Quality Culture | Trnavská univerzita v Trnave

Presence
Milestones

Presence

Trnava University quality culture is a set of basic starting points, principles, values, standards of behaviour and attitudes that engage employees and students thereof as well as other stakeholders in achieving a high quality of university activities in the areas of university education, creative activities and other related activities. Article 6, Section 1 of the Internal Regulation Internal Quality Assurance System of the Trnava University).

The concept of quality culture at the Trnava University (hereinafter only referred to as "TU") emphasizes the vision of the university characterized by foundations based on deep personal and institutional values, shared internally and externally. The culture of quality is fundamentally linked to the establishment of the renewed TU back in 1992 which was made possible by the changes of the political regime in 1989. The TU are a unique bearer of ideas of academic freedom, democracy, value-oriented education, science as well as free thinking.

In the life of a university, there occurs constant interconnection and interaction of educational, scientific, research and related activities. Quality assurance and evaluation through the internal quality system is at the TU understood as an important part of the general concept of a quality culture enabling continuous improvement of the institution's activities and transparent demonstration of the quality of the university education provided based on primary responsibility for quality.

The internal quality assurance and evaluation system has at the TU been built and continuously supported by the management of TU for more than ten years by the gradual application of individual elements of the model of comprehensive quality management and by the experience gained from the participation of the University in the National Award of the Slovak Republic for Quality competition the winner of which TU became for 2016.

The experience to date has been transformed into the creation of a new, own, coherent, internally interconnected complex – the internal quality system of TU. This internal system constitutes an integrated set of policies, structures and processes regulated by the internal rules governing the University's activities in the fields of university education, creative activities and other related activities. Through the internal system, the University ensure and develop the quality of the university education provided in accordance with the mission thereof.

The internal quality system of TU complies with and is based on:

Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015);
the Act No. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education Amending Certain Acts
the Act No. 269/2018 Coll. on the Quality of University Education and on Quality Assurance in University Education Amending the Act No. 343/2015 Coll. on Public Procurement Amending Certain Acts as amended;
educational quality standards adopted by the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education;
the directives governing the implementation of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS);
the concept of the EFQM - European Foundation for Quality Management Model of Excellence.

The internal quality system of TU is regulated in the main internal regulation of the Internal Quality Assurance System of the Trnava University. The internal regulation resulted in the TU establishing the basis for the integration of policies, structures and processes into a coherent and interconnected system.

An essential element of the internal quality system of TU is, in terms of quality assurance, the implementation of standards and criteria through internal system tools, in particular internal regulations. The basic element of quality evaluation is periodic monitoring and evaluation of the quality of all activities, combining diagnostics and self-assessment, external feedback and evaluation of relevant data which constitute basis for subsequent decisions on further development and direct support of the activities of Trnava University.

The internal quality system is aimed at achieving the strategic objectives of the Trnava Univerrsity which are defined in the long-term intention of the Trnava university. The following policies shall cover all activities of the University:

Primary responsibility for the quality of university education provided.
Achieving excellent results and continuous improvement of the University's activities in the field of education, creative activities and other related activities.
Interconnection between the internal system of the University and long-term intention thereof and other strategic documents.
Recognition and protection of values.
Free scientific research, openness, equality and accountability.
Interconnection between education and creative activities.
Education oriented at student.
Providing environment that equalise opportunities for students with specific needs
Support provided to students from disadvantaged background.
Involvement of students and other external stakeholders in quality assurance and evaluation.
Internationalisation.
Protection against intolerance and discrimination of students, employees and applicants.
Effective and transparent mechanisms for reviewing complaints by which a student seeks protection of his or her rights or legally protected interests.
Adherence to scientific integrity and academic ethics.
Establishing and developing beneficial relationships with stakeholders.
Stabilising and developing the research character of the University.
Increasing the rate and level of provision of third-level higher education and the follow-up habilitation and inauguration procedures.
Regular monitoring, evaluating and reviewing of the internal system of the University in order to achieve strategic objectives.
Transparency on formalised internal evaluation policies and processes, carried out according to clearly defined rules and criteria, is clearly documented at all stages and its outputs are readily accessible to the public.
Implementation of internal evaluation based on an appropriate interconnection between the diagnostic self-evaluation method, feedback and evaluation of relevant data.
Fact-based decision-making with a focus on results.
Procedural approach to quality management of education.
Application of leadership principle in management.
Developing social responsibility and the role of the University in its third mission.

Milestones

2007

Involvement of TU in the international evaluation of the EUA, introduction of elements of procedural management

2009 - 2011

Analytical activities in order to identify areas of improvement in the action plans and to determine the key indicators of those critical areas, preparation for the implementation of the model of the CAF complex quality management system, obtaining a project financed from the EU structural funds "Streamlining the Administration and Management of the University Making Use of Information Technologies" containing the section "Supporting the Quality Culture Principle", inclusion of the topic "quality" among the three main priorities of the University in the Concept of Development of the TU for 2012-2015, adopted goal: "to prepare a comprehensive model of internal quality assurance of the TU in accordance with the standards and quality criteria in the Slovak Republic and the EU"

2013

First CAF Model Self-Assessment Report
Acquisition of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS label) and the Diploma Supplement (DS label).
Implementation of Section 87a of Act No. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education
Established TU Quality Assurance Board
Statute of the TU Quality Assurance Board Approved
Rector 's Instruction on Quality Assurance of Provided University Education Issued at the TU
Approval and implementation of Trnava University Directive No. 1/2014 on Quality Assurance in University Education at the University

