External Quality Audit Has It Improved Quality Assurance in Universities?

Whilst external quality audits have been in place for more than a decade in some countries, limited research exists on the extent to which such audits have been effective in improving systems and processes for quality assurance in higher education institutions, and the extent to which such audits have improved academic standards, outcomes and student experience. External Quality Audit looks at the experience of countries where external quality audits have been established by governments, and provides analyses of their effectiveness in improving quality assurance in universities and other higher education institutions.

• Brings together the experience of academics and administrators in higher education institutions
• Examines international experience on the extent to which external quality audits have improved quality assurance at national, institutional and faculty levels
• Gives perspective from a variety of higher education institutions

Mahsood Shah is Principal Advisor for Academic Strategy, Planning and Quality at the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
Professor Chenicheri Sid Nair is currently with the Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning, University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth. Prior to his appointment to UWA, he was Quality Adviser (Research and Evaluation) in the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) at Monash University, Australia. He has an extensive expertise in the area of quality development and evaluation, and he also has considerable editorial experience. Currently, he is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Quality Assurance in Engineering and Technology Education (IJQAETE). Prior to this he was also a Managing Editor of the Electronic Journal of Science Education (EJSE). Professor Nair is also an international consultant in a number of countries in quality and evaluations.