Individual Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

Features of the health state of persons of the special medical group of higher education institutions of the city of Dnipr

The results of the study of the state of health of students of the special medical group of institutions of higher education in the city of Dnipro for the period 2017-2019 are given. Establishing regional trends in the state of health of students is extremely important, because in addition to national ones, it is necessary to create appropriate action programs at the local level, as well as level of individual institutions of higher education.
 It is shown that the distribution of students of higher education institutions in 2017-2019 by health groups was quite stable. In 2017, 80.50% of those examined were classified as D1 (healthy), in 2018, 79.80%, and in 2019, 84%. Group D2 (practically healthy) - 7.10%, 7.20% and 6.20% of students, respectively. To D3 (special medical group) - 7.40%, 7% and 5.80% of the examined. 5%, 6% and 4% are among those who are exempted from practical physical education classes.
 The following was established regarding the diseases of students of Dnipro institutions of higher education in 2017-2018: according to the medical and physical culture dispensary: in all institutions of higher education for two years, the same diseases occupied a prominent place. The first place is diseases of the cardiovascular system, 17.6% in 2017 and 20.3% in 2018. The second place is neurological diseases (without mental diseases) 16.3% and 17.2%. The third place is diseases of the musculoskeletal system, 13.8% and 14%, respectively.

Possibilities of using a "PR stunt" in strategic communication of higher education

"PR stunt" or „Publicity Stunt“ is a carefully planned event with the aim of drawing public attention to the organizers of the stunt or to another goal of the stunt organization. The reasons for considering the use of a promotional stunt have a great potential for a return to investment and the "earnings" from unpaid advertisements in the media which spontaneously reported that something interesting had happened. Apart from the media themselves, the general public also significantly contributes to the spread of publicity through stunts, so that today practically everyone can record the interesting thing they come across via their smartphone and share it on the Internet. Higher education, but also general education, has transformed from a traditional centuries-old approach where the focus was on teachers and institutions to a modern mass approach where the focus is on students and studying occurs through partnership and cooperation within the learning process. The emergence of mass higher education in almost all countries of the world now implies public criticism of factors such as: the quality of lifelong learning services, the success of examinations, the management of the institution, the form of funding and the student standard. Massification is accompanied by the expansion and diversification of higher education, and the result of the latter is the emergence of competition among individual higher education institutions. Therefore, the importance of effectively conveying the message of a higher education institution to a (potential) student or his sponsor of education therefore becomes the subject of professional marketing communication. The paper provides an overview of PR Stunts in Croatia and the world and proposes thematic guidelines for their organization.

Entrepreneurial potential of students

An important condition for economic growth and for improving the quality of life of the population is the growth of entrepreneurial activity, especially its student component. Students partly receive necessary knowledge, skills and experience in the field of entrepreneurship during their studies. However, there are also factors in the academic environment that act as barriers to the growth of students’ entrepreneurial potential. The subject of the research is a set of theoretical, methodological and practical issues aimed at further development of students’ entrepreneurial potential and its activation in terms of the significant role in the academic environment. The purpose of the research is to consider the theoretical basis of the concept of entrepreneurial potential, to study foreign experience in researching the students’ entrepreneurial potential, to investigate the role of the university environment of higher educational institutions in Latvia in the formation and activation of students’ entrepreneurial potential. The methods used by the authors are axiomatic, analysis and synthesis, monographic, sociological survey, statistical analysis of quantitative data from a questionnaire survey. The results of the research. The parameters of the real and potential participation of Latvian students in entrepreneurial activity and the main barriers of expanding the scale of students’ entrepreneurial activities were determined. The activities realized in the academic environment, stimulating interest in entrepreneurship and the real involvement of students in this activity were proposed. Correlation analysis of the factors of activating the entrepreneurial students’ potential in the university environment and the level of students' readiness to found their own enterprise put knowledge related to a specific entrepreneurial activity in the first place. The field for applying the results of the work. The materials, results and conclusions of the article can be used by research organizations, government bodies, higher education institutions and student organizations. Conclusions. Our analysis of the entrepreneurial potential of Latvian students is extremely important in the study and development of entrepreneurship both nationally and at the level of individual higher education institutions. The obtained results make it possible to assess the situation and take measures towards creating a more favorable learning environment for the development and implementation of students' entrepreneurial intentions.

