ENHANCING QUALITY - TENSIONS AND TENDENCIES IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Presenting the comprehensive quality control measures which have been taken in Australian higher education in recent years, the author argues that the way they have been imposed from top down without proper consultations with the faculty/staff members of the institutions concerned have led to their being discredited at this level. She proposes ways in which evaluation and awards systems might be introduced through proper consultations with staff/faculty members in ways which engage the support of the latter and are then conducted with their co‐operation and collaboration. In particular, she describes how the Guidelines for Effective University Teaching were developed by the Australian Vice‐Chancellors Committee and are now being introduced into the various Australian higher education institutions as the basis of an effective teaching evaluation and improvement system.