Overview

The following quote depicts the ethos of the Quality Assurance Office.

“[…] is to try to ensure that what is offered and provided to students has at the very least a clear purpose, carefully designed structure and well-managed organisation, and is carried out in a way that makes best use of everybody’s time and money. Good quality assurance is not a policing activity, but an integral part of a professional approach to what is, after all, a professional endeavour. At its best (and we have some way to go to reach this position), it should offer an honest mirror to serious practitioners, a critical friendship to those who want to do their best” (Dulson, 2013 citing Williams, 2009).

Primarily, the QA Office plays a supervisory as well as a supportive role at UniSey. It is also the liaison between the university and the Seychelles Qualifications Authority.

Central to its role, the QA Office provides support and directions to establish procedures for quality assurance aimed at improving the quality of education and related services provided by the university. The QA Office monitors the management of these procedures.

The QA team comprises the Acting Director and one Senior Quality Assurance Officer of which the senior officer serves as Secretary. The Director has the ultimate jurisdiction to appoint working groups or co-opt other members of staff to perform specific QA tasks.

In addition to the minutes, the QA Office report matters of programmes, policies and procedures to the Senate and Council.

The QA Office and working groups have the following in terms of reference, to:

• oversee and approve all Quality Assurance policies and procedures;
• present Quality Assurance policies/procedures and programmes to the Senate for approval;
• prepare a schedule of all academic programmes requiring validation;
• verify all academic programmes requiring validation;
• verify validation proposals for the above in good time and undertake a rigorous assessment of each one;
• explore, encourage and disseminate good practice and innovation in teaching and assessment;

Strategic Direction

The QA strategic directions are guided by the Tertiary Education Act (1^st May 2000: Consolidated to 30^th June 2012), the Charter of the University of Seychelles (2^nd May 2017), and the University of Seychelles Strategic Plan, 2017-2023.

Vision 

By 2023, the QA Office will have defined and achieved academic and non-academic standards equivalent to national and international standards, and that the quality of teaching and learning, research and community involvement, appropriately fulfil the expectations of the stakeholders. Standards and quality of its educational provision are maintained and enhanced with confidence.

Policies & Procedures

The Quality Assurance Office affects its roles and responsibilities by the following (internal and external) policies and procedures.

Internal:

1. University of Seychelles Charter (2^nd May 2017)
2. University of Seychelles Statutes (Amended 27^th May 2016)
3. University of Seychelles Quality Assurance and Enhancement Policy (16^th July 2014)
4. University of Seychelles Quality Assurance Manual (Version 1, May 2018)
5. University of Seychelles Strategic Plan (2017-2021).
6. University of Seychelles Quality Assurance and Enhancement Framework (Version 1.0, 2020)

External:

1. Tertiary Act Tertiary Education Act (1^st May 2000: Consolidated to 30^th June 2012),
2. Seychelles Qualifications Authority policies and Procedures
3. Programme Validation: Guide for Providers (Version 1. July 2012)
4. Policy Guidelines and Manual for Credit Transfer
5. Quality Assurance Manual
6. Seychelles Qualifications Authority Act (2005)