The Polish Accreditation Committee, during programmes assessment, expressing its care for the highest quality of education, is searching out, among others, solutions developed by the university, which described properly might constitute a model and reference point for other higher education institutions. Good practices are activities that include a some potential for an innovation and they are also persistent and repeatable. In many academic centres, many interesting methods of improving the quality of education have been invented and implemented, which have been noticing by PKA assessments teams during the accreditation process and according to Act on Higher Education and Science the Committee are constantly disseminating them.
The first initiative to promoting interesting solutions regarding the quality of education was their identification and description. The Committee, for the needs of publication: Selected “good practices” in managing the quality assurance of education in Polish universities (Warsaw, 2015 – only Polish version), made an attempt to define “good practice”, which it understands as effective, innovative and exemplary solutions for improving the quality of education at Polish universities.
Identification of good practices has been based on six criteria:
Defining “good practices”, as well as a thorough careful analysis of case studies, resulted in the publication of a publication, the subject of which were examples of solutions used in Polish higher education
From the introduction to Selected “good practices” in managing the quality of education in Polish universities:
Among the collected and described “good practices” that were noticed by PKA assessment teams there are:
- System of annual reviews of education programmes in first and second degree studies and uniform master’s studies at the Jagiellonian University;
- Book of the quality of education at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow;
- Assessment of the preparation and conduct of the course in terms of adaptation to the specificity of the level and profile of education, the declared modular learning outcomes and linking with directional outcomes, compliance of the content with modular learning outcomes and with teaching methods and tools, as well as in terms of verification of learning outcomes (Jagiellonian University in Cracow);
- Assessment of the quality of the staff leading and supporting the education process and the implemented staff policy at the University of Economics in Wrocław;
- Preparation and implementation of a virtual platform for cooperation with employers. Participation of the labor market representatives in creating and verifying the learning outcomes as well as monitoring the professional careers of graduates, student internships and cooperation with the socio-economic environment (Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw);
- The procedure of monitoring the effectiveness of the Education Quality Management Systems in force at the Social Academy of Sciences in Łódź and their verification, modification and improvement;
- Education Quality Assurance System (QMS) of the Organization and Management Department of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice;
- Verification of the implementation of learning outcomes at the subject level (Kozminski University in Warsaw);
- Integrated system for managing the diploma process at the university entitled Diploma Manager. Implementation of the principles of the diploma process in force at the university in a dedicated IT system called “Diploma Manager” (MD) for: improving the choice of the right subject of the diploma thesis by the student, improving the selection of the right reviewer for the subject of the work, automatic analysis of works in terms of plagiarism, archiving of works diplomas in electronic form and the processing of data contained in the work for the needs of the faculty and university (Tadeusz Kościuszko University of Technology in Krakow);
- Development and implementation of the “Book of Education Quality” concerning the quality of education at the Gdańsk University of Technology and its teaching units (faculties, education centres).
Furthermore, in recent years, “good practices” have become one of the criteria on the way to awarding outstanding ratings in the process of accreditation of the programmes and faculties. The Polish Accreditation Committee carries out its mission by making mandatory program evaluations and formulating opinions on applications for granting the right to conduct studies. Pursuant to Art. 247 of the Act of July 20, 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science, the Commission publishes on its website all reports of assessment teams together with the position of the institution, as well as resolutions of the PKA Presidium with their justification. Documents placed in the Assessment database tab constitute are compendium of knowledge about good practices applied by universities.
It is the Committee’s concern that its opinions and assessments as well as recommendations leave a wide field for autonomous initiatives promoting the innovation of the teaching process and a high education quality culture. In 2018 With taking into consideration the rating scale stipulated in Article 49 (6) of the Act, the Committee shall award: an outstanding rating – if more than 50% of the criteria are met at outstanding level, including criterion 1 (Concept of education and its conformity with HEI’s mission and strategy), 2 (Study programme and possibility for achieving intended learning outcomes.), 4 (Staff providing the education process.) and 7 (Infrastructure used in the education process.), and the remaining ones are fully met.
The Committee’s publication called the Annual Report 2018 / Action Plan 2019, includes a summary of the outstanding rating, as well as the indicators that were decisive for the evaluation by the assessment teams in terms of individual criteria.
The Polish Accreditation Committee, guided by the social good, and in particular responsibility towards stakeholders, takes particular care to maintain quality standards while performing tasks related to ensuring high-quality education in the European area of higher education. The Commission adopts a pro-quality approach in all its activities, and sets quality objectives, recognizing as its responsibility the continuous improvement of the factors covered by the implemented quality management system processes that affect the achievement of these objectives.
