Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance

Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency

The purpose of the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (H.Q.A.A.) is to formulate and implement a unified system of quality assurance, as a reference system to the achievements and work done by the Institutions of Higher Education. Furthermore, to gather and codify the critical information that will guide the State to effectively support the country’s higher education.

H.Q.A.A. is neither a controlling nor an intrusive mechanism to the operation, mission, or profile of the Higher Education. To achieve its objectives, the Agency, cooperates and supports the efforts of the HEIs for the improvement of the education quality, to ensure the confidence of the Greek society towards the higher education system.

H.Q.A.A. is by definition an independent multi-member institution. It is composed of senior civil servants, who are suggested by the Higher Education Institutions and cover the entire range of disciplines that compose the country’s higher education. The assessment procedures, the operating regulations, as well as the procedures of the quality assurance of the function of the Agency itself are transparent and open to public control.

In particular, the H.Q.A.A.:

1. Guarantees the transparency of the evaluation procedures
2. Standardizes, supplements, and specifies the evaluation criteria and indicators
3. Supports the academic units in the implementation of the procedures that aim at ensuring and improving the quality of higher education
4. Establishes, maintains, and renews the Registry of External Experts
5. Organizes, plans, coordinates, and supports the assessment procedures of the Higher Education Institutions
6. Publishes the results of the evaluations and brings up to date the State and the HEIs on the latest international developments in relevant subjects
7. Conducts studies and promotes research in the field of Quality Assurance

H.Q.A.A. implements an effective, internal quality assurance system of high requirements, which will allow it to secure international recognition of both the work of the quality assurance organization, as well as –most importantly- the work of the academic units of Greek Higher Education.

As acquired by Law (Law 4115/2013, 4076/2012, 4009/2011, 3374/2005):

1. The mission of the Agency (H.Q.A.A.) is to ensure high quality in higher education. In the framework of its mission, the Agency supports the State and the Universities in the formulation and implementation of the national strategy for higher education and certifies the quality of the operation of Higher Education Institutions
2. The Agency ensures the transparency of all its actions in the framework of the evaluation and accreditation of the quality in Higher Education Institutions

Responsibilities of quality accreditation:

1. As part of its mission, the Agency applies, in particular, the following Accreditation practices:
   1. Periodically certifies the quality of:
      1. the internal systems of quality assurance of HEIs as defined in Article 14 and
      2. the curricula of higher education, including short-cycle programs, lifelong learning, and e-learning, as well as collaborations with other domestic or foreign educational or research institutions
   2. Suggests to the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Culture, and Sports, as well as the governing bodies of the HEIs, ways and means for the continuous ensure of high quality in higher education.
2. To achieve its mission and to apply its responsibilities, the Agency:
   1. forms, organizes, specifies, standardizes, and publishes in advance the relevant procedures, criteria, and indicators, particularly, in the framework of the common principles and guidelines of the European Higher Education Area,
   2. develops an integrated information management system and assessment database, in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Units (MODIP) of the universities,
   3. supports the universities and their units in the planning of the quality assurance and accreditation procedures and
   4. conducts studies and research related to its mission or has other institutions make them for it
3. Within its activities, the Agency can:
   1. Differentiate the procedures and criteria certifying the quality of the curricula, as defined in the Articles 71 and 72, for:
      1. institutions that have received accreditation of their internal quality assurance systems and institutions that have not received a similar accreditation
      2. new curricula and curricula that are already operating
   2. Postpone or suspend the assessment and accreditation of a curriculum or an internal quality assurance system, if the request for assessment or accreditation does not go along with the required informational material and the necessary documentation
   3. Define one more language, except for Greek, for the implementation of its activities
4. Accreditation is a process of external evaluation based on specific, predetermined, internationally accepted, and publicized advanced, quantitative, and qualitative criteria and indicators. The purpose of accreditation is the external quality assurance in higher education and the efficiency and transparency of the overall function of the Higher Education Institutions.

Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP)

1. Each institution is responsible for ensuring and continually improving the quality of its teaching and research work, as well as for the effective operation and performance of its services following international practices, particularly those of the European Higher Education Area and the principles and guidelines of the HQAA.

2. Responsible for the above purpose, in each HEI, is the Quality Assurance Unit (MO.DI.P.). The MO.DI.P. is constituted by decision of the Council of the Institution and consists of the rector or one of his deputies, as president, five professors of the university, and one representative of each category of staff foreseen by the Articles 28 and 29, with voting rights when issues the relevant category of staff, a representative of the undergraduate students and a representative of the graduate students and doctoral candidates, if available, as members, as specifically defined in the Institution.

In particular, the MO.DI.P. is responsible for:

a) the development of this policy, strategy, and the procedures necessary for the continuous improvement of the quality of the work and services of the institution, which consists of the internal quality assurance system of the institution, b) the organization, operation, and continuous improvement of the internal quality assurance system of the university, c) the coordination and support of the evaluation processes of the academic units and other services of the institution and d) the support of the external evaluation procedures and accreditation of the studies programs and the internal quality assurance system of the institution, under the principles, guidelines and instruction of the HQAA.

3. The internal quality assurance system of the institution and its implementation procedures are defined by Council decision, issued after the rector’s proposal and published in the Government Gazette, as well as the website of the institution. The above is revised at least every six years.

