Quality system for education

Activity 1: Student surveys

Umeå University has four centrally initiated surveys aimed at students and doctoral students: The Beginner's Survey and the Study Barometer for undergraduate students, as well as the Employee Survey and the Graduation Survey for doctoral students.

Education at undergraduate and advanced level

The Beginners Survey and the Study Barometer are conducted alternately every autumn. The former is aimed at students who begin their studies in the autumn semester. The latter is aimed at programme students who are in the middle of their education.

At the Faculty of Science and Technology, the results from the Beginners Survey and the Study Barometer are broken down to programme and department level and sent to programme directors/programme councils and directors of studies. The results are commented on in the programmes' VB/VP (see also Activity 6) and form the basis for ongoing dialogues in various forums and between faculty management and programme councils/departments. In addition, analyzes and compilations are made at faculty and university-wide level.

The Faculty Office is responsible for the faculty's handling of the Beginners Survey and the Study Barometer.

Previous surveys (page in Swedish)

Activity 2: Student Union letter

The Student Union letter is compiled jointly by the student unions every three years and covers education at all levels. Through the Student Union Letter, student unions are given the opportunity to express views on educational activities and take an active part in the work of further developing the educational activities.

At the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Education Committee and the Committee for PhD studies, in consultation with the Umeå Science and Technology Union, NTK, are responsible for highlighting issues of special relevance to the faculty. In consultation with the faculty management and relevant committees, priority is given to areas in need of development. Based on this, continuous dialogues are conducted in various forums between faculty management, program directors/departments and NTK. Development work and any direct measures are commented on in the programme's, departments and faculties' VB/VP and are included in operational dialogues.

The responsibility for the faculty's work with the Student Union letter rests with the deputy dean with responsibility for education at the undergraduate and advanced level.

Previous student union letters (page in Swedish)

Activity 3: Course evaluation

Course evaluation from students on a course together with views and reflections from teachers and staff form the basis for course evaluation. The course evaluation also gives the students the opportunity to reflect on their own learning process and actively take part in the work of developing the course.

A course evaluation must address the course's content and prerequisites, and describe how learning activities and examining elements provide prerequisites for the student to achieve the expected study results. For courses at doctoral level that do not have a syllabus, the evaluation is related to the national degree objectives that are relevant in the course.

Activity 4: Programme evaluation

Students who study a programme at the undergraduate and advanced level must be given opportunities to present their views on the education as a whole (for doctoral education, see Activity 6). The purpose of the programme evaluations is that they should contribute to the development of the educations.

Compilation and analysis of the programme evaluations is done in Activity 6: Activity report and operational plan for educational programmes and research subjects.

Activity 5: Securing national qualitative degree targets

Education at undergraduate and advanced level

Umeå University must be able to show how students with a granted degree at undergraduate and advanced level have achieved national degree targets. For each degree, a matrix is therefore drawn up that shows how the national degree targets are achieved through different course objectives (expressed as FSR). The matrix also includes five of the perspectives to be commented on in VB/VP.

Compilation and analysis of the national degree targets is made in Activity 6, Activity report and operational plan for education programmes.

Securing national degree targets at undergraduate and advanced level as well as appendices:

Doctoral education

Degree objectives for doctoral education are followed up through the individual study plan and through the routines that apply to the dissertation. The degree objective matrix forms a basis for the postgraduate subject's VB/VP (see Activity 6).

Activity 6: Annual report and operational plan for educational programmes and research subjects

The annual report summarizes and analyzes the information and data generated in activity 1-5 and activity 7. This also includes follow-up of previous years' annual report and operational plan.

Based on the annual report, the operational plan for planned development work regarding educational programmes and research subjects is reported.

Education at undergraduate and advanced level

VB and VP for educational programmes at the undergraduate and advanced level aim to provide follow-up and continued quality development. Follow-up of VB / VP is done through feedback conversations between faculty management, faculty directors of studies and programme directors.

Doctoral education

For research subjects, an activity report and activity plan are prepared in accordance with the faculty's activity cycle. Every three years, Quality Requirements for education programmes and main areas for education must be given special consideration.

Activity 7: Educational evaluation through peer review

Education at undergraduate and advanced level

The purpose of the peer review is to help ensure the quality of the education's content and implementation and provide support for quality development. The evaluation is based on the study plan, degree description, the study programme's VB/VP and other things that the faculty instructs. The dean appoints reviewers after consultation with the relevant programme director. Each education programme is evaluated every six years.

At the Faculty of Science and Technology, the peer reviewer is normally not employed at Umeå University. The examiner summarizes his assessment and his recommendations in a report in accordance with the faculty's instructions. In the review, both identified strengths and development areas must be highlighted. Based on the report, the programme director and programme council produce a development plan, which forms a basis for dialogue with the faculty management.

The Faculty of Science and Technology evaluated all educational programmes with external peer review in 2018.

Doctoral education

The Faculty Board initiates at least every six years a collegial external review of research subjects. The basis for the review consists of the last four activity reports, the student union letter, the general study plan for the research subject, three randomly selected individual study plans and interviews with representatives of the education and doctoral students attending the education. The analysis is carried out by an expert in the field of science or the person responsible for doctoral education, but at least outside the department.

Activity 8: Faculty audit

The faculty audit focuses on how a faculty, Umeå School of Education or a selected administrative unit organizes, supports and develops quality in education and aims, based on collegial views and recommendations, to develop the quality work.

The university management, in consultation with USR and FOSTRA, appoints an audit group. This includes representatives of various functions within the university, including students. External representatives can also be included in the group.

Standing themes for the audit:

• Organization of and support to education and doctoral education
• The university's quality work for education and doctoral education

Additional themes can be determined in consultation with the relevant activities.

The audit group conducts group discussions (site visits) with representatives of different staff categories and students, and on this basis writes a report. This summarizes what has emerged in the conversations and after reviewing various documents. The focus is on identifying strengths and areas for development and improvement. The faculty management's analysis of the audit report and the measures planned are commented on in the faculty's VB/VP and form the basis for operational dialogues.

The faculty of Science and Technology was audited in 2016.

Audit reports (page in Swedish)

Activity 9: Follow-up and evaluation of the quality system

Umeå University's quality system undergoes external review through UKÄ's educational evaluations, thematic evaluations and the reviews of the university's quality assurance work. There is a special procedure for Umeå University's internal process at UKÄ's educational evaluations.

Procedure for External Educational Evaluations (UKÄ, page in Swedish)

In addition, annual dialogues are held with a focus on quality issues between university management and faculties and student unions.