The students’ role in quality assurance work
The university has established a quality assurance system in order to maintain and further develop the quality of your course of education. As a student, you can contribute to raising the quality of the course, both as an individual and through student democracy.
According to the Quality Handbook, at least one-third of all subjects must be assessed by students every year. In addition, all study programmes must be assessed at least once every four years. We need your feedback in order to improve subjects and study programmes at the university.
On the Quality web portal (studiekvalitet.uib.no), you can read about the results of the assessments and the improvements proposed by the academic environments.
As a student, you are an important stakeholder for the university. We encourage you to actively contribute to the learning process through critical and reflective participation in tuition.
The university also carries out other surveys among the student body on matters such as recruitment, reception and mentoring schemes, and the satisfaction survey, ”Student Barometer”. The results of these questionnaires are presented to the university’s elected bodies, and help us to make annual improvements to study conditions.
Through the student democracy system, student representation comprises at least 20 per cent of all elected councils and committees, and students therefore have a significant opportunity to contribute to developing the quality of education at the university. In this context, we wish to mention the Learning Environment Committee (www.uib.no/LMU) in particular, which is chaired by staff and students on alternate years. A well developed system of elected representatives, both at subject level and for the university as a whole, ensures good representation. Please contact your department or the Norwegian Student Union (NSU) (www.nsubergen.no) for more information.
How does the university conduct its quality assurance work ?
Here are some examples:
UiB has a separate strategy for recruiting new students. Every year, the university board adopts an action plan for how student recruitment is to take place. The action plans are drawn up on the basis of feedback received from new students in the annual evaluations. With the aid of this feedback we can measure the effect of various recruitment measures, such as brochures, web pages and education fairs, employed during the previous recruitment period.
The annual evaluation also covers the admission process and the reception of students. The introductory programme, the mentor week and the welcome event in the Grieg Hall are among the matters evaluated. Through the evaluations, we learn what the students are satisfied with and how the university can improve.
Studies are also evaluated, and on the Quality web portal you can read about the amendments proposed and carried out by the academic environments. The procedures for holding exams have recently been revised, and follow-up is well under way.
The university offers both a wide range of study programmes as well as a number of supporting functions and support systems aimed at increasing the quality of study programmes for both students and staff. Examples of such functions and systems include: Library services, IT user support, the Student web portal – My Space, university pedagogical services, incentive funds and programme auditors.
UiB satisfies Norwegian and international requirements in connection with the completion of studies and the issuing of diplomas. In addition to a diploma, students are issued a Diploma Supplement (DS) in English. In that connection, UiB has been awarded the international mark of quality, DS label.
UiB wishes to maintain contact with students also after they have completed their studies. Work on a so-called alumni organisation is still at an early stage, but the goal is to create a network through which former UiB students can stay in contact with each other and with the university. Our goal is clear: When you complete your studies, you shall receive offers from UiB that are interesting in your everyday professional life.
