University of Ballarat

Introduction

As a result of the amalgamation with two TAFE institutes, the University will be merging the approaches to quality assurance and improvement of the three antecedent institutions. This will involve a combination of ISO 9000 standards of the International Organisation for Standardization, and the Australian Quality Awards.

In the meantime, the Higher Education Division will continue to link quality assurance and improvement processes to strategic planning through the identification of ‘nested’ performance indicators at university, division, organisational unit and individual levels. Performance improvement activities directly related to policies and procedures sanctioned by the Academic Board and the Performance Development Program for all staff will go on being the basis of quality assurance and improvement.

Mission

The mission of the ‘new’ University is still to be settled by the Council, but the following draft is a good indication of what the final statement will be like:

The role of the University is to engage in scholarship and provide education and training, at exacting international standards, to promote the prosperity of the people and communities of Western Victoria.

Goals and objectives related to quality assurance and improvement

As indicated earlier, the University is recasting its strategic direction in the light of the merger with two TAFE institutes. The new Council is considering six recommended corporate focus areas on which the University strategic plan will be based.

These areas are:

• Graduate characteristics/teaching and learning
• Flexible delivery, information technology (IT) development and utilisation
• Research and consultancy, and partnership
• Diversity funding/developing an enterprise culture
• Quality systems/the working environment
• Globalisation

Strategies and performance indicators related to quality assurance and improvement

Once the strategic plan has been finalised, appropriate performance indicators will be identified to show progress against objectives. Performance indicators will be developed utilising time series data sets that are currently maintained within the University. Where appropriate, DETYA performance indicators will be incorporated but the DETYA calculated performance scores may be adjusted to take account of the unique characteristics of a University of Ballarat student.

Characteristics of a University of Ballarat student

Percentage of students who belong to one or more DETYA-defined equity groups

Commencing tertiary education rank (TER) statistics

Percentage of undergraduate commencers not selected on basis of TER score

The tables above reveal that a typical UB undergraduate student is:

• an equity student;
• disadvantaged academically;
• more likely to be admitted on a basis other than TER score.

Teaching and learning

The DETYA performance indicators

The DETYA performance indicators presume that students, irrespective of background, will perform at the same academic level. This assumption is erroneous and until some measurement of value-adding can be incorporated into the indicators, any comparisons between universities based on DETYA-calculated performance scores is inappropriate. However, comparisons using DETYA-calculated performance indicator data within a university can be useful.

Outcomes for retention and student progress rate are useful measures of student satisfaction with the teaching and learning environment as well as of the effectiveness of educational delivery. In order to achieve targets, the University of Ballarat has identified various teaching and learning strategies.

These are to:

• Introduce a comprehensive transition program across first year (changing both the academic and social experience of first year);

• Reduce discipline content and focus on the development of generic/transferable capabilities in all units in all years;

• Integrate student learning support into the delivery of all units in all years;

• Coordinate and integrate higher education and TAFE programs (‘both ways’ articulation);

• Implement flexible learning/delivery arrangements in all appropriate programs.

According to the DETYA publication, The Characteristics and Performance of Higher Education Institutions, the University of Ballarat outcomes for retention and student progress rate are as shown below. In both cases, the DETYA performance score has been adjusted for unique University of Ballarat student characteristics. This data will be more useful once DETYA can produce outcome data in a timely manner.

Retention Rate

Student Progress Rate (SPR)

DETYA calculated performance score = 80%

DETYA calculated performance score = .86

The success of implemented teaching and learning strategies can also be measured by the percentage of graduates expressing satisfaction with their courses as measured in the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). Outcomes for the University of Ballarat for overall satisfaction are shown in the table below (see Endnote 1).

Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ): Overall Satisfaction

Because of the dynamic nature of the data, it is more appropriate to set an outcome range rather than identify one specific percentage outcome to be achieved. The University of Ballarat aspires to be in the top national quartile for all CEQ outcomes. As there is some debate in regard to the validity of the broadly agreement calculation, only the agreement percentage will be used here as a performance indicator.

Agreement with Overall Satisfaction

The table above shows the national quartile values for the percentage of graduates who express overall satisfaction with their course for the years 1995 and 1996 (see Endnote 2). The 1995 University of Ballarat outcome shows the University to be in the top quartile nationally (70 per cent). However, this result was not sustained in 1996 (64 per cent).

