Quality Assurance Unit

ΜΟ.ΔΙ.Π.

The Quality Assurance Unit is the central body for the coordination and support of the quality assurance procedures of the University of Thessaly through the Internal Quality Assurance System. The Quality Assurance System of the University of Thessaly aims to develop a quality culture in the academic community to transmit knowledge through efficient teaching and produce a high level of know-how with innovative research. In the light of this point and aiming for excellence and the international and high-quality recognized research, scientists with doctoral degrees take the opportunity to conduct postdoctoral research in areas that fall within the university departments’ research interests and cognitive objectives.

Quality Assurance aims to evaluate and understand the University’s work to formulate substantiated suggestions for criteria, establish or improve institutions, and formulate directions and strategies for education and research quality improvement.

Quality Assurance Unit has as its mission the coordination of the system and the assistance to the Departments for the recording, understanding, and systematic evaluation of their work in the context of quality assurance and optimal efficiency. The main goal is the multifaceted strengthening of the Departments in achieving their mission in the context of their countenance and peculiarities.

 

Structure

According to article 14 of L.4009 / 2011:

1. Each Institution is responsible for ensuring and continuously improving the quality of its educational and research work, as well as for the effective operation and performance of its services, following international practices, in particular those of the European Higher Education Area and the authorities and directions of Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQA).

2. For the above purpose, the Quality Assurance Unit is responsible for each Higher Education Institution. Quality Assurance Unit is established by the decision of the Senate of the Institution. It consists of the Rector or one of his deputies as president, five professors of the University, a representative of each category of staff, provided in articles 28 and 29 with the right to vote when discussing issues of the respective category of staff, a representative of the undergraduate students, a representative of the postgraduate students and doctoral candidates, if any, as members, as specified explicitly in the organization.

Quality Assurance Unit is responsible in particular for:

a) the development of a specific policy, strategy, and the necessary procedures for the continuous improvement of the quality of the Institution’s work and services, which is the internal quality assurance system of the Institution,

b) the organization, operation, and continuous improvement of the internal quality assurance system of the Institution,

c) coordinating and supporting the evaluation processes of the academic units and other services of the Institution, and

d) the support of the external evaluation and accreditation procedures of the study programs and the internal quality assurance system of the Institution, within the principles, directions, and instructions of the HQA.

 

Policy

STATEMENT OF POLITICAL QUALITY OF THE INSTITUTION

The mission of the University of Thessaly is to offer high-quality education to its students and promote knowledge and research in the cognitive areas related to its programs. The University of Thessaly aims to promote knowledge and specialization with rules of ethics that will serve the needs of society. Form a free academic environment to conduct high-quality research to ensure that the teaching staff has the highest possible level of research and teaching in shaping a culture of cooperation with educational and research institutions of the country and abroad. The University’s primary goal is to recognize and attractiveness its undergraduate and postgraduate programs within the next decade at the national level and the international acceptance of its research work.

The University of Thessaly considers a central point of its policy to form attitudes, develop ideas, culture, and Policy of Quality Assurance (QA). The QA guarantees a safe course for identifying and achieving the Institution’s visions, mission, goals, and policy. The financial crisis makes the cost of higher education unbearable, however under any circumstances, the University is accountable to society, which requires to know all the qualitative and quantitative indicators that determine its identity. Through the QA, the University satisfies its expectations and goals, social role, and the needs of society.

 

Accreditation

Accreditation is an external evaluation process based on specific, predetermined, internationally accepted, and pre-published quantitative and qualitative criteria and indicators harmonized with the Principles and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015).

The accreditation includes a) internal evaluation by the Institution through the Quality Assurance Unit and b) external evaluation by a Committee of independent experts. The process focuses on the quality and effectiveness of the Internal Quality Assurance System, aiming at the evaluation of the “inputs” to the assessment of the quality results (“outputs”), which is the achievement of objectives of the Internal Quality Assurance System.

In particular, the accreditation guarantees the quality of the study programs and the awarded degrees. It provides the implementation of a strategy of quality services continuous improvement offered by the Institution.

The accreditation process covers all the quality assurance activities of the certified Internal Quality Assurance System, whether they are mandatory or optional.