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European Journal of <strong>Educational</strong> Studies 2(2), 2010in the development of QAAHE in Egypt generally and in the Department of Social Group Work, Faculty of Social Work inHelwan University in Egypt particularly is the research survey across 51 key experts and four depth semi structured face toface interviews with key experts from the Egyptian higher education sector. The levels of development are the knowledgebasedoutlook and view of individual staff towards investigating whether a UNOIQAAHE has the potential to systematise therelation between higher education, national and regional agencies for QAAHE and national, regional and internationaleconomies. The structure of the analysis will utilise a range complementary perspectives on QAAHE, examined through thiscase study designed to illuminate the development of current patterns for QAAHE in the Department of Social Group Work,Faculty of Social Work in Helwan University in Egypt. As a result, I will be assessing the nature and evidence of howQAAHE in the Department of Social Group Work, Faculty of Social Work in Helwan University in Egypt context currentlyoperates, with a view to investigate its realisation whether this context accept international QAAHE through an institutionalbody such as a UNOIQAAHE. This analysis will be qualitative and have up to eight dimensions starting with the individuallevel and ending with the international level. Analytical description of each level follows.Individual LevelHigher education reform strategy asserts the significance of professional and human development. Through Faculty-Leadership Development Project (FLDP), academic staffs attend workshops and take part in training sessions. “theprofessional development for academic staff is done through specialised programmes in the faculty…..the professionaldevelopment includes teaching and learning, research, management, community service and effective teaching viaprogrammes in professional development…..each academic staff has to be existed four days per week and offering help andassistance for students in terms of academic preparation”, expert M said. Through a research face to face survey over 51 keyexperts and four depth semi structured interviews from higher education sector and the National Authority for QualityAssurance and Accreditation in Education (NAQAAE), it has been indicated that:- The broader landscape of academic staff is divided into five categories including demonstrators, assistant lecturers,lecturers, assistant professors, and professors. The research survey indicated that the first two categories of thisclassification did not share in the processes of assuring and accrediting the quality of higher education. On thecontrary, the last three categories participated routinely and not effectively due to the connection between increasingthe salaries and the positive participation. “The Ministry of Higher Education started connecting the increase ofsalaries with the quality of performance for enhancing the learning process”, expert M added. One of the researchrespondents opposed the project entirely commenting that “it is not value for money……the government wants toattract the attention of the public eye that higher education is on the right track although they are not……themanagement of the project is not from faculties of education”, expert S said. 54 out of 55 asserted that QAAHE is aneffective mechanism in enhancing higher education, and that after obtaining national accreditation, there will be aneed for higher education institutions to obtaining the international accreditation. The staffs who are working withinthe project of QAAHE are more enthusiastic for succeeding the project and provided rich information more thanthose who are not working with it, and assured that they became more familiar with the main themes of QAAHE.This generates the need to expand participation and encourage effective cooperation among the academic staff onhow they can cooperate with the project of QAAHE. However, there are problems with the current situation relatedto the systematic structure of the system and the lack of experts. “The problems with the current operations are thatthe system of higher education in Egypt depends on faculties and not on departments…..you will need to havecapacity building because you are always in need for experts”, Expert S said.The administrative and working staffs in higher education are not included in the targeted group of professional development.This indicates a weakness point from one hand and a comparable point from the other hand. Illuminating the administrativeand the working staff with the requirements of QAAHE assists advancing the responses to the targeted requirements. Thecontexts of research case study show the absence of participation from the working staffs in the process of QAAHE. Thisdemonstrates the need for further development directed to address this point. Engaging the working staff in this process mightencourage them to behave in a way that go in parallel with its success, and familiarise them of the need for furtherimprovement. “Quality is the response to the needs of the market and its requirements”, expert I added.All the research respondents assured the need for internationalising QAAHE, and agreed on the desirability and feasibility ofestablishing a UNOIQAAHE within the systematic structure of the UN system as a multidimensional internationalorganisation for governing and operating IQAAHE. The vast majority 49 out of 55 asserted the need for selecting expertsfrom across the global for managing the suggested UNOIQAAHE based on qualitative factors including abilities andexpertise and not in quantitative factors like representations and numbers.Basic Unit LevelThe systematic structure of QAAHE starts from the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) in every institution passing by the QualityAssurance Centre (QAC) in each university. “There is a quality assurance unit in each faculty…..this unit works with all52
