Quality Assurance and Enhancement Mechanism in Tertiary Education of Pakistan: Recent Status, Issues and Expectations

Abstract

Higher education commission of Pakistan is trying hard and strongly emphasizing to streamline the universities to adopt quality assurance and enhancement mechanism to improve the quality of Tertiary education and research. For this specific purpose, Higher Education Commission (HEC) has established Quality Enhancement cells (QEC) in public sector universities of Pakistan. The main purpose of these cells and centers are to enforce sound standards in higher education quality criteria in Pakistan. This paper would provide an insight about how to recognize the progress of Quality Enhancement Cells as per expectations and what measures are being taken to face the challenges for assuring and enhancing the quality of education in different institutions. This qualitative research study addresses and highlights the current status of quality enhancement in Tertiary Education of Pakistan with special reference to progress, issues and expectations in new era, together with this research paper also investigate the perspectives of Head of department and students regarding quality enhancement cells and quality of services, their working in universities for the sake of quality education. This paper mainly aimed to look into, Students teacher perspectives about quality enhancement in universities, Major success and issues for working and implementation of quality enhancement criteria in universities and Major expectations regarding quality enhancement in universities of Pakistan. The paper is based on the review of literature and interviews from 20 Head of Departments and 40 students from four public sector Federal universities to investigate the perceptions and expectations, progress and issues about quality enhancement mechanism and services in universities of Pakistan. The paper recommends that Quality Enhancement Framework should have following five foundations. Ownership of Quality and benchmarks, Enhancing the quality of student learning outcomes ,Involvement of all associated people ,awareness of International points of view, Independence, and association .