4. For the purposes above, the MODIP, cooperates with the HQAA, develops an informational system for the management of the evaluation data, and is responsible for the systematical monitoring and publicizing of the relevant evaluation procedures and results on the website of the institution.

5. The institution’s Internal Regulation defines the issues concerning the organization and operation of MODIP, as well as its more specific responsibilities.

(Law 4009/2011, Article 14)

The role of the Quality Assurance Unit – MODIP of Greek HEIs (according to article 14 of statute Greek law nr 4009/2011) can be summarized in the following points:

1. Development of policies, strategies, and processes to improve the Institution
2. Organization, function, and improvement of the quality assurance system
3. Coordination and support of the evaluation processes of units
4. Support of the processes for external evaluation and certification of the Curricula

MODIP – AUTH wishes to continue our university’s tradition, as a pioneer and a distinguished institution among Greek and many other foreign universities, on all levels: education, research, culture, and connection with society.

MODIP’s targets are:

• To improve the quality of the educational and research work.
• To improve the quality of the processes and services of AUTh – primarily towards students, but also towards the personnel, the regular faculty members, the administrative personnel, etc.
• To improve the quality of working and living conditions at AUTh.
• To present the work conducted at AUTh, to the society and political leadership, but also the international academic community.
 
The Quality Management System of AUTh, (the information system of MODIP or MODIP – Project as it is frequently being called) contributes effectively towards this direction.

The School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and in particular the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program “Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation” are committed to the implementation of the quality policy, which strengthens the academic character and orientation of the master’s study programs, promotes their purpose and object, implements its strategic objectives (as set annually), determines the means, actions, and ways of achieving them, ensures the participation of interested parties, and implements the indicated internal and external quality procedures with the ultimate aim of their continuous improvement. In addition to the above, the School of Geology is committed to fostering a climate of communication and cooperation among all members (staff, students, and interested parties).

The School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program “Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation” apply the quality assurance procedures of the Quality Manual of the Internal Quality Assurance System of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with the specialization required on a case-by-case basis at the Master’s Program level. The implementation of the ESDP procedures is carried out in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Unit of the university. The quality assurance procedures are a valuable tool for the School of Geology and the individual master’s programs to implement their teaching and research activities, ensure the achievement of the goals they have set, and upgrade the academic work in general.

For the implementation of the policy the School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the Inter-Institutional MSc Program “Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation” are committed to implementing the quality procedures that will demonstrate:

• the suitability of the structure and organization of the Inter-Institutional MSc Program,
• that the intended learning outcomes and qualifications cover the European and National Framework of Higher Education Qualifications,
• the promotion of the quality and effectiveness of the teaching/research work of the Inter-Institutional MSc Program,
• the suitability of the qualifications of the teaching,
• the drafting, implementation, and review of specific annual quality objectives for the improvement of the Program,
• the level of demand for the acquired qualifications of the graduates in the labor market,
• the quality of support services,
• the efficient utilization of the resources of the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program, which may come from tuition fees,
• the performance of the annual internal evaluation and review of the quality assurance system for the Inter-Institutional Postgraduate Program “Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation”, with the cooperation of OMEA and MODIP of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
  The procedures applied to monitor and continuously improve the quality of Master’s Programs are as follows:
  • Implementation of a policy for the quality assurance of the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program, its periodic review and revision (when required).
  • Planning of the Inter-Institutional Postgraduate Program, in accordance with the current legislation and the regulations of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, taking into account – as far as possible – the opinions of students, graduates of the MSc Program, and cooperating agencies.
  • Harmonization with the current Legislative framework and regulatory provisions.
  • Implementation of the Regulations of the Inter-Institutional Graduate Program and other Regulations and Regulatory Decisions of the University.
  • Submission of the Individual Inventory Form and the Course Description Form to the MODIP information system, by the teachers.
  • Evaluation of courses and teachers by the students.
  • Different ways of evaluating students.
  • Attempt to monitor the progress and professional rehabilitation of graduates of the Inter-Institutional Postgraduate Program.
  • Teaching staff (selection, regulations, performance, and support).
  • Allocation and management of the resources of the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program (infrastructure, equipment, etc.).
  • Collection and processing/analysis of quality data (complete, correct, and up-to-date data) to ensure the quality of the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program “Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation”, to improve it.
  • Monitoring, analysis, and comparison with national and international indicators.
  • Publication of any available information about the Inter-Institutional MSc Program.
  • Quality and systematic updating of the website of the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program (Greek, English, and possibly another language), for the publication of the relevant information of the Program.
  • Strategy and targeting feedback mechanisms etc., overview, taking actions, and corrective actions (when required).
  • Conducting an annual internal evaluation (monitoring, control, and review of the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program), in accordance with all the above, based on the guidelines of the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) and the Quality Assurance Unit of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – MODIP.
  • Support of external evaluation and certification procedures, in collaboration with MODIP.

Quality Goals

• The quality objectives, on which the School of Geology will focus its efforts regarding the Inter-Institutional Master’s Program “Hydrocarbon Exploration and Exploitation” are the following:
• The multidisciplinary and holistic consideration of the individual knowledge objects,
• The balanced development between specialized theoretical knowledge, practical ‘consolidation’, and field/laboratory experience,
• The promotion and cultivation of research and creative thinking,
• The connection of studies with the labor market.