ГОЛОВНІ НАПРЯМИ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ КРИВОРІЗЬКОГО ДЕРЖАВНОГО ПЕДАГОГІЧНОГО ІНСТИТУТУ: ПЕРШІ РОКИ РЕКТОРСТВА П. І. ШЕВЧЕНКА

It’s proved that it’s necessary to study the activity of domestic, pedagogical institutions of higher education from the standpoint of the history of pedagogy, to describe in detail the educational-methodical and scientific-organizational work of institutes/universities and individual figures of the domestic educational branch. This approach allows: to reproduce a holistic picture of the development of the national education system, to track the formation and development of pedagogical ideas, concepts, which have their continuation in the modern scientific and pedagogical discourse. Although domestic science has significant achievements in various areas of historical and pedagogical knowledge, it still needs its study and generalization of step-by-step comprehensive reproduction of the history of individual institutions of higher education. Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University is 90 years old, so there is a need to study its experience in training teachers, as the institute was and remains the only specialized (pedagogical) institution of higher education in the Dnieper region. The author of the article believes that a significant contribution to the development of the Kryvyi Rih Pedagogical Institute was made by the rector - Pavel Ivanovich Shevchenko, who began working in the position in the late 70's of the twentieth century. At the beginning of his organizational-pedagogical and scientific-methodical activity the rector identified the main areas of work that contributed to the development of the university: quality training of part-time students (organization of independent work, cooperation with teachers, individualization of the learning process), general pedagogization of the educational process. organization of pedagogical practice, development of methodical recommendations on pedagogical practice, cooperation between methodologists of different departments) raising the level of qualification cadre of KPI (defense of candidate and doctoral dissertations, internships) and research (group) work of students. The author is convinced that certain areas remain relevant in modern conditions. The formation of the student's personality in higher pedagogical educational institutions will be effective only if the historical educational experience accumulated in Ukraine is used, thorough study, objective assessment and creative understanding of which will help to introduce the best achievements of higher education into modern pedagogical theory and practice.

Leveraging a collaborative consortium model of mentee/mentortraining to foster career progression of underrepresented postdoctoral researchers and promote institutional diversity and inclusion.

Changing institutional culture to be more diverse and inclusive within the biomedical academic community is difficult for many reasons. Herein we present evidence that a collaborative model involving multiple institutions of higher education can initiate and execute individual institutional change directed at enhancing diversity and inclusion at the postdoctoral researcher (postdoc) and junior faculty level by implementing evidence-based mentoring practices. A higher education consortium, the Big Ten Academic Alliance, invited individual member institutions to send participants to one of two types of annual mentor training: 1) “Mentoring-Up” training for postdocs, a majority of whom were from underrepresented groups; 2) Mentor Facilitator training—a train-the-trainer model—for faculty and senior leadership. From 2016 to 2019, 102 postdocs and 160 senior faculty and administrative leaders participated. Postdocs reported improvements in their mentoring proficiency (87%) and improved relationships with their PIs (71%). 29% of postdoc respondents transitioned to faculty positions, and 85% of these were underrepresented and 75% were female. 59 out of the 120 faculty and administrators (49%) trained in the first three years provided mentor training on their campuses to over 3000 undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs and faculty within the project period. We conclude that early stage biomedical professionals as well as individual institutions of higher education benefited significantly from this collaborative mentee/mentor training model

Cognitive enhancing drug use by students in the context of neoliberalism: cheating? Or, a legitimate expression of competitive entrepreneurialism?

