University Audit and Quality Assurance

University Audit and Quality Assurance Unit
    Quality Assurance Office
Rationale
The world has changed greatly in the last decade and with this change, education also needs some transformation. For instance in this globalized education, knowledge driven economy poses new challenges to each university. Universities now face more challenges to be efficient, accountable and sustainable. There is much expectation in teaching, learning and research. Universities should be agents of change. It should be a place to reinvent ideas, to stimulate thinking and to innovate and to improve. Therefore the challenge is to work on quality.
General Overview
Higher Education has a very important role in the development of every country. In this context, Build Bright University directs herself toward contributing to the development of Cambodia by working on the Quality of services and pushing the frontiers of knowledge and developing the skills of the students. This is the CHALLENGE to everyone at Build Bright University. We are taking this challenge to contribute to HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. We want to empower the next generation of Cambodians because the future of the country is in their hands.
 
Introduction :
The office of Quality Assurance (QA) takes the leadership and initiative in the institutional assessment of the university. Institutional assessment is of growing importance in education. It is a major step in quality improvement which is the responsibility of everyone in the university. It is a process by which educational institutions make a judgment of their performance for future enhancement of their services. This self-assessment provides a framework for understanding the status of the university. It allows the university the opportunity to analyze its strength and weakness thereby taking actions for areas that are weak. This process also allows everyone to participate in the process which can lead to strengthened coordination and real involvement as members of the academic family working together to achieve the vision of the organization.
 
MISSION
In response to global demand in education, we aspire to be excellent in all aspects of operations of Build Bright University and offer the best services to stakeholders in all the study centers throughout the country.
Goals
  1. To provide leadership and innovative ways of working with the different QA work teams to deliver good services in all functions of the university
  2. To encourage everyone to take responsibility in the quality of procedures and outputs in every faculty, department and division of the university
  3. To stimulate the academic community for the promotion of quality through teaching and research
 
What is Quality?
It can take different meanings in different contexts but every university to be sustainable must strive for quality. It can be:
  • Fitness of purpose
  • Effective management
  • Employability of graduates
  • Standardization of procedures
  • Innovative teaching, learning…
What is Quality Assurance?
Quality Assurance refers to the system used by the university to establish regulations in academic programs and in management. It means sufficient quality and standard in the delivery of its programs. It is enhanced performance.
 
It is the process of reviewing the extent of the implementation of quality control. It is focused on inputs and outputs. 
 
Why do we need to strive for Quality?
We need to strive for quality:
  1. Because we need to be competitive and be sustainable in this globalized education
  2. Because we need to fulfill our mission as a university
  3. Because we need to contribute our services for the development of society
To succeed in this work, Quality Assurance Office use the following procedures:
  1. Hold conferences, meetings and informal discussions to understand very well the procedures of QA
  2. Involve everyone in the process to shape their mindset on Quality and ensure cooperation
  3. Prepare timetable: Each work team should have its on time frame to guide them for their progress report
  4. Check on progress report. The QA office will check and follow up progress on the work of each work team
  5. Follow up checklist indicators in doing Self Survey Report (should be done honestly and meaningfully)
  6. Draft the report after the survey
  7. Highlight strengths and weaknesses
  8. Recommend what to do with weaknesses. Act on the recommendations
  9. Use both Quantitative and Qualitative Style of Reporting
  10. Be ready before ACC visit.
     
QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES
In 2006, the office of QA held its first conference on October 6th. This was a general conference attended by all Vice Rectors, Deans and Vice Deans, Directors and Deputy Directors and the general faculty of BBU. In this forum, Dr. In Viracheat, the university rector shared his ideas on working for quality and encouraged everyone to work together to achieve the vision of BBU. Rector emphasized on team work.
  
The objectives of this conference:
  1. To raise the level of awareness and understanding of everyone in the university on Quality Assurance.
  2. To encourage self-assessment and to be responsible.
  3. To stimulate the academic environment for promotion of quality in teaching, learning, and in all aspects of BBU operations.
  4. To prepare everyone for the pre-survey that the university will undertake for all the nine criteria as identified by ACC (Accreditation Committee of Cambodia).
This was followed by the formation of the different QA working teams using the ACC nine standards as guide (each team has its chairperson). 

The attendance and leadership of Dr. In Viracheat inspired everyone. He ended his talk by quoting the Bangkok Declaration which was formulated by the participants during the World University Presidents Summit (WUPS). This summit was held July 19 to 22, 2006 in Bangkok and was attended by more than a thousand delegates representing universities all over the world.
THE BANGKOK DECLARATION:

Universities must strive to be beyond politics and business Interests and serve their societies and communities by providing
A voice and space in which to cultivate rational, mutual, and Moderate dialogues that will shape intellectual, cultural, and
Economic development on a shared basis within and across boundaries and nations.

In 2007, when these QA working teams were formed and already operational, the QA office met each of the teams about the pre-survey. The pre-survey process was explained in these meetings. Then they were left on their own to do their pre-survey.

When they were ready, the QA office met each team to discuss the result of their pre-survey. There was discussion on the weak points. Each team was expected to work and improve the weak points.

The next activity was the QA inspection of documents. There was a scheduled meeting for each team to show documents that would support the ACC standard. Each team was inspected and advised to complete the documents that they did not have.

In 2008, the QA office held another conference with the different QA working teams. This conference involved a much bigger audience because it included vice rectors, the directors and deputy directors of each provincial study centers, the directors and deputy directors of each department, and the chief of each of the offices in main study center. The objectives of the conference focused on 5-year strategic plan and report writing for ACC.

From September, 2008 until the first quarter of 2009, the QA office had another round of inspection on the progress of each working team both at the main study center in Phnom Penh and the seven provincial centers. For now, every working team is trying to accomplish the job and the cycle will be followed in the coming months in 2009 until 2010.