INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF FRENCH UNIVERSITIES

I.M. Silivanova

I.M. Silivanova

Keywords: quality assurance, higher education, internal quality assurance, external quality assurance

Abstract

Bologna process, which launched numerous structural reforms in higher education in France, also induced significant quality assurance changes in its higher education institutions. The French educational quality assurance system has undergone many different transformations over the last decade. The article analyses the evolution of the internal and external evaluation and institutions in charge of evaluating (The National Committee for the evaluation of public institutions of a scientific, cultural and professional nature; The Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education; The High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education) in France over the last few decades. The author provides a detailed look of the internal and external quality assurance identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Considering the debates about internal and external quality control, it is evident that both government and higher education institutions recognize importance of these assessments. Internal and external evaluations have their varied uses. On the one hand, external evaluation continues to be the key means of quality assurance in France as it is the main source of independent evaluation of institutions, research units, higher education programs and degrees. On the other hand, internal evaluation carried out by the educational institution is implemented with the intention to teach universities not to conceal their shortcomings, but to promote their elimination by recognition.

References

1. Chatelain-Ponroy Stéphanie, Mignot-Gérard Stéphanie, Musselin Christine and Sponem Samuel. The use of indicators in French universities. The Authors. Volume compilation. Portland Press Limited, 2014. P. 129–141.
2. Kis V.(ed.). Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education: Current Practices in OECD Countries and a Literature Review on Potential Effects. OECD, Paris, 2004. 47 p.
3. L’évaluation et l’accréditation de l’enseignement supérieur. Evolutions récentes en France. Etude réalisée par Claudia Gelleni, Mai 2008. 34 p.
4. Le Haut Conseil de l'évaluation de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur. Évaluation des établissements : Repères pour l’autoévaluation, 2016. 12 p.
5. Monica Roxana Macarie Florea. Le comité national d’évaluation : les effets de l’autoévaluation. Thèse pour obtenir le grade de docteur de l’université Paris Ouest Nanterre – La Défense en Sciences de l’Éducation, 2010. 299 p.
6. Overview of the Quality Assurance System in Higher Education: France. National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, Japan, 2012. 61 p.
7. Self-evaluation report - 2016. French High Council for Evaluation of Researh and Higher Education. Adopted by the Board of HCERES on the 7 th of March 2016. 86 p.
8. Rapp Jean-Marc, Georgieva Patricia, Udam Maiki, Todorovski Blazhe. ENQA Agency Review: High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES), 2017. 64 p.
9. Zufanová H. On the meaning of internal and external evaluation for the quality of education during educational reforms // Schools for quality - what data-based approaches can contribute. CIDREE/DVO, 2006. P. 35–55.
10. Келс Г.Р. Процесс самооценки. Руководство по самооценке для высшего образования. М., 1999. С. 23. // Kels G.R. Protsess samootsenki. Rukovodstvo po samootsenke dlya vyisshego obrazovaniya. M., 1999. P. 23.