A recurrent theme regarding drug policy and the use of cognitive enhancing drugs (CEDs) by students in higher education (HE), concerns the potential introduction of policy to prohibit the use of CEDs. One of the arguments put forward to support a prohibitive policy framework, is that the use of CEDs by students in HE is a form of academic misconduct; that the use of CEDs constitutes cheating. Now, given that it is widely documented that the use of CEDs by students in HE has been growing steadily over the past decade or more, there is surprisingly, a dearth of in-depth discussion on the topic of whether their use represents academic misconduct and is a form of cheating. Therefore, this commentary will summarise some examples of literature dedicated to the topic, before discussing whether the use of CEDs by students in HE constitutes cheating, when framed contextually, around neoliberalism and the key characteristics of competition and entrepreneurialism. The commentary will propose a potentially useful argument that, given the neoliberal context and those key characteristics, (HE) students could in theory, legitimise their use of CEDs. Consequently, students using CEDs for the purpose of hypothetically increasing academic excellence, would not consider their use of CEDs as a form of academic misconduct, of cheating. Thus, this paper, would in principle, support and endorse a legal, regulatory approach to CED policy and in addition, recommends that individual HE institutions do not prohibit the use of CEDs by students on the grounds of academic misconduct, but instead, advance harm reduction initiatives around their use.

Internationalization aimed at global social justice

The increased immersion of global higher education in a competitive, economy-oriented paradigm calls for perspectives on international interaction that are explicitly aimed at shaping cooperative, sustainable, and alternative futures. In Brazil, higher education internationalization efforts driven by the Brazilian government have historically been attached to the State’s development interests. As they have consolidated in a hegemonic way (mainly focused on Brazil’s integration in the capitalist global market), initiatives pursued by individual higher education institutions themselves gain relevance in that context. In this article, we explore the projects developed by two Brazilian federal universities – the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) and the Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) – seeking to integrate refugees and displaced populations into higher education and the Brazilian society more generally. Our approach combines bibliographic and document analysis with interviews of key actors. Based on the results, we emphasize: 1. The role of Brazilian higher education institutions’ autonomy in order to develop internationalization strategies that are both contextually relevant and aimed at promoting global social justice; 2. The importance of linking existing university outreach activities aimed at marginalized groups to institutional policy for internationalization, so that internationalization efforts do not end up suppressing the more direct social role of those institutions.

Interdependencies of Culture and Functions of Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions

Sustainable development practices in higher education institutions are diverse, with regard not only to the types of challenges that have to be addressed, but also to the forms of sustainability governance adopted by individual higher education institutions. This paper aims to reflect on the aspects of organizational culture that are particularly crucial for the implementation of sustainable practices at higher education institutions. Specifically, it addresses the research question: how do different organizational cultures affect approaches to sustainability governance at higher education institutions (HEIs)? It reflects on data from multi-case studies at eleven German higher education institutions. Four of the cases are analyzed in this paper to draw out the insights they offer on how organizational culture shapes the institutions’ approach to sustainable development. A governance equalizer is used as a functional framework for evaluating and discussing the influence of different cultural orientations on sustainability governance. In addition to providing many insights and findings in relation to specific cases, comparison of the different institutions, their governance structures and their cultures of sustainable development helps to emphasize that there is no single cultural factor that can be identified as directly promoting particular governance structures. Rather, there is an active interplay between cultural orientations, which influence, and are also influenced by, the measures deployed. Such influence is not instantly apparent but needs time to develop, and it evolves in a variety of ways as illustrated by the case studies.

Discourses on quality and quality assurance in higher education from the perspective of global university rankings