European Journal of <strong>Educational</strong> Studies 2(2), 2010departments and all the files required for accreditation are in the unit”, expert S said. “Quality assurance units followtechnically the quality assurance centre but administratively follow the deans of faculties…..quality assurance units aremeant by performing all procedures and requirements related to preparing faculties for obtaining accreditation from thenational authority…..quality assurance centre is the main element in preparing faculties within the university for obtainingaccreditation”, expert A said. While the systematic structure of QAU in Faculty of Social Work in Helwan University inEgypt consists of faculty dean, vice-dean, director of QAU, student representative union of the faculty and representativesfrom departments, the systematic structure of the QAC in Helwan University consists of chancellor, vice-chancellor forteaching and learning, vice-chancellor for research, vice-chancellor for community service, director of QAC, two experts inquality, student representative union of the university, the head of businessmen society in Helwan Governorate, the head ofStaffs’ club and one of the graduates. QAC in Helwan University deals with the Ministry of Higher Education. “The qualityassurance centre is a recognised structure inside the university, the content of its structure is quality assurance units”, expertI added. The most important role of the centre is to assist faculties in Helwan University for obtaining accreditation from theNAQAAE. “The main role of these centres and units is to enhance preparing and assisting higher education institutions forobtaining accreditation from the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Education which wasestablished in 2006…..quality assurance centre in Helwan University deals with the Ministry of Higher Education”, expert Iadded.Through an opportunistic face to face survey with five members of the QAU, it has been indicated that the main aims of QAUare: establishing an internal system for quality; assist preparing the faculty for meeting the accreditation requirements;improving the techniques of academic management via increasing its ability for continuous enhancement; enhancingprogrammes, teaching and learning plans for meeting accreditation requirements; advancing students’ roles in the teachingand learning process for providing graduates with competitive abilities in the labour market; spreading the culture of qualityamong staffs; forming the vision, mission and objectives of the faculty; establishing an enhanced data base for the faculty;training selected staff for operating as trainers in the quality field; and preparing the annual report and self study. The surveyindicated that the main activities of the QAU include: conducting workshops for staff, students and beneficiaries forfamiliarising them with quality requirements; preparing a book in quality and accreditation in higher education; including thestudent’s guide information about quality and distributing it for students of the first academic year for free; includingstudents’ assignments some work about quality, faculty vision, mission and aims; training about 30 per cent of academic stafffor learning skills and knowledge about quality; preparing course and programme specifications in 16 specialisation; andpreparing the annual report on self-study. The face to face survey with five members from the QAC and one semi structuredinterview with a key expert in QAAHE illuminate that the main aims of QAC include: raising the national trust in thegraduates of faculties and institutions; supporting infrastructures of faculties for conducting their self-study; supporting theprocess of QAAHE within the university; support building abilities in the field of QAAHE; and operate applying theacademic standards related to faculties inside the university.The result of these surveys illuminate that there should be a focus on the international dimension within the aims andactivities of QAU and QAC. Another kind of cooperation is required with the international labour market, since the processof preparing the graduates is for labour market in general and not only specifically for the local sectors. It would beapplicable is there was some kind of twining between QAU and QAC with similar structures in other universities both locallyand globally. QAC is a recognised structure inside the university and any decision taken by this centre is to be obligated andmust be taken into account. The content of its structure is about QAUs which follow the centre technically but follow thefaculties administratively. There are periodical meetings for the centre and its executive committee is formed from thedirectors of QAUs. On the ministerial scale, there are periodical meetings for QACs. These are legitimate structures forassuring the quality of higher education in Egypt. However, there is strategy to indicate how these structures are evaluated.QAU deals with the QAC and the most important role of the unit is to assist Faculty of Faculty of Social Work in HelwanUniversity in Egypt for obtaining accreditation from the NAQAAE. Quality assurance units follow technically the qualityassurance centre but administratively follow the deans of the faculties.QAUs are affiliated directly to the dean of the faculty. There is a QAU in each faculty. This unit works with all departmentsand all the files required for accreditation are in this unit. The department has to submit to the unit several things like coursespecifications, programme specifications, plan for development, evaluation system, assessment, student assessment, students’opinion in the professors, the research that is done by the department, the community service that is done by the department.They give all these things to the unit and the unit prepare them in files including student support, admissions and facilities.Programme LevelA face to face survey with five academic staff from the Department of Social Group Work, Faculty of Social Work in HelwanUniversity in Egypt revealed that the main aims of academic programme within the department is to: reach a continuous53
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