Programme evaluation with external assessment
The Faculty of Social Sciences conducts annual programme evaluations with external assessment. The purpose of these evaluations is to review and improve the quality of the courses and study programmes offered at the Faculty.
Background
All study programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences undergo evaluation with external assessment. The evaluation is carried out in accordance with the University of Gothenburg’s policy for quality assurance and quality improvement. The Faculty Board of Social Sciences has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the Faculty’s courses and study programmes are of high quality. The Board therefore systematically follows up on how the departments are working to address the areas for development identified in the programme evaluations.
The purpose of the evaluations
The overarching aim of the evaluations is to contribute to improving the quality of the University’s study programmes. The focus of the evaluations is on the departments’ conditions for delivering good quality education, rather than the content of the subject areas per se. In addition, the evaluations function as a checkpoint for ensuring that the University’s internal quality work is effective and that the study programmes are meeting the identified quality criteria.
Assessment panel
The evaluations are carried out by at least two experienced referees with research/artistic and teaching expertise from a higher education institution other than the University of Gothenburg, as well as at least one undergraduate/doctoral student representative.
The task of the assessment panels is to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the programmes. To assist them, they have various forms of written material from the department concerned, and the assessment panel also conducts interviews with representatives and undergraduate/doctoral students from the study programmes.
Quality criteria
In their work to highlight strengths and weaknesses, the assessment panel is to base their assessment on the following quality criteria. These criteria have been developed by the University of Gothenburg to make it possible to determine whether the quality of a study programme is good or not.
For third-cycle programmes, there are two additional criteria:
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Assessment panel report and action plan
After having read the documentation and interviewed representatives of the study programmes, the assessment panel summarises their impressions in a report. The department is then asked to produce an action plan in response to the report. The action plan is to show how the department plans to address the weaknesses identified by the assessment panel.
External assessment - RED19
Our research activities have been the subject of external assessment as part of the RED19 process, which covered all levels at the entire University. Each department and the Faculty management wrote action plans during the autumn of 2019 and the Faculty has begun its own follow-up process on the basis of these. Within this process, each unit has filled in a follow-up plan listing the 3–5 highest priority strategic development issues for the period from 2020 to 2023, when the RED19 process is concluded. These plans have been approved by the Faculty Board. The idea is that this process will become part of regular quality management within the BFF, alongside doctoral education.
As part of the RED19 process, the Faculty will hold annual thematic seminars on issues that are common to many of the departments.