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how global university rankings interact with quality and quality assurance in higher education along the two lines of investigation, that is, from the perspective of their relationship with the concept of quality (assurance) and the development of quality assurance policies in higher education, with particular emphasis on accreditation as the prevalent quality assurance approach. Design/methodology/approach The paper firstly conceptualises quality and quality assurance in higher education and critically examines the methodological construction of the four selected world university rankings and their references to “quality”. On this basis, it answers the two “how” questions: How is the concept of quality (assurance) in higher education perceived by world university rankings and how do they interact with quality assurance and accreditation policies in higher education? Answers are provided through the analysis of different documentary sources, such as academic literature, glossaries, international studies, institutional strategies and other documents, with particular focus on official websites of international ranking systems and individual higher education institutions, media announcements, and so on. Findings The paper argues that given their quantitative orientation, it is quite problematic to perceive world university rankings as a means of assessing or assuring the institutional quality. Like (international) accreditations, they may foster vertical differentiation of higher education systems and institutions. Because of their predominant accountability purpose, they cannot encourage improvements in the quality of higher education institutions. Practical implications Research results are beneficial to different higher education stakeholders (e.g. policymakers, institutional leadership, academics and students), as they offer them a comprehensive view on rankings’ ability to assess, assure or improve the quality in higher education. Originality/value The existing research focuses principally either on interactions of global university rankings with the concept of quality or with processes of quality assurance in higher education. The comprehensive and detailed analysis of their relationship with both concepts thus adds value to the prevailing scholarly debates.

Analysis of network interaction in the context of physical education and sports activities of universities

The realization of the various interests of students in the sports activities of universities requires educational institutions to have a diverse material and technical base: sports facilities of various specifics, qualified personnel, and methodological developments. At the same time, the capabilities of individual higher education institutions are limited. The solution to this problem is possible through the integrated use of the resource base of several educational institutions and municipal facilities for the organization of sports and athletic activities. An effective exchange of resources is based on network models of relationships, the management of which is based on the provisions of the theories of strategic and general management and a project approach. The purpose of this study was the formation of a network model of interaction in the processes of sports activities of universities in the Sverdlovsk region. The study was conducted by the Physical Education and Sports Department in conjunction with the Management and Entrepreneurship Department of the Ural State University of Economics in the period 2019-2020. The information ground of the study is formed based on the analysis of plans for sporting events, tender documentation, as well as the database of contracts concluded by participants in the strategic network. The research methodology is based on a network theory and involves the construction of a directed graph, where the nodes are university subjects, and objects of network interaction are placed on arcs. The results of the study show that the network model is of the concentric type, the main unifying projects in the framework of physical culture and sports activities are such sports events as “Nations Cross”, “Universiade of the Sverdlovsk Region” and “Ski Track of Russia”. There are no links in the network interaction scheme due to the need to implement on a contractual basis the training courses included in the Basic professional educational programs of higher educational institutions, the network is based only on participation in external events initiated by state and municipal authorities, the corporate sector, sports organizations and universities themselves.

ПІДГОТОВКА МАГІСТРІВ З ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВА, ТОРГІВЛІ ТА БІРЖОВОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ У КОНТЕКСТІ СТУПЕНЕВОЇ ОСВІТИ

The article deals with the peculiarities of the training of masters of the specialty 076 Entrepreneurship, trade and exchange activities. The relevance of the investigated problem, which is based on separate legislative acts in the field of education, is described. The provisions of the Concept of the Master’s Studies in Ukraine have been clarified, which became the basis for the development of educational programs of the named specialty. Separate scientific researches on problems of training of masters in modern realities are revealed. The contradiction between willingness to engage into entrepreneurship and research in scientific institutions is indicated. The purpose of the article is to find out the content of the educational programs of masters training in the specialty entrepreneurship, trade and exchange activities. The task is: to reveal the state of the problem under investigation in the scientific literature; to determine the peculiarities of their training for research (teaching) activity.The author analyzes the educational programs of individual institutions of higher education for the training of masters for future professional activities, in particular, pedagogical. The emphasis is on the content of theoretical and practical training: the availability of discipline “Methodology of teaching disciplines on personnel management and labor economics” and pedagogical practice. It is determined, that pedagogical practice promotes the formation of skills of effective use of bases of such knowledge: the subject of teaching; psychology and pedagogy; teaching methods, goals, principles of teaching management; curricula, programs, textbooks, manuals, scientific and methodical literature, etc.In the process of teaching the discipline “Technologies” module “Entrepreneurship” we developed innovative teaching methods. The effective ones are: creating situations of emotional and moral experiences, constructive, modeling, mindmapping, “fishbone”.The prospect of further research is to substantiate the model of the formation of professional competence among future specialists in entrepreneurship, trade and exchange activities.

