| Abstract: | This article focuses on the development and implementation of a quality programme for higher education at the Hogeschool Utrecht in the Netherlands. Over the last 5 years, there has been increased interest in the improvement of quality for the educational process in higher education in the Netherlands. On the one hand, higher education is confronted by a diminishing number of students and reductions in government funding. On the other hand, higher education is expected to become more flexible in its organization and finance. Institutes of higher education are developing policies and procedures for assisting the primary process (‘good’ education for students and society). In the Netherlands there are special quality guidelines for services like education, derived from the standard ISO 9004-2. The Faculty of Computer Sciences and Industrial Management of Hogeschool Utrecht appointed a project team to develop a self-assessment programme addressing topics such as student admission, educational process, graduates, educational development, personnel policy, facilities and material resources, the internal quality system structure, interaction with clients and the operational elements of quality assurance. A report on the results has been sent to the HBO-Raad—the association uniting all Dutch polytechnics and colleges—and was used as the basis for a quality audit in May 1993. |
