
Working within this definition, the Quality Advancement Framework (QAF) provides a framework and planning process to link the key goals of the University to the strategies that have been formulated to meet those goals. The QAF is based upon the goals and objectives of the University itself, making use of existing resources but with consideration of the needs of students, staff, employer groups, and the larger community.
The QAF has two interrelated elements. First, Quality Management ensures that the University has the processes in place to identify and maintain the quality of its activities. Second, Quality Advancement promotes excellence in these activities. The University considers that it is impossible to advance quality without the means to identify and maintain it.
Within the University of Otago, quality has become a professionally led activity, which is managed and administered by the Quality Advancement Unit, under the overall direction of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International). The Unit is headed by the Manager, University Quality Advancement, and consists of five staff whose tasks include managing and administering the internal reviews process, managing and administering the Graduate and Student Opinion Surveys, the organisation of Quality Forums, and identifying and disseminating good practice in quality assurance and improvement across the University.
Quality activities at Otago are informed by research and good practice elsewhere. The Manager, University Quality Advancement, is involved in a number of international forums for the discussion of quality advancement, including the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), the Australian Universities Quality Forum (AUQF) and the annual Quality Enhancement Meeting (QEM) in New Zealand.
Enquiries or comments can be directed to quality-advancement@otago.ac.nz.