Developing an Instrument to Observe and Evaluate Assessment System Maturity

Maturity models fill the need for a measure of overall growth in how outcomes assessment is defined and how feedback informs improvement to meet internal and external expectations at individual institutions of higher education. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted to develop an instrument, the Assessment System Maturity Matrix (ASMM), to observe and evaluate outcomes assessment system maturity. Research procedures included conducting a literature review and comparing business, software, and limited education maturity models; administering self-reported questionnaires to higher education outcomes assessment professionals; and piloting the instrument. Data collection results provided the ideal criteria for the ASMM design and content and led to ASMM development and refinement. Some deviation from the established maturity order sequence of plan, build, implement, and evaluate was noted. The ASMM can enable diverse institutions of higher education to focus on current assessment practice maturity efficiently to determine subsequent actions to improve outcomes assessment performance. Further research is required to explore the awareness and development of outcomes assessment system maturity awareness among the various types of institutions within the higher education community.

Climate change education for universities: A conceptual framework from an international study

The role of universities in climate change education (CCE) is of great importance if the scientific, social, environmental and political challenges the world faces are to be met. Future leaders must make decisions from an informed position and the public will need to embed climate change mitigation tools into their work and private life. It is therefore essential to understand the range of CCE strategies being taken globally by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and to explore and analyse the ways that HEIs could better address this challenge.Consistent with this research need, this paper offers an analysis of the extent to which HEIs in 45 countries approach CCE and provides a conceptual framework for exploring how HEIs are embedding CCE into their curricula. In addition to the specialist approach (where students choose to study a degree to become experts in climate change adaptation and mitigation tools), the CCE framework developed identifies and highlights three other approaches HEIs can deploy to embed CCE: Piggybacking, mainstreaming and connecting (transdisciplinary). Using data gathered in an explorative international survey involving participants working across academic and senior management, this paper illustrates the different approaches taken and analyses practical examples of current CCE practice from across the world.Responses from 212 university staff from 45 countries indicated that CCE was highly variable – no clear pattern was identified at the country level, with CCE approaches varying significantly, even within individual HEIs. This plurality highlights the wide range of ideas and examples being shared and used by institutions in very different countries and contexts, and underlines the importance of the independence and autonomy of HEIs so that they can choose the right CCE approaches for them. To highlight the breadth and variety of approaches that were uncovered by our survey, the paper offers a range of examples illustrating how climate change education may be embedded in a higher education context, some of which could be replicated in HEIs across the world. The conceptualisation of CCE and the examples given in this paper are valuable for anyone who is thinking about strategies for embedding more climate education in the higher education curriculum.

Global university rankings and their impact on the internationalisation of higher education

AbstractGlobal university rankings are a worldwide trend that emerged in times of the globalisation and internationalisation of higher education. Universities worldwide are now striving to become “world‐class” institutions and are constantly aiming to improve their ranking position. Global rankings of universities are thus perceived by many as an ultimate tool for assessing the level of internationalisation at individual higher education institutions. This article first discusses the meaning of and relationship between the globalisation and internationalisation of higher education, as their influence on the emergence of global rankings is undeniable. It then outlines the methodological designs of four main global university rankings which serve as key prerequisites for the subsequent analyses of both the international(‐isation) indicators that these rankings include and of the international ranking initiatives that focus exclusively on the international outlook of higher education institutions. In the concluding discussion, the article reveals that, due to the predominantly quantitative orientation of global university rankings (on the internationalisation of higher education), their results should not be generalised or understood as a means to improve the quality of (internationalisation of) higher education.

