News Release Archive
HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION--SEEKING INPUT ON QUALITY ASSURANCE ----------------------------------------------------------------- Quality assurance is a key issue in higher education, but how to achieve it is still open to debate. That's why the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) has released a quality assurance discussion paper and is looking for public input. "This issue is a hot topic in higher education throughout the western world," said MPHEC interim chair Dr. David Cameron. "How do we ensure that students are getting quality programs? How do we help universities assure quality and improve quality?" To answer those questions, the MPHEC undertook extensive review and analysis of quality assessment alternatives. Now it has produced a paper, Options for Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the Maritimes, and will be holding public meetings in Halifax, Saint John and Charlottetown early in May. "We want to hear from students, parents, teachers, institutions, associations, governments - everyone involved with or concerned about university quality assurance," said Dr. Cameron. The discussion paper presents a number of approaches to quality assurance including assessment of programs before they are introduced, assessment of all programs in a given field or discipline, implementation of quality assurance policies in each institution, and reviews of quality assurance procedures and practices. "The aim is to assure the public that university programs in this region are high quality," Dr. Cameron said. "At the MPHEC, it will be our job to help Maritime institutions with this quality assurance." The MPHEC will use the feedback from the public meetings to draft recommendations to the Council of Maritime Premiers and the region's universities. "At the MPHEC, we represent a cross-section of views and a regional perspective," Dr. Cameron said. "Since 1973, we have been working to help the whole Maritime region make the very best use of all our university resources. We believe that assisting in quality assurance is yet another way we can contribute to this objective." -30- NOTE TO EDITORS: For a copy of the paper, Options for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, please contact the MPHEC office in Fredericton,(506)453-2844. For a copy of this news release in French call 1-800-670-4357 or 902-424-4492. Contact: Dr. David Cameron 902-494-6626 trp Feb. 25, 1997 - 12:40 p.m.