Queensland University of Technology

Introduction

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has developed a comprehensive process for quality assurance and improvement for the University. QUT uses the strategic planning process to monitor the quality of the institution’s performance against its objectives.

The University has a multi-level approach to quality assurance and improvement which includes:

• a quality policy statement which provides the framework for quality systems within the University;

• strategic planning which occurs at the institution level, as well as at faculty and division level (faculties and divisions are the broad academic and administrative units within QUT);

• annual reports for the university, faculties and divisions;

• quinquennial reviews of individual faculties and divisions;

• performance planning and review, a process for aligning the performance of staff with the overall strategic directions of the institution; and

• specific initiatives which are other processes within faculties and divisions for quality assurance and improvement using, for example, benchmarking, quality certification and continuous improvement processes.

QUT’s mission is to bring to the community the benefits of teaching, research, technology and service.

Associated with the mission, QUT has developed goals that expand on the mission in the three main areas of teaching and learning, research and community service. In addition, the QUT strategic plan contains key performance indicators that provide ongoing quantitative and qualitative feedback on the University’s achievement of its mission and goals and measure its performance. The strategic plan contains objectives, strategies and targets that illustrate how the mission will be achieved in the areas of teaching, research and service. The plan also contains objectives, strategies and targets for management, capital and human resources in a separate resources plan. QUT is seriously committed to performance measurement and assessment of achievement against goals. (For example, QUT has the highest response rate of all Australian universities in the GCCA survey.)

This submission will initially focus on the first of these elements, the quality policy statement, and outline the quality assurance and improvement strategies for achieving QUT’s mission. The submission will then focus on specific aspects of teaching and learning, research, service and management and resources. The reports will provide qualitative and quantitative performance indicators to illustrate progress against the goals, key performance indicators and objectives in these areas.

University quality policy statement

The primary internal community which QUT seeks to serve is its students. QUT’s primary external communities are employers of its graduates; business, industry, the professions and government in Australia and overseas; the national and international community of scholars and researchers; and the individual members of the wider community. QUT is committed to ensuring that its educational programs and services meet or exceed the requirements of these socially and culturally diverse communities.

QUT will be acknowledged by the professions, government and business as a leading Australian university. Its reputation will be founded upon the excellence of its educational programs and level of scholarship, the application of its research and professional expertise to the benefit of the community, and its capacity to contribute internationally.

QUT graduates will be sought for their ability to combine theory and practice and to adapt to the complexities of a rapidly changing world.

To these ends, QUT will create a fair and rewarding learning work environment for its students and staff. It will provide flexible programs and professional services which are responsive to the needs of students, employers and other clients. It will be a pre-eminent institution in the application of modern technology to academic and management functions and will be a responsible manager of public resources.

Each faculty and division is responsible for developing its quality system in the context of QUT’s mission and quality policy, for specifying the requirements of its communities (internal and external), for designing its products, services and procedures in the light of these requirements and for allocating its resources and facilities so that these requirements are met.

Teaching and learning

Goal: to ensure that QUT graduates possess knowledge, professional competence, a sense of community responsibility and a capacity to continue their professional and personal development throughout their lives.

Key performance indicators for teaching and learning are positive graduate outcomes, graduate satisfaction and the social justice profile of graduates.

Positive graduate outcomes: the percentage of graduates in full-time employment or full-time study four months after course completion.

Notes: (1) graduates in full-time employment as a proportion of those available for full-time employment (2) Data for all ages from the Graduate Careers Council of Australia (GCCA)

Social justice profile of graduates: the number and percentage of graduates from identified equity cohorts.

Notes: 1) FPOS is fee-paying overseas students 2) Graduates are counted once in the table figure but may be part of more than one equity cohort 3) Data from DETYA Student Collection

Graduate satisfaction: the percentage of graduates who agreed or strongly agreed they were satisfied with the quality of the academic program they completed. Graduates have acknowledged QUT is a steady performer in the field of good teaching, generic skills and overall satisfaction with improvement in the scores on all scales of the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) since 1996. The following table shows the broad positive perception of graduates (those who scored 3, 4 or 5 on the CEQ questionnaire).

Note: Data from GCCA.

