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Spotlight on Quality: ICDE Quality Review 2023

Between 16 – 22 July, a team of quality reviewers, consisting of Prof. Dr. Ebba Ossiannilsson, Prof. Morten Flate Paulsen, and Prof. KC Li, completed the ICDE Quality Review Service for ICDE Institutional Member, Universitas Terbuka (UT) in Indonesia.

The team carried out the review through observations, reviewing documents and speaking to staff and students, both in UT’s central office and its campuses in Bandung, Jambi and Malang. The results were collated under four main themes: strategic management, curriculum design, student and alumni support, and staff support. 

UT has completed the ICDE Quality Review several times, as they find the process useful for constant improvement and development of their quality systems and quality assurance. 

An official closing ceremony was held on Monday 24 July, led by Professor Ojat Darojat, Rector of Universitas Terbuka. The event included a comprehensive assessment of UT as an educational institution, and was attended by a large section of UT’s academic community, including the vice headmaster, chair of the academic senate, chair and secretary of the board of trustees, deans and directors of study programs, head of the research and community service institute, directors of UT regional centers, deputy deans and deputy directors. 

During the closing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Ebba Ossiannilsson, chair of the ICDE review team, shared a presentation of UT’s final assessment and recommendations. She stated that the involvement of all stakeholders, including staff, faculty, tutors, alumni and students, in processes that were linked to quality, made it an exemplary institution through how it engaged its entire academic community in realising quality. She also noted that she was impressed with what UT had achieved through its continuous efforts to provide quality education services to all stakeholders. 

Professor Li observed that, through the review team’s interviews with UT students and alumni, the general consensus of the study experience was positive, and that all staff members were disciplined in their efforts to meet international quality standards for educational institutions. 

The review team encouraged UT to continue its efforts in benchmarking, internal monitoring and capacity building to find efficiency in the quality process. They also encouraged the institution to contribute further to research in the field of open, flexible and distance education, highlighting UT’s wealth of data and experience in the area. 

Professor Ojat Darojat concluded the event by thanking the reviewers for their recommendations, and promised that UT would integrate the suggestions into its long-term development plan. He also emphasized that quality is an essential part of UT, and must be in the heart, mind and actions of all involved. 

What is the ICDE Quality Review Service?

The ICDE Quality Review Service provides member institutions with the opportunity to initiate an independent, external peer-review of the services provided to students. The focus for the ICDE Quality Review Service is the enhancement of quality of student support. 

For more information about the Quality Review Service, please contact the ICDE Secretariat: icde@icde.org