Tilburg University gets quality assurance label

The quality of the educational programs at Tilburg University will be subjected to a much lighter accreditation regime in the future, because TiU has earned the quality assurance label of the board of the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).

This quality label, which exists as of 2011, guarantees that the quality of the education given at the university is assured. With accrediting this label the government has said that TiU has it’s affairs in order. As a result, individual programs can be evaluated using less criteria.

The NVAO visited TiU in November and December of 2012. They focused on three ‘critical themes’: 1) assessment policy in the Bachelor’s degree program in Liberal Arts and Sciences, 2) responsible citizenship in the Bachelor’s in Business Economics and the Master’s in Marketing Management, and 3) internationalization in the Bachelor’s and Master’s in Law.

According to the auditors the university is home to a vibrant and stimulating quality culture and has a relevant and widely supported vision on educational quality. When it comes to internationalization the NVAO had marignal notes. They did advise TiU to take steps in the field of  responsible citizenship.

Rector Magnificus Philip Eijlander: “Responsible citizenship is a term that can be found in our vision on educational quality. That is why we were tested on that matter. We want students to develop a broader view on society.  The question is whether the students experience this in their courses. In educational programs such as Philosophy it’s more visible than in  for example Economics. I do not have an immediate solution, but we are thinking about it.”

The audit committee established that there has been done a lot when it comes to education, but the committee advises the university to be more ambitious. For example, when it comes to the dropping out of students.  According to the board they are already working on this issue. “We took visble steps in this field, but you are never finished” emphasizes Rector Magnificus Philip Eijlander.

The committee also made clear that attention is needed for the use of course evaluations, which is the feedback of students about the quality of course material and the functioning of lecturers. Not all students use the opportunity to give their opinion. Eijlander: ” I am slightly more positive than the NVAO. I think we are already doing a good job. However, it is important to emphasize the importance of course evaluations to students.”

The individual accreditation used to cost the university thousands of Euros. According Philip Eijlander, the new quality label will reduce the costs by twenty pro cent. ” This was calculated and I hope that we can save money on accreditations.  Other than that, I am proud that the we received such an evaluation.”

The result of the Institutional Quality Assurance Assessment remains valid for six years.