The Polish Accreditation Committee, expressing its care for the highest quality of education, awards: Education Excellence Certificates. This procedure is complying with Art. 250 of the Act of 20 July 2018, Law on Higher Education (Official Journal of 2018, item 1668, as amended) and §4 sec. 14 and §9 sec. 3 point 10 of the Statute of the Polish. Accreditation Committee and Annex 4 to the Statute. The basis for granting the certificate is a positive programme evaluation for 6 years, supported by good practices in the field of the quality of education or documented, regular achievements of students and graduates. Applications for awarding the Education Excellence Certificates are submitted by chairmen of sections working in the fields of science and the field of arts, following the recommendation (with justification) contained in the team’s opinion. The Certificate are given in four categories:
The certificate are given to higher education institution offering a programme, which assesment by positive and it is supported by good practices in criteria: 1) Structure of the study programme: concept of education, learning objectives and outcomes 2) Implementation of the study programme: programme contents, timetable for the implementation of the study programme, forms and organisation of classes, methods of education, student placements, organisation
of the teaching and learning proces 3) Admission to studies, verification of learning outcomes achievement by students, giving credit for individual semesters and years and awarding diplomas 4) Competence, experience, qualifications and the number of staff providing education. Staff development and in-service training 5) Education infrastructure and resources used in the implementation of the study programme and their improvement and 10) Quality assurance policy, designing, approving, monitoring, reviewing, and improving the study programme.
According to the decision of the PKA Presidium of December 3, 2020, the certificate in this category was awarded to (only in Polish):
- architektura na Politechnice Krakowskiej im. Tadeusza Kościuszki w Krakowie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- astronomia na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- biotechnologia na Międzyuczelnianym Wydziale Biotechnologii Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego i Gdańskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- chemia na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- ekonomia na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- etnologia na Uniwersytecie im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- informatyka i ekonometria na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- reżyseria dźwięku na Uniwersytecie Muzycznym Fryderyka Chopina w Warszawie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- zarządzanie i dowodzenie w Akademii Sztuki Wojennej w Warszawie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim.
This certificate can be given to a programme who in the assessment team’s report, positive rating under detailed programme assessment criterion 8: “Supporting learning, social, academic or professional development of students and their entry on the labour market. Development and improvement of such support”, and it is supported by good practices in the scope of supporting students in the learning process and by recommendation to award an excellence certificate with a justification. Secondly, those programmes fulfilled the criteria: 4 ), 5), 9) (Public access to information about the study programme, conditions for its implementation and achieved results) and 10) and confirm the effective influence of students on ensuring and improving the quality of education in the field of study and they are presenting good practices in this area.
According to the decision of the PKA Presidium of December 3, 2020, the certificate in this category was awarded to (only in Polish):
The field of study may receive this certificate if the visit report indicates good practices relating to criterion 7). Conditions for and methods of improving the internationalisation of education provided as part of the degree programme, and the justification of the assessment in the degree of meeting the criteria 1), 2) and 4) confirm the effective impact of international cooperation on the concept of education, implementation of the study program and staff development, and include good practices in this area.
According to the decision of the PKA Presidium of December 3, 2020, the certificate in this category was awarded to (only in Polish):
- automatyka i robotyka w Akademii Górniczo-Hutniczej im. Stanisława Staszica w Krakowie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- automatyka i robotyka na Politechnice Warszawskiej – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- biologia na Uniwersytecie Łódzkim – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- energetyka na Politechnice Warszawskiej – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- finanse, inwestycje i rachunkowość na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- kompozycja i teoria muzyki w Akademii Muzycznej im. Karola Lipińskiego we Wrocławiu – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- międzynarodowe stosunki gospodarcze w Szkole Głównej Handlowej w Warszawie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- socjologia na Uniwersytecie Opolskim – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim
The application of the awarding with the Certificate for a programme study should be justified by identifying in the visiting team report good practices in terms of criterion 6) Cooperation with representatives of social and economic stakeholders on the development, implementation and improvement of the study programme and its impact on the development of the degree programme , and justification of the assessment of the degree of meeting the criteria 1) , 2), 4) and 10) should confirm the effective influence of external stakeholders on the construction and implementation of the study program and improvement of the quality of education in the field of study, as well as indicate good practices in this field.
According to the decision of the PKA Presidium of December 3, 2020, the certificate in this category was awarded to (only in Polish):
- chemia na Uniwersytecie Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- energetyka na Politechnice Warszawskiej – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- finanse i rachunkowość na Uniwersytecie Ekonomicznym w Krakowie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- gospodarka przestrzenna na Uniwersytecie Ekonomicznym w Krakowie – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim,
- kompozycja i teoria muzyki w Akademii Muzycznej im. Karola Lipińskiego we Wrocławiu – studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia o profilu ogólnoakademickim.
In 2020, by Resolution No. 834/2020 of the Presidium of the Polish Accreditation Committee of December 3, 2020, a total of 23 certificates were awarded for fields of study that stand out in terms of innovative solutions that reflect the above criteria.