The good teaching scale is defined by good teaching behaviour relating to feedback on progress, motivation of students, making the course interesting and an understanding of student problems. The following table shows the 1995 and 1996 percent of graduates who broadly agreed or agreed that these practices existed in their course.

Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ): Good Teaching

Agreement with Good Teaching

The table above shows the national quartile values for 1995 and 1996. The University of Ballarat data (see Endnote 3) shows the University to be in the third quartile nationally in 1995 (40 per cent) and improving that position to be in the top quartile nationally for 1996 (45 per cent).

The generic skills scale is an attempt to quantify the extent to which university courses add value to the generic skills which their graduates may already possess.

Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ): Generic Skills

Agreement with Generic Skills

The above table shows the national quartile values for generic skills for 1995 and 1996 (see Endnote 4). The 1995 University of Ballarat data shows the University to be in the top quartile nationally (68 per cent) and in the third quartile nationally for 1996 (65 per cent).

One of the University of Ballarat Council’s identified corporate focus areas relates to desired graduate characteristics. The following list is a good indication of what a more detailed list of graduate characteristics might look like:

• Independent learners;
• Self-reliant, practical and enterprising;
• Logical, critical and innovative thinkers;
• Competent in communicating and interacting with others;
• Competent in at least one discipline;
• Ready to begin work/professional practice;
• Socially responsible and culturally aware;
• Information/technology literate;
• Problem solvers and agents of positive change.

The assumption is that if we are successful in producing graduates with these stated characteristics, not only will the University of Ballarat score well on the CEQ generic skill scale but our graduates will be well equipped to successfully compete for jobs against graduates from other universities.

Therefore, the DETYA calculated performance scores have been adopted as outcome targets for all the Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) performance indicators shown below.

Graduate Full-Time Employment

Graduate Full-Time Study

Graduate Starting Salaries

The three previous tables reveal the University of Ballarat outcomes to be under the DETYA-calculated performance score for graduate employment, graduate full-time study and graduate starting salaries (see Endnote 5). However, it must be remembered that this result has occurred within a regional environment that has one of the highest unemployment rates in Australia.

Strategies that may be adopted and incorporated in the strategic plan to improve GDS outcomes are:

• Changes to the curriculum which address communication skills, critical awareness, problem solving;

• Certification of desired graduate attributes

Employer satisfaction

Research

In 1995 the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) developed a University of Ballarat Research Management Plan 1995-1997 (this document is currently being updated to the year 2001). The plan listed five performance indicators to measure research activity. They were:

• At least 25 per cent of academic staff have a PhD degree and research experience;

• There are on average at least 0.5 referred publications per annum per FTE academic;

• At least one competitive grant is received per 20 FTE academic staff;

• The primary objective in 1995-97 will be to increase as much as possible the number and range of applications lodged for external funding;

• At least three per cent of total equivalent full-time student units (EFTSU) to be research.

The 1998 outcomes reveal that in terms of staff publications, student enrolment and academic staff qualifications the University of Ballarat has met targets. However, the university has not met the target of one competitive grant per 20 FTE academic staff.

Strategies to improve further our research performance are:

• Increase the number of staff with higher degrees by research;

• Collaborative revision of the research management plan for the next three years;

• Development of an engaged and interactive postgraduate community within the University;

• Expand staff and student development programs related to all key aspects of research capability;

• Selection and focus of research strengths on a limited number of "centres";

• Promotion policy that rewards high performance in research.

Community services

Performance indicators to measure community service at the University of Ballarat are less well developed. Data need to be collected centrally and outcome targets established. Our mission states that the University will:

"…promote the prosperity of the people and communities of Western Victoria."

• Play a leading role in ensuring the communities of the region have access to Internet services equal to those in capital cities;

• Play a leading role in the introduction of electronic commerce to the region;

• Play a leading role in the use of technology, particularly communication technologies such as the Internet, to improve aspects of the social, cultural and economic life of the region;

• Play a leading role in establishing and developing an information and communication technology industry in the region through the University’s key role in the Ballarat Technology Park and the Greenhill Enterprise Centre.

Contacts

Email: t.taylor@ballarat.edu.au

1. The Characteristics and Performance of Higher Education Institutions, Occasional Paper Series, Higher Education Division, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, November 1998, pp.157-158