EVALUATION OF THE IQA STRUCTURES AND MECHANISMS EMPLOYED BY UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Higher education institutions are today experiencing constant changes due to the rapid expansion of the institutions in student numbers which has not been matched by expansion of infrastructure, facilities and resources. This situation has raised concerns about the quality of higher education institutions (HEIs) and their programmes among stakeholders. While the quality of universities was unquestionable when they were serving a small elite, the institutions in today’s diversified and privatized higher education systems worldwide are under pressure to change and adapt. Quality and graduate employability has for quite a while attracted the debate among employers and other education stakeholders on the quality of university graduates. In response to the challenges, external quality assurance (EQA) mechanisms have been developed in higher education in various parts of the world in an effort to assure quality and standards. Governments have also seen the need to engage EQA bodies in the quality control of HEIs through periodic external assessments of the quality of the institutions through programme evaluation, accreditation and quality audit. While quality assurance was initially externally driven, individual HEIs have today set up internal quality assurance (IQA) mechanisms to help them monitor and manage the quality of education as they also align their IQA with external policies and frameworks governing education. This paper reviews literature on the IQA structures and mechanisms used by universities with a view to making recommendations on how the institutions can effectively employ IQA structures and mechanisms in order to offer quality education that is responsive to the needs of the industry. Article visualizations:

COMPETITIVENESS MANAGEMENT OF UKRAINIAN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Urgency of the research. A special role in the formation of a competitive national economy belongs to the system of higher education and individual higher education institutions (HEIs), since they determine the levels of human capital and intellectual potential of the nation. In addition, a sufficient competitiveness level (CL) of domestic HEIs is a prerequisite for the integration of Ukrainian higher education system into the European educational space. Target setting. The activity of the HEIs in Ukraine occurs under the influence of a significant number of factors that increase competition in the market of educational services and significantly complicate the managing process of HEIs CL. These circumstances actualize the search for ways to improve the management of HEIs CL. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. The HEIs CL as an object of research by economists, is found in the writings of such scholars as Bachynska O. M., Vorobiova K. O., Hryshchenko I. M., Dudko P. M., Ivanov Yu. V., Nefedova T. M., Prus L. R., Salohubova V. M., Tarasenko I. O., etc. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. The question of determining the management stages sequence of HEIs CL remains insufficiently researched in the scientific literature. The research objective. The investigation of category essence of HEIs CL; definition of the management stages sequence of HEIs CL. The statement of basic materials. The article studied the essence and proposes the definition of the category of HEIs competitiveness. A sequence of management stages of HEIs CL is formed, which involves the choice of a competitive strategy for HEIs on the environment factors evaluation results and factors of the HEIs CL. Conclusions. The main advantages of the management stages proposed sequence of the HEIs CL are: providing condition monitoring of the environment and factors of HEIs CL; the possibility of choosing a competitive strategy.

Sustainability-oriented higher education networks: Characteristics and achievements in the context of the UN DESD

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are, as a sector, an important actor in society and their role in sustainability transition has been acknowledged. However, their commitments to sustainability expressed through the adoption of various declarations are often not effective unless combined with other ‘internal’ and ‘external’ strategies (concerned with activities within and outside the institution, respectively). Networking is an example of the latter: universities enter into coalitions in order to discuss progress in sustainability implementation, exchange experience and formulate joint policies. The presented research explores the field of sustainability-oriented higher education networks, analyses their key areas of interest, inter-network relationships, links with the policy field, and (conditions for) cooperation in joint programs and strategy development. Based on information gained through desk-top research to map the field from 14 HE networks' web pages, a survey was designed and distributed to selected university networks, with 15 responses received (30% response rate). Qualitative analysis of the data concentrated on the elements of social capital: the diversity of the networks, heterogeneity of the membership, size, regional scope and communication formats. The networks' activity areas range from those supporting sustainability initiatives within individual HEIs (education, research, campus operations, outreach) and networking initiatives directed beyond individual institutional change (contribution to policy debate at national, regional and global level, professional development and student network initiatives). The achievements of the analysed networks show a considerable contribution to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) in all their reported outcomes. Dialogue with key actors held after the exploratory mapping and the survey stages resulted in further delineation of the benefits and goals of cooperation: achievement of academia's cumulative impact on the sustainable development of our societies. This study highlights the significance of the autonomous character of HEIs based on data from 25 HE networks in total, and how they not only follow, but also stimulate the policy environment, consciously contributing to shared (sustainability) goals. Networking thus may be an important mechanism for systemic change in higher education, and the nature and role of social capital embedded in higher education networks should be the subject of further exploration.