Performance and quality indicators in teaching and learning

Demand: QUT has an excellent record in teaching and learning evidenced by strong demand for its undergraduate and postgraduate programs and good employment outcomes for its graduates. In 1997 QUT remained the popular choice for undergraduate study among Queensland applicants for February and July entry. Individual enrolments in 1997 reached a record 29 500 students making QUT the fourth largest university in Australia. More than 7200 students graduated in that year, including 2200 at postgraduate level.

Retention and progression: QUT monitors student retention and completion across faculties on an ongoing basis through course performance reports and regular review. Information on retention, completion, student demand and graduate satisfaction is available via electronic means on an individual course basis to allow the University to monitor student trends. The overall student progress rate (measured as the percentage of student load undertaken for which students obtained at least a pass grade) and the course attrition rate (measured as the proportion of students enrolled who are not enrolled in a course of the same level and broad field of study 12 months later and who have not completed the course) are shown in the table below.

Graduate outcomes: QUT remains the largest provider of bachelor degree graduates to the Australian full-time workforce. The employment rate of QUT bachelor degree graduates remains above the Queensland and national university averages (78.4 per cent of QUT bachelor degree graduates aged under 25 available for full-time work were working within four months of graduation; the rate for all QUT graduates was 80.5 per cent). It is also notable that QUT has a relatively larger proportion of graduates available for work compared with other institutions.

Student satisfaction: The CEQ data are used internally in course performance reports and five-yearly reviews of courses and faculties. The QUT Teaching and Learning Committee has set goals to achieve significant increases in student satisfaction within five years. The use of the CEQ in respect of current students in specific courses is designed to determine factors influencing student satisfaction and respond to the CEQ results with changes to the teaching and learning process.

Graduate attributes: Graduates of QUT are expected to exhibit a set of generic capabilities that ensure that they are readily employable in a variable job market. These attributes are identified in three areas:

1. Knowledge/problem solving

• Be able to work independently
• Be able to fill the role of a cooperative, productive team member or leader
• Accept responsibilities and obligations, assert individual rights and respect the rights of others
• Be able to participate in social commentary and contribute to intellectual, social and cultural activities in the local and international community
• Be able to work effectively and sensitively within the Australian and international community

QUT is collaborating with members of the Australian Technology Network (ATN) in a project to define, develop and assess generic capabilities. The project is funded by the Commonwealth Government. This project will produce frameworks for the identification and definition within discipline contexts of graduate capabilities, design appropriate learning experiences for the capabilities and design valid assessment of their attainment.

Employer satisfaction: Employers are involved both in course development and approval, and in ongoing quality assurance of courses at QUT. In 1997 QUT instituted a course quality assurance mechanism that requires faculties to undertake employer surveys. During 1998 faculties have begun seeking feedback from employers and other external clients. Evaluation of data from these surveys leads to various forms of course improvements, ranging from curriculum changes, new delivery methods and new forms of faculty-student interaction. The quality assurance process is completed by reports for each course on an annual basis.

QUT has extensive programs of work placements, particularly in professionally-relevant courses where such placements are required for accreditation purposes. QUT has recently provided significant funding to enhance the level and quality of such placements through a series of developments including:

• information technology (IT) communication to enhance the quality of supervision of student teachers in school placements;

• a faculty-wide program in the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering designed to enhance interactions with professions; and

• cooperative education programs in Science, Information Technology and Health which provide supervised periods of paid work placements for students who have completed the first four semesters of a three-year undergraduate degree course.

Quality assurance of courses: QUT has a formal process for quality assurance of proposed and existing courses. At the faculty level, this process involves faculty advisory committees that have a majority of external members and include employers. In the development and approval of new courses, the University uses external assessors to provide detailed commentary on proposed courses (including professionals from relevant professions). For continuing courses, available student and graduate data are evaluated (including through the University’s student evaluation of units) and feedback through surveys of external clients is sought. Evaluation of the data leads to various forms of course improvements being put in place, ranging from curriculum changes to new delivery methods, changed administrative processes or new forms of interaction. The quality assurance process is completed by reports for each course on an annual basis. QUT also undertakes ongoing monitoring of the performance of courses via the Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s course performance reports that assess the performance of individual courses.

Services to students: QUT has undertaken a substantial project, known as Student Focus, from 1996 to 1998 to improve non-academic services offered by the University to students. The project began with a research study undertaken by final year Communication students which sought to identify students’ perceptions of non-academic services offered to them by the University. Major issues identified for improvement were timetabling, enrolment and orientation. A small team of staff was appointed to coordinate and manage the project which has resulted in substantial improvements across all of these areas including:

• early provision of information to students on unit outlines, timetabling, rooms, tutorial allocations and book lists;
• on-line enrolment;
• computerised timetabling;
• improved orientation; and
• an interactive voice response system for student inquiries.

