UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT STIMULATING HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY

Abstract

The quality of higher education has two aspects: 1. Quality of preparation of students as a result of received and acquired knowledge, skills, competencies and values; and 2. Quality of education objects – academic disciplines, teachers, majors. The article examines both aspects and focuses on two ideas: (1) The university Quality Management must coordinate the content and structure of the European and national qualification frameworks with the national accreditation systems and rating systems. Today this is not a fact. That way, students and doctoral students, teachers and academic leaders would generate aspirations and interests would form that are harmonious and synergistic to national and European requirements, mission, values and policies of the university. This would create prerequisites for better ranking in the national rating of universities which would come with the expected bonuses from the state budget for the University. (2) To generate motivation for high quality students, teachers and academic leaders by linking them with achievements of recognition and remuneration. This is possible only if there is an objective and recognized system of evaluation. It is proposed that the evaluation be multifactorial multi-subject, expert, quantitative (on a scale comparable to the national grading system) and is based on academic standards for the subject being assessed. The standards need to be harmonized with the National Qualifications Framework. To accomplish an objective student assessment, the article proposes the introduction of external evaluation and anonymous assessments from the written exam.