Quality assurance and the classification of universities: the case of Chile

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between quality assurance, the traditional a priori approach, and a more recently developed empirical classification of universities, as a means of assessing whether the different classification systems fulfill their original purpose. The study analyzes Chilean university classifications because they have been used in setting up higher education public policies. Design/methodology/approach The existing classifications of Chilean universities were identified in the literature. Researchers determined categories, criteria and/or indicators used, as well as their main purposes as described by the authors of the classifications. All the criteria and indicators identified were directly related to the quality of academic activities and to the results of the university accreditation processes. The institutional accreditation outcomes and variables were studied using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. Findings The a priori approach proved to be consistent with the results of institutional quality assurance, despite of the variability in individual performances. The empirical systems, however, do not show any contribution to the improvement of public policies in higher education. The results clearly show that classifications based on performance do not necessarily ensure improvements in institutional quality. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this analysis is the first study of the relationship between university classification and quality assurance. The growing number of proposals for different empirical classifications in Chilean universities is evidence of institutional diversity only. However, the classification designs did not respond to purposes such as public policies improvements and other expected results from these instruments.

¿Está la calidad de las carreras asociada a la universidad que la imparte? El caso de Nutrición y Dietética en Chile

“…Por ejemplo, en Australia [37][38][39] , Europa [40][41][42][43] , Estados Unidos 44 , Latinoamérica 45,46 . En otras áreas, estudios recientes asocian la calidad al tipo de universidad 47 .…”

Features Of Higher Education Institutions On The Extreme North Of Russia

“…Though most of the authors consider the quality of higher education by defining the terms and criteria, there are also those who assess the quality of education using quantitative methods of analysis (Allam, 2020;López et al, 2020). This approach is viable as it allows comparing HEIs and regions.…”

“…Russia has adopted this experience and uses it actively. However, in recent years, the developing countries have also begun to pay attention to their higher education (López et al, 2020;Wariyo, 2020).…”

Análisis cualitativo de los procesos regulatorios de la calidad en los programas de Nutrición y Dietética en Chile

“…Producto del masivo aumento de la oferta educativa y del número de estudiantes, se ha hecho imperativo garantizar la fe pública de instituciones y programas formativos, así como la rendición de cuentas de las instituciones de Educación Superior 5,6,7,8 . En Chile, la acreditación de carreras es el principal instrumento regulatorio de la calidad de la docencia de pregrado 9,10 . La acreditación ha sido obligatoria solo para Medicina y las carreras de Educación.…”

“…Odontología ha sido incorporada recientemente 11 . Se trata de un sistema poco regulado, basado principalmente en relaciones de oferta-demanda y donde la mayoría de los procesos de acreditación han sido realizados por agencias privadas 1,4,6,10 . Como consecuencia, sólo un 30,5% de los casi 4.500 programas de Educación Superior está acreditado 1 .…”