2014

Modified Directive of theTrnava University No. 1/2014 on Quality Assurance of University Education at the Trnava University (modification in accordance with the Criteria for Evaluation of the Internal Quality Assurance System of University Education issued by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic)
faculty regulations on quality assurance of university education created

2015

Establishment of a Quality Assurance Analysis and Strategy Unit
First involvement of the Trnava University in the international U-Multirank evaluation
Acquiring the title Effective user of the CAF model for TU from July 20, 2015 for a period of two years

2016

First CAF Model Self-Assessment Report
the Trnava University became winner of the National Award of the Slovak Republic for Quality for 2016 in category C “Public Sector Organizations”

2017-18

Internal self-assessment report of theTU

2019

1st place in the international multidimensional ranking of U-Multrirank within the ranking of participating universities from Slovakia in sequence according to the pre-set selected criteria by the U-Multirank platform
Preparation of an updated innovative model of quality management and evaluation at the TU in terms of content and procedure

2020

Establishment of the Board for Internal Quality Assessment of Higher Education of the Trnava University (hereinafter referred to as the 'IQAB') within the framework of legislative changes and follow-up legally binding documents thereof
Approval of the Statute of the Internal Quality Assessment Board

2021

Approval of the rules of procedure of the Internal Quality Assessment Board and of the first meeting of the Board
Approval and implementation of Directive No. 16/2021 Internal Quality Assurance System for University Education of the Trnava Unversity
Approval and implementation of Directive No. 17/2021 Rules for Creating, Modifying, Approving and Evaluating the Quality of Study Programmes of the Trnava Unversity

2022

Approval and implementation of Directive No. 1/2022 Directive of the Rector of the Trnava Unversity No. 1/2022 on Habilitation and Inauguration Procedures
Approval and implementation of Directive No. 2/2022 General criteria for Filling the Posts of Professors and Associate Professors at the Trnava Unversity
Approval and implementation of Directive No. 3/2022 Directive of the Rector of the Trnava Unversity No. 3/2022 Indicative Indicators of Quality Assurance at the Trnava Unversity including Annexes Thereto: Annex No. 1 - Key Indicative Quality Indicators (KIQK), Annex No. 2 - Additional Indicative Quality Indicators (AIQK), Annex No. 3 - Example of Evaluation of KIQK in the Field of Education, Annex No. 4 - Model of Evaluation Questionnaire for the Evaluation of a Course
Approval and implementation of Directive No. 32/2022 Directive of the Rector of the Trnava University No. 32/2022 Principles of Hiring University Researchers, Professors, Associate Professors, and Managers of Trnava University
Submission of proposals to harmonise study programmes with Slovak Agency for Higher Education standards for the study programme (including proposals for cancellation) for the approval of the IQAB
Submission of proposals for the Harmonisation of Habilitation and Inauguration Procedures (hereinafter referred to as "HIP") on the basis of the HIP audit result; including proposals for withdrawal of accreditation) with the Slovak Agency for Higher Education standards for HIP for approval by IQAB
Submission of Periodic Evaluation Reports of the faculties (background documents for the Periodic Evaluation Report of the University) pursuant to Article 14, Section 2 of the Regulation on the Internal System of the University for 2021 including proposals for measures to improve the deficiencies as the basis for the Periodic Evaluation Report of the University to the Rector of the University
Submission by the Rector of TU of a draft Periodic Evaluation Report of the University (hereinafter referred to as "PAR") in the areas of education, creative activity and related activities containing the evaluation of the processes referred to in Article 9, Section 4, 5 and 6 of the Regulation on the Internal System of the University and Proposals for Measures to Improve the Identified Deficiencies to the Rector of the University by the relevant Vice-Rectors (evaluation of the quality of education; according to the approved structure of PAR) to the Scientific Council of the University and approval of the Periodic Evaluation Report by the Scientific Council of the University.
Submission of information of Working Task Force to the Rector and Vice-Rectors of the University on the status of the University's internal regulations, mutual compliance thereof and compliance thereof with general statutes and standards of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education including organizational, harmonization, substantive and procedural draft amendments to the University's internal regulations (quality assurance of education);
Submission (for discussion or approval) by IQAB by the Rector of TU:
1. information to be discussed on the status of the internal regulations of the University and the procedure for their harmonisation (mutual compliance thereof and compliance thereof with general statutes and standards of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education);
2. for approval, the proposal of the PAR of the University;
3. for approval, a proposal to confirm the harmonisation of the internal system of the University with the standards of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education for the internal system, the study programme and habilitation and inauguration procedures;
4. for approval, a proposal for sending information to the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education by Rector of the University pursuant to Article 37, Section 1 of Act No. 269/2018 Coll.
Approval or taking note by the IQAB of:
1. information on the status of the internal regulations of the University and the procedure for their harmonisation (mutual compliance thereof and compliance thereof with general statutes and standards of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education);
2. approval of the university's draft PAR (including internal feedback from the IBQ on the draft measures);
3. for approval, a proposal to confirm the harmonisation of the internal system of the University with the standards of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education for the internal system, the study programme and habilitation and inauguration procedures;
4. approval of the proposal for sending information to the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education by the Rector of the University pursuant to Article 37, Section 1 of Act No. 269/2018 Coll.