Purpose

The aim of the PSU’s quality assurance policy is to describe its approach to quality and continuous improvement in the field of teaching and learning, its support services and infrastructure, focusing on their contribution to and in alignment with the PSU’s mission, vision and strategic goals.

Definitions

Assessment: One or more processes that identify, collect and prepare data to evaluate the attainment of program learning outcomes in accord with established standards.

Audit: to identify and ensure that appropriate internal quality assurance processes are in practice at PSU in alignment with NCAAA.

Program Review: Holistic evaluation of a program and resources used in its delivery with an intention of its continuous improvement,

Quality: PSU academic and administrative activities have quality if they conform to the purpose for which they were designed.

Quality Assurance: It is the process for checking that the standards and quality of higher education provision meet agreed expectations. The two dominant purposes of QA are:

• Improvement or enhancement (Internal)
• Accountability (external)

Quality Management: Ensures that the processes by which outputs and benefits are delivered, meet stakeholder requirements and are fit for purpose.

Stakeholders: Entities (government, private, individual, group) that have an impact on the system or are affected by the system such as the Higher education system.

Scope: This policy is applicable to all stakeholders of PSU, including, students, faculty, administrative staff. The QA policy applies to all academic and administrative activities which directly or indirectly support or impact the quality of education at PSU.

1. The definition have been taken from http://kcmuco.ac.tz/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/QA-POLICY.pdf

Principles

The quality assurance framework and processes are based on the following key principles:

Quality Responsibility: Quality is everyone’s responsibility. PSU actively ratifies and support for the implementation of the Quality Policy. The use of the Quality Policy is embedded or demonstrated in the work of all PSU employees and students.

Quality Commitment: Quality is recognized as the responsibility of all PSU’s primary stakeholders (employees and students). Effective leadership and executive support to Quality is of high importance. PSU’s University Council approves quality management frameworks for all Programs, departments, Colleges and administrative offices.

Quality Data and Information: Processes are established and ratified at PSU to ensure the consistent collection, benchmarking and evidence-based analysis of data and producing the authentic information.

Quality Staff and Resources: The teaching and non-teaching PSU employees are trained, supported and resources appropriately provide quality services consistent with aligned with the institution’s and national strategic goals and objectives.

Quality Practices: PSU approved and effective practices are identified at various levels of administration and regularly communicated to all relevant stakeholders through policies, procedures, guidelines and PSU Forms.

Quality/Continuous Improvement: PSU Periodic plans for an internal and external review at the institutional and program level promotes the continuous improvement of quality practices and processes to ensure their continuing appropriateness and suitability.

Quality Framework

Objectives: PSU has established the quality objectives encompassing academic and administrative services to assure delivering a quality tertiary education experience. The Quality Objectives are mapped to the best practices within 7 NCAAA institutional as well as its Strategic Plan, which are in turn measures by 17 EETC-NCAAA and 20 PSU Strategic Key Performance Indicators.

The quality Framework at PSU has two objectives:

• Internal Quality Assurance (IQA): This is a continuous mechanism which focuses on achieving the desired level of quality in its academic and administrative activities based on the the PSU Quality Management System (PSU-QMS).
• External Quality Assurance (EQA): This is a periodic mechanism which ensures the PSU maintains compliance with the Saudi Arabian Qualification Framework (SAQF) and ETEC-NCAAA requirements to ensure continuing certification of institutional and/or program accreditation.

Elements

The Quality Framework established at PSU consists of the following elements:

• Quality Objective: Establishing and monitoring of Quality objectives by the PSU higher management and Institutional Committees.
• PSU Policy Manual: Presence of PSU policies, procedures, guidelines, handbooks/manuals, and forms governing and guiding the activities of academic and administrative employees.
• Quality Control Processes, ensuring services are of suitable educational standard before they are applied in real.
• Quality Assurance Processes ensuring PSU’s activities are initiated, implemented and completed in a proper and consistent manner.
• Quality/Continuous Improvement Processes ensuring PSU activities are constantly being reviewed and refined on a periodic basis(audits) and to identity the areas of improvement. PSU has adopted the Continuous Improvement Cycle of Plan, Implement, Monitor, Review an Update (PIMRU)
• Quality Handbook/Manual: PSU ensure that the effective documentation of the quality processes, activities related to teaching and learning and its support services is available to all of its stakeholders.

Responsibility

1. PSU Governance and Institutional Committees: University Council, Rector’s Office, Deanship of Quality Assurance and Development (DQAD) and the Institutional Quality Committees (IEC, IPC, IQC) are responsible for reviewing, supporting, endorsing and ensuring accountability within the Quality Framework.
2. DQAD is responsible for managing and administering the Quality Framework.
3. All Head of the academic and administrative units have the responsibility to check and ensure the requirements of the Quality Framework are satisfied within their area of responsibility.
4. All institutional, college and department level committees have the responsibility to verify and ensure the Quality Framework requirements are satisfied within their area of accountability.
5. All employees have the responsibility to ensure that their assigned tasks follow the Quality principles.
6. Undergraduate and Graduate students as well as other stakeholders have the responsibility to provide useful and timely feedback to PSU regarding the satisfaction of the program delivery, its processes as well as its practices.

Main Quality Practices at PSU

The QA Policy will ensure the following points are practiced by PSU at various levels of academic and administrative work activities.

1. Up to date mission, realistic vision and strategic plan for PSU.
2. A clear organizational structure including terms of references for each job positions.
3. Presence of a quality culture among the faculty, student, administrative staff to adhere the quality assurance processes at all levels.
4. Policy is implemented.
5. Effective and realistic planning followed by monitoring of various activities related to teaching and learning and its support services.
6. Effective documentation of the activities related to teaching and learning and its support services.
7. Identification of Key Performance Indicators to measure the effectiveness of performance at various academic and administrative levels.
8. Methodical collection of evidence about satisfaction of services among various stakeholders.
9. Internal and external benchmarking of quality assurance processed and key performance indicators
10. Involvement of stakeholders through various platforms (committees, councils, professional associations, administrative positions etc.) to achieve PSU’s mission and vision.
11. Provide opportunities for enhancing professional experiences and research contribution.
12. Regular create a sense of social responsibility among students. Faculty and administrative staff.
13. Increase PSU’s visibility at international platforms through partnerships.
14. Self-evaluation of academic and administrative core activities.
15. External assessment of institution and academic programs through local and international accreditation review process.
16. Regular internal audits will be conducted to ensure that the Quality Assurance