Other aspects: International student numbers increased to 2500 in 1997, putting QUT in the top quarter of Australian universities in terms of international student enrolments and the biggest education exporter in the State (estimated to be $50 million in 1997). QUT was the only Australian university to win awards in all categories of the 1997 National Teaching Development Grants of the Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development (CUTSD) program, and a CUTSD National Teaching Fellowship.

Research

Goal: to advance and apply knowledge germane to the professions and to the communities with which QUT interacts and relevant to the enhancement of economic, cultural and social conditions.

Key performance indicators for research are external research income, research publications and higher degree research graduates.

External research income: the ratio of external income per academic staff full-time equivalence.

Notes: 1) includes only income recognised for research quantum 2) Data from DETYA research income data and DETYA staff statistics.

Research publications: the ratio of faculty-weighted research publications per 10 academic staff full-time equivalence.

Note: Data from DEETYA research publications data and DEETYA staff statistics

Higher degree research completions: the ratio of total weighted higher degree research graduates per 10 academic staff full-time equivalence.

Notes: 1) The weightings applied were Doctorate 3.0, Masters by Research 1.0 2) Data from DETYA staff and students collection

Performance and quality indicators in research

Research at QUT contributes to the quality of Australian culture, the education of high quality graduates, the application of new knowledge to the needs of society and the development of international cooperation. During 1997 QUT achieved significant research outcomes as measured against its strategic planning objectives and targets including:

• reaching 19^th in the national competitive grants index in 1997, up from 21^st in the previous year;
• QUT also stresses the importance of quality in research and is undertaking an assessment of University research centres to assure quality;
• external funding for research increased by 21 per cent from $9.9 million in 1995 to $12 million in 1996 (validated figures were not available at the time of writing this report);
• QUT won 13 new and had 19 continuing Australian Research Council (ARC) large grants in 1997 with a total value of $1 261 500.
• Six new and continuing National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants were awarded to QUT in 1997 with a value of $375 000, an increase of 80 per cent over 1996 figures.
• QUT was successful as a major new partner in a new Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Satellite Systems established to put an Australian communications satellite into orbit in 2001. QUT was also named as a partner in the new CRC for Renewable Energy and received funding to study design and construction to improve the passive and active energy efficiency of buildings.
• In 1997 QUT continued to strengthen its research performance as a leading university of technology in South-East Asia. New Memoranda of Understanding involving research collaborations were signed with universities in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Collaboration with industry: reflecting QUT’s mission and reputation as a University for the Real World, QUT has sought out collaborative research projects with industry. In 1997 QUT won 15 new and had 26 continuing ARC Collaborative Grants (SPIRT) with a value of $1 390 000 (ranking QUT fourth nationally for these grants). Other initiatives and successes included industry sponsorship for the Dean’s Scholars program in the Faculty of Science; a collaborative project with Korea Telecom; and sponsorship of a post-doctoral position.

Research systems: QUT is developing a research quality index for University research centres along the lines of the Research Assessment Exercise in the UK and based on peer review of selected research output from each research centre (eight out of 13 research centres have been assessed). QUT continues to work towards developing a research culture across the University. The introduction of new research grants in support of creative works in the Arts and Design and for scholarship in the professions based on merit is expected to assist the development of a research culture across the University, particularly in areas not traditionally associated with research.

Community service

Goal: to contribute to the development of Australia’s international responsibility and competitiveness, to enhance QUT’s relationship with the professions, and to increase community awareness of issues through professional service and social commentary.

Key performance indicators for community service are the level of activity in the community, quality of service provided and awareness of QUT’s contribution. QUT has measured performance against these indicators by measuring reporting in the media of QUT activities, monitoring self-assessment of the quality of service undertaken and measuring the number of community service activities undertaken. The University has had some difficulty in developing and defining objective and verifiable measures in these areas and is currently undertaking further development of them. The indicators will be used for the allocation of a community service quantum for organisational units within QUT in 1999.

QUT estimates that in relation to reporting in the media of QUT activities:

• in 1997 the University received the equivalent of $1.86 million in print coverage (97 per cent of which was positive), up from $1.58 million in 1996;
• there were 79 news stories on television about QUT in 1997 (72 per cent positive) compared with 40 stories in 1996; and
• there were 529 radio spots involving QUT in 1997 (80 per cent positive) compared with 292 in 1996.

