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Institutes of Technology

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Ceisteanna (477)

Matt Shanahan

Ceist:

477. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether programmes delivered as collaborative provision in association with the Institute of Technology Carlow satisfy the QQI guidelines on cyclical review and annual institutional quality reporting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41903/20]

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Freagraí scríofa

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency with responsibility for the external quality assurance of further and higher education and training in Ireland.

Higher education providers are required to establish quality assurance procedures in accordance with QQI's Core Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines. In addition, QQI's Statutory Sector-Specific Guidelines for the Institutes of Technology address the specific responsibilities of the Institutes of Technology including the quality assurance of collaborations with other providers.  Institutes of Technology must have quality assurance procedures in place to approve, monitor and review collaborative arrangements.  These procedures must be in line with the QQI Policy for Collaborative Programmes, Transnational Programmes and Joint Awards. 

QQI conducts an annual institutional quality reporting process to provide assurance to QQI that requisite quality assurance procedures are being implemented by all providers and that regulatory requirements are being met by each institution. These published reports include details of the collaborative provision arrangements entered into by the institution and any internal reviews undertaken of this provision by the institution. 

QQI also carries out cyclical reviews to evaluate the effectiveness of institution-wide quality assurance procedures.  QQI's current review cycle - the CINNTE review cycle - measures institution accountability with regard to the expectations set out in QQI quality assurance guidelines, and adherence to relevant QQI policies and procedures including that for collaborative provision.

In November 2020 IT Carlow successfully completed a quality assurance review as part of QQI's CINNTE review process. 

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