- Governance and regulations
- Quality Development
- The Swedish Higher Education Authority quality evaluation system
The Swedish Higher Education Authority quality evaluation system
The Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) and the higher education institutions have joint responsibility for the quality assurance of education and research at Swedish higher education institutions.
This is done through a review of the higher education institutions' quality-assurance work in education and research, thematic evaluations, a review of selected educations, including postgraduate education and examinations for degree permits.
UKÄ has also been commissioned by the government, together with the Swedish Research Council, to:
- develop indicators for monitoring research policy objectives,
- propose coordination of various authorities' follow-ups and evaluations of activities at universities and university colleges.
Based on the Higher Education Act, the Higher Education Ordinance and Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) in particular, a model for review has been developed. The reviews are based on peer reviews, where assessment groups are appointed. An assessment group consists of independent, external experts, student or doctoral student representatives, and working life representatives. At the centre of the reviews are a number of assessment areas with associated assessment criteria. The assessment areas for education and research are:
- Governance and organisation
- Preconditions
- Design, implementation and outcomes
- Student and doctoral student perspective (education only)
- Working life (education only) and collaboration
- Equality
University review
The higher education institutions are responsible for carrying out internal quality work that includes both quality control and quality development. UKÄ in turn reviews the higher education institutions' quality systems. The purpose is to ensure that the higher education institutions' quality-assurance work is systematic and well-functioning in all parts of the operations and that it complies with law, regulations and the ESG. It must also contribute to quality development by highlighting both good examples and development areas.
Linnaeus University's quality-assurance system for education was reviewed in 2022. At Linnaeus University, the work with the university review was coordinated by the Council for Education and Learning and the Research Council.
As part of UKÄ's review of the higher education institutions' quality-assurance work, a legal supervision of the higher education institution's application of rules was carried out. The review coverd eight areas: credit transfer, student influence, syllabi, course evaluations, employment of staff, appeals and complaints, side jobs and misconduct in research. In parallel, UKÄ also conducts random reviews of decisions in relevant areas.
At Linnaeus University:
- Linnaeus University's work to develop self-evaluation for the university review started. The vice-chancellor had decided on an organisational plan. In November 2021, a first preliminary draft of the self-evaluation was completed. Linnaeus University finally submitted the self-evaluation to UKÄ in February 2022.
- Linnaeus University's consultation response regarding the legal university supervision was submitted to UKÄ on 18 August 2021. On 16 September, consultation response 2 was submitted, which contained the documentation requested by UKÄ for its sample review. To view the appendices to the consultation response, contact registrator@lnu.se.
- In 2019–2020, UKÄ carried out a pilot evaluation of the higher education institutions' quality review of research. Linnaeus University was one of the three universities that participated in the pilot review.
Educational evaluations
UKÄ reviews a selection of higher education programmes and in the selection for the period 2017–2022, identification programs are prioritised. In addition to these, about a quarter of the country's doctoral programmes are reviewed. An independent assessment group examines a document that consists of submitted documentation in the form of self-evaluation, independent work and individual study plans, interviews, and relevant other documentation such as national and degree permit examinations. The assessment of the material is based on the assessment areas mentioned above and results in a decision where the higher education institution is either assessed high quality or questioned quality. Higher education institutions that are judged to have questioned quality are followed up with a new assessment one year later. If the measures are deemed insufficient, the degree permit is revoked.
Thematic evaluations
In thematic evaluations, all higher education institutions are reviewed in order to be able to provide important knowledge about the work at the higher education institutions and enable comparisons between them. The first thematic evaluation was carried out in 2017 and focused on sustainable development. In 2021, UKÄ conducted a thematic review on the theme Broadened recruitment.
For more information, see the corresponding page in Swedish, UKÄ utvärderar