QUT has been able to measure community service activity undertaken in several other ways and can also report that it contributed significantly to the community through the activities of its staff and students in 1997. During the year more than 500 000 people in Australia and South-East Asia benefited from QUT’s community service. This service included:

• the QUT Science Train carried an interactive science experience to more than 25 000 people in 23 regional centres throughout Queensland;
• ten projects were funded from QUT’s $180 000 community service grant scheme in 1997, ranging from supporting the Queensland Business Week program to training indigenous health workers and improving the water sanitation of a Vietnamese village;
• a total of 293 continuing professional education courses were conducted with 10 000 participants;
• international students at QUT contributed some $50 million to the State economy in 1997;
• major consultancies were conducted in the Solomon Islands valued at $200 000, the Marshall Islands ($300 000), Papua New Guinea and Korea ($300 000);
• QUT staff are well regarded within professional and community groups and held senior positions on 195 professional or community bodies in 1997.

Management and resources

The QUT strategic plan outlines strategies and performance in relation to resources, management and capital. The objectives contained in the 1999-2003 strategic plan for management are:

1. Remain in a financially sound position by optimising net income and aligning resources allocation policies with the strategic directions of the University;

2. Increase the efficiency and flexibility of organisational processes, systems, academic programs and employment policies and practices;

3. Develop a human resource planning process which forecasts future staffing requirements of the University to support achievement in the areas of teaching, research and community service;

4. Establish human resource policies and practices in line with University HR directions that encourage flexibility, good practice and address the requirements of staff with special needs;

5. Develop a performance culture in the University;

6. Provide the necessary infrastructure to achieve the University’s teaching, research and community service goals and provide access to a range of social, recreational, cultural and sporting facilities appropriate to the needs of individual campuses and the University community.

Financial indicators: The financial analysis undertaken by Deloitte, Touche, Tohmatsu for the Commonwealth in 1998 on QUT’s audited financial statements found that the QUT was financially sound. The report shows that Commonwealth Government grants had declined, as a proportion of total revenue, from 62 per cent in 1994 to 53 per cent in 1997, in line with QUT’s objective to decrease reliance on grant income. It noted that QUT did not have any borrowings during the period 1994-97. The report included the following ratios concerning financial stability and liquidity at the University level.

Reviews and evaluations: The University has an on-going and systematic commitment to the conduct of reviews of its performance. This is reflected in the five-yearly cycle of reviews, conducted by national and international experts, of its faculties and divisions and the engagement of panels of experts to examine University performance and policy in areas which emerge as requiring focused consideration and attention. During 1998 QUT has conducted external reviews of its Faculties of Law and Health and initiated a comprehensive examination of the operation and management of research and research culture across the University. The final reports of these reviews and the recommendations they contain are the subject of deliberation and the development of an implementation plan that is approved and monitored by the University’s Planning and Resources Committee.

The impact of this process on the quality of the University's work is illustrated by the outcomes of the review of research which was completed in March 1998. Recommendations have resulted in the restructuring of the membership and constitution of the QUT Research Management Committee to become a body, with significant external membership, focused on research policy and the provision of strategic advice on research development. QUT has also moved to advertise a new position of Director, Postgraduate Studies within the Division of Research and Advancement to take responsibility for improving the standard and quality of pastoral care and supervision of postgraduate research students.

In addition to the use of external review panels, QUT has a comprehensive strategic planning system that provides the management framework for planning and reporting at the institution. The strategic plan contains, in general, measurable performance indicators and targets which assist the University to judge progress in respect of its plans and provide clear objectives for staff to work towards.

The University operates a five-year strategic planning cycle which involves four major levels of planning: institutional, organisational areas, operational plans and individual staff development plans. The University implemented a performance management system for senior managers in 1995. Performance planning and review for all general staff commenced in 1998 and a system is currently being developed for academic staff for implementation in 1999. In 1997 a consolidated risk management system was incorporated into the strategic planning process that enables faculties and divisions to assess exposure to risks in the areas of finance, human resources, health and safety and physical resources.

Contact

Professor David Gardiner
Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Planning and Resources
Tel: (07) 3864 2161
Fax: (07) 3864 1800
Email: d.gardiner@qut.edu.au.