Vietnam: How many quality assessment standards for higher education programs are there?

How many quality assessment standards for higher education programs are there in Vietnam?

According to Chapter 2 of the Regulations on quality assessment standards for higher education programs issued together with Circular 04/2016/TT-BGDDT, there are 11 quality assessment standards for higher education programs as follows:

Standard 1: Objectives and graduation requirements

- Objectives of an education program shall be clearly defined and align with a higher education institution’s missions and visions as well as conform to higher education objectives provided in the Higher Education Law. 

- Graduation requirements of an education program shall be clearly determined and cover all common and particular requirements that students must achieve upon completion thereof.

- Graduation requirements must have the effect of reflecting requirements of relevant parties, regularly reviewed, adjusted and made available to the public.

Standard 2: Program summary

- This summary must provide sufficient and updated information 

- The course outline must give sufficient and updated information.

- The program summary and course outline must be made easily accessible to the public and parties involved.

Standard 3: Curriculum structure and contents

- A program curriculum must be designed on the basis of graduation requirements.  

- Contribution of each program course to achievement of graduation requirements must be explicit.

- Teaching curriculum must have the logical structure and process with updated and integrative contents.

Standard 4: Teaching and learning approaches

- Educational philosophies or objectives must be clearly declared and widely communicated to relevant parties.

- Teaching and learning activities must be designed to meet graduation requirements.

- Teaching and learning activities must promote skill training and enhance learning abilities during student's lifetime.

Standard 5: Assessment of students’ learning outcomes

- Assessment of students’ learning outcomes must be subject to levels in which specific graduation requirements are met.

- Regulations on assessment of students’ learning outcomes (including, inter alia, time length, methodologies, criteria, weight factors, feedback-giving mechanism and related contents) must be easily understood and made known to students.    

- Methodologies of learning outcome assessment must be diversified and ensure worthiness, reliability and fairness.

- Assessment results must be subject to timely feedbacks in order for students to improve their learning efforts.

- Students must be able to gain easy access to the procedures for complaint about their learning outcomes.

Standard 6: Staff of lecturers and academics

- Planning of staff of lecturers and academics (including attraction, admission, appointment, arrangement and employment contract termination and grant of permission for retirement) are implemented to meet needs for training, scientific research and community support activities.

- Student/ lecturer rate and workload of lecturers and academics shall be measured and monitored as a basis for increased quality of training, scientific research and community support activities.

- Lecturers and academics recruitment and selection criteria (including moral standards and academic qualification) for the purpose of appointment and work transfer must be defined and availably communicated to the public.

- Capacity of staff of lecturers and academics must be subject to determination and assessment.

- Needs for professional training and development for staff of lecturers and academics must be defined and necessary activities must be implemented to meet such needs.

- Managerial activities based on performance of lecturers and academics (including grant of reward and recognition) must be effected to create a driving force and provide assistance towards training and scientific research and community support activities. 

- Forms and quantity of research projects of lecturers and academics must be established, monitored, and subject to contrasting and comparing procedures to improve their quality. 

Standard 7: Employees

- Planning of employees (those who are working for libraries, laboratory facilities, information technology systems and other auxiliary services) are effected to meet needs for training, scientific research and community support activities.

- Recruitment, selection, appointment and transfer procedures must be defined and made available to the public. 

- Employee qualification must be subject to determination and assessment.

- Needs for professional training and development for employees must be defined and necessary activities must be implemented to meet such needs.

- Managerial activities based on performance of employees (including grant of reward and recognition) must be effected to create a driving force and provide assistance towards training and scientific research and community support activities. 

Standard 8: Students and supports given to students

- Student admission policy must be clearly defined, made available to the public and kept updated.

- Student admission criteria and methods must be expressly understood and assessed.

- An appropriate monitoring system must be in place to monitor students’ learning and school activity progress, study outcomes and workloads.

- Learning advisory and consulting, extra-curriculum, competition activities and auxiliary services must be accessible to students to improve their learning performance and increase post-graduation employment opportunities.

- Psychological and social environment and facility landscape must facilitate students’ training, research activities and relaxation.

Standard 9: Facilities and equipment

- A system of work, study and functional rooms must be provided with equipment suitable for training and research activities. 

- Libraries and learning materials must be sufficient and up to date to assist training and research activities.

- Laboratories, practice rooms and equipment must be relevant and up to date for training and research activities.

- The information technology system (including online learning facilities) must be relevant and up to date for training and research activities. 

- Environmental, health and safety standards must be determined and effected by taking into consideration handicapped students’ special needs.

Standard 10: Quality improvement

- Feedbacks and needs of parties concerned must be used as a basis for designing and developing education programs.

- Design and development of education programs must be effected, assessed and improved.

- Learning and teaching process and learning outcome assessment must be reviewed and assessed on a regular basis in order to ensure compatibility and conformity with graduation requirements.

- Scientific research results must be utilized to improve learning and teaching performance.

- Quality of auxiliary services and all conveniences, such as libraries, laboratory rooms, information technology systems and other necessary services, must be assessed and improved.

- The feedback mechanism of parties involved must be systematic and subject to assessment and improvement.

Standard 11: Student outcomes

- Dropout and graduation rate must be determined, monitored and subject to contrasting and comparing procedures to improve education quality.

- Average time limits for graduation must be determined, monitored and subject to contrasting and comparing procedures to improve education quality.

- Post-graduation employment rate must be determined, monitored and subject to contrasting and comparing procedures to improve education quality.

- Forms and quantity of researches conducted by students must be established, monitored, and subject to contrast and comparison requirements to improve their quality. 

- Satisfactoriness levels of parties involved must be determined, monitored and subject to contrasting and monitoring procedures for education quality improvement.

What are the quality assessment standards for higher education programs in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

What is the quality assessment scale for higher education programs in Vietnam?

According to Article 4 of the Regulations on quality assessment standards for higher education programs issued together with Circular 04/2016/TT-BGDDT, the quality assessment scale for higher education programs is as follows:

- Assessment of each criterion in each standard shall be subject to 7-level scale, including:

+ Level 1: Absolutely incompliant. Immediate corrective actions should be taken;

+ Level 2: Incompliant. Corrective actions need to be taken;

+ Level 3: Not fully compliant. Minor corrective actions should be taken to become compliant;

+ Level 4: Compliant;

+ Level 5: More compliant than expected;

+ Level 6: Well compliant;

-+ Level 7: Perfectly compliant.

- Any criteria that fall into level 1 through level 3 are considered “Not Satisfied” while they are deemed “Satisfied” if falling into level 4 through level 7.

What is the purpose of issuing quality assessment standards for higher education programs in Vietnam?

According to Article 3 of the Regulations on quality assessment standards for higher education programs issued together with Circular 04/2016/TT-BGDDT, the purpose of issuing quality assessment standards for higher education programs in Vietnam is as follows:

- Higher education institutions shall rely on such standards to assess activities relating to education programs on their own initiative to continuously improve their education quality and to address practical conditions of education quality of specific education programs to competent authorities and society.  

- Education quality assessment organizations shall utilize such standards to assess and grant or deny granting accreditation of conformity with education quality standards for education programs.

- Other organizations or individuals shall, based on such standards, give their opinions, assess and participate in public consultations on education programs designed by higher education institutions in which they are interested.