How the Triangle of Bologna Quality Assurance, a National Legal Framework and Internal Quality Enhancement Supports Institutional Improvement

Abstract The Republic of Macedonia (RM) has been a part of the Bologna process since 2003. The Ministry of Education, law and policy makers and higher education institutions have actively engaged with its main concepts. In parallel with this, since the adoption of the law on higher education in 2008 and the reform of the Accreditation and Evaluation Board, there have been numerous changes and amendments culminating in the fast-tracked adoption of a new law at the beginning of 2015. Some of its solutions created a huge debate among the academic community, other intellectuals and students themselves, resulting in the postponement of that law and a kind of legal vacuum. In such turbulent circumstances, individual higher education institutions had to consider how and to what extent to adopt and develop relevant standards and guidelines, comply with the legal framework and promote good practice. The aim of this paper is to present how these three aspects, Bologna standards and guidelines for Quality Assurance (QA), a national legal framework and an institutional approach are being reflected, merged and implemented at a relatively young higher education institution. It questions the impact of these three elements on each other and how one institution’s drive for improvement is affected. This is done through a qualitative analysis of the three-fold perspectives. The conclusions and recommendations are expected to be of use to policy makers in the country and region as they evaluate how international trends and good practice fit into the socio-economic and political conditions of RM and similar countries. At the same time, it can demonstrate how far institutional quality assurance and progress can be implemented and recognized in the country itself and by some international stakeholders. It can also prove that the South East European University (SEEU) is a national leader in this field as RM has no functioning QA evaluation system, while SEEU has managed to create a well structured and operating one, based on international and institutional experiences.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ACCREDITATION MECHANISMS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: POLICY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN BANGLADESH

The Purposes of this study are to explore the existing quality status and analyze the gaps between existing practices and formal quality assurance and accreditation (QAA) systems, and to assess and tap the institutional learning and challenges of introducing QAA mechanism in Bangladesh. However, the intention is to explore the preparedness to introduce formal QAA mechanism and their implications on the institutional performance in the context of Bangladeshi Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The Mix method approach is applied here, where the primary data are collected from the university faculty members in order to determine the perceptions towards quality improvement initiatives in HEIs. The study revealed that HEIs in Bangladesh face a number of challenges in terms of formal quality assurance practices. The key variables brought from formal QA framework fell into six quality areas: leadership and institutional governance, curriculum, facilities, student, staff, and quality assurance process development. The study suggests that the main challenge lies with quality assurance process development to introduce formal QAA in HEIs. Existing quality status from this study shows that quality areas of student, curriculum and facilities remain above the average level of standard, but the quality areas of leadership and institutional governance, staff and quality assurance process development are below the average conditions. The findings would assist academicians to enhance quality assurance framework at national level as well as institutional level. However, the challenges the individual higher education institution would encounter to implement the formal QAA mechanism are addressed at length. Article visualizations:

Responding to the needs of students with mental health difficulties in higher education: an Irish perspective

This article presents findings from a recent national study supported by Association for Higher Education Access & Disability and the National Learning Network (2016) to investigate the experiences of students with mental health difficulties in higher education in Ireland. The data investigation was a combination of both survey and qualitative research activities. A total of 22 out of 28 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland participated in a national survey. In addition 14 students and 11 professionals participated in focus groups and semi-structured one-to-one interviews. This article focuses on the qualitative data collected. While the topic of the needs of students with mental health difficulties is an under-researched area in Ireland, this study does recognise and build on recent work both nationally and internationally. The study demonstrates the benefits of a whole campus approach to meeting the needs of students with mental health difficulties combined with specialised supports. It recommends that that individual HEIs review existing policies and practices for students with mental health difficulties.