The New Paradigm of Quality Assurance Systems on Higher Education in Indonesia

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a general view and a brief literature review of the main aspects related to quality assurance in higher education in Indonesia. This gives an overview of the mechanism of Higher Education Quality Assurance in Indonesia which consists of three main components; Accreditation Institution as an embodiment of the External Quality Assurance System (EQAS/SPME), (2) Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS/SPMI), (3) University Database (UD/PPDPT). The Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education has set 3 main standards in quality assurance, namely (1) education standards, (2) research standards, and (3) community service standards. Each is equipped with 8 sub-standards; so the minimum standard that must be applied is 24 standards. These three main standards are minimal academic standards so that each university must explore and guarantee academic and non-academic quality. A College must develop standards in IQAS that exceed the National Standards of Higher Education. Universities can develop the more distinctive or the broader the substance or content that is in the Vision of Higher Education, the more various types and number of Higher Education Standards. The more standards established and implemented indicate that the better the management system is carried out so that the Institution can be superior. Each tertiary institution always has policies and practices designed to guarantee the quality of education, but academic institutions also still operate within the national policy framework outlined by the state to guarantee academic standards. This article presents a new paradigm of high education quality assurance systems in Indonesia as well as reviewing new forms of academic and non-academic standards developed by universities in Indonesia.