The Institutional Quality Assurance Audit (ITK) takes place every six years to assess how Radboud University monitors and improves the quality of its education. Passing the ITK means that individual programmes will not need to be assessed as extensively over the next six years, because the quality assurance of the institution's education as a whole has been assessed as satisfactory for certain components.
Strengths and recommendations
Strengths
The panel noted the following strengths:
- Educational vision – The educational vision is well aligned with the university's identity and is based on three clear pillars – academic, personal and sustainable – which students and lecturers across the university recognise and value as core values.
- Horizontal cooperation – The university is actively working to improve horizontal cooperation between faculties, including through new consultation structures such as those of the vice-deans. This contributes to a shared responsibility for translating the educational vision into policy and practice.
- Engaged participation – Students and staff in the participation bodies contribute constructively and help to ensure that decisions are widely supported.
- Concrete policy – There is a clear and up-to-date policy for virtually all aspects of educational quality, laid down in, among other things, the Educational Quality Manual. This increasingly provides programmes and faculties with guidance and direction in ensuring educational quality.
- Sustainability – Sustainability is systematically integrated into education, operations and campus culture through the central Radboud Sustainable programme. This creates a flywheel effect in the area of sustainability.
Recommendations
With a view to the further development of the institution, the panel makes a number of recommendations. These recommendations do not detract from the positive assessment of the institution as a whole.
- Balance between central and decentralised – Optimise the balance between decentralised freedom and central control by clearly specifying the areas (such as assessment, facilities and quality assurance) in which uniformity and a central framework are necessary for the effective realisation of the educational vision, and where there remains scope for faculty and programme-specific implementation. Take central control to achieve collaboration, exchange of experiences and harmonisation where this improves quality assurance.
- Quality assurance – Ensure better visibility and more effective management of the follow-up of improvement actions by further harmonising quality assurance instruments and strengthening mandates.
- Social orientation – Formulate a clear vision on cooperation with social partners and the professional field, both within the region and, emphatically, beyond, from a European and global perspective. The aim is both long-term further development and external validation of education. Share good examples within the university.
- Central frameworks for assessment and AI – Develop central frameworks for assessment policy and the use of generative AI in education and assessment.
- Strengthening the PDCA cycle – Ensure the systematic completion of the Plan Do Check Act cycle (planning, implementation, monitoring and adjustment) by making clear agreements at all levels about the follow-up of improvement actions, building in fixed evaluation moments and structurally embedding successful initiatives in policy. This requires both central control of implementation and effective monitoring and follow-up of the results.
Rector Magnificus José Sanders is pleased with the NVAO's positive assessment. “This is a wonderful confirmation of the hard work of all staff and students who contribute to the quality of our education. The recommendations will also help us to further improve the quality of our education.”
Together with the vice-deans of education, the recommendations will be translated into an action plan that is as closely aligned as possible with the new university strategy.