Quality assurance
Quality assurance is an integral part of Halmstad University’s activities and a shared responsibility of staff and students. Through systematic and continuous quality assurance, the University creates the conditions for high quality in education, research and University Administrative Support, and for its activities to develop in line with the University’s vision, strategies and objectives.
Page content
Principles
The University’s quality assurance is based on academic values such as freedom, integrity, quality, responsibility and collegiality. It is founded on participation, dialogue and learning, and on making use of different experiences and areas of expertise. A strong collegial culture is an important part of this. Collegial dialogue and shared responsibility create the conditions for reviewing, developing and renewing the University’s activities, and for quality to form a natural basis for day-to-day work.
Students and doctoral students are to be active co-creators in quality enhancement. Through feedback, dialogue and representation, among other things, their experiences and perspectives contribute to the development of education and the study environment.
Halmstad University has a strong tradition of collaboration with working life and wider society. Dialogue with regional, national and international stakeholders contributes to ensuring that education and research develop in response to changes in science and scholarship as well as in wider society. Collaboration is therefore also an important part of ensuring the quality and relevance of the University’s activities.
Results from follow-ups and evaluations are used to develop the University’s activities and provide a basis for planning and governance. Quality assurance follows a recurring process in which activities are planned, implemented, followed up, analysed and developed.
Quality assurance system
The quality assurance system provides a common framework for how quality assurance is organised, implemented, followed up and developed. The system is based on the University’s quality policy and encompasses education, research and University Administrative Support. It also takes as its point of departure the national and European requirements and guidelines applicable to higher education and research.
The quality assurance system is based on a clear organisational structure and distribution of responsibilities, collegial participation and continuous dialogue, as well as systematic follow-up and analysis. A central principle is that the knowledge generated through quality assurance should be utilised and contribute to decisions, priorities and the continued development of the University’s activities.
It is also important to the University that the quality assurance system is sustainable in the long term. Its processes and activities should provide relevant knowledge about the quality of the University’s activities while also being fit for purpose and possible to integrate into regular operations. The quality assurance system is therefore continuously developed on the basis of experience from across the University, results from follow-ups and evaluations, and changes in the external environment. The aim is for the system to support the development of the University’s activities and shared learning, rather than for quality assurance to be perceived as a separate administrative task.
The quality assurance system consists of several interrelated activities for following up, evaluating and developing the quality of the University’s activities. The quality puzzle below shows the central activities and how, together, they form Halmstad University’s quality assurance system.
Components of the quality assurance system
The University’s quality assurance system is built around a number of components, illustrated through the so-called Quality Puzzle. Each puzzle piece represents an activity within the quality assurance system.
More information about the different components of the quality assurance system is available via the links below.
Evaluation of first- and second-cycle education
Evaluation of research programmes
Follow-up of research programmes after three years
Annual follow-up of research programmes
Evaluation of doctoral education
Follow-up of doctoral education
HR Strategy for researchers
Halmstad University works actively to develop a stimulating work environment with good conditions and career opportunities for our researchers. For this work, the University has received the European Commission’s award ”HR Excellence in Research”.
