Office of Quality Assurance

Dr Phineas Sebopelo
Dr Phineas SebopeloDirector - Office of Quality Assurance

Welcome to Office of Quality Assurance

The establishment of the Centre is in line with the institution`s roadmap of providing life-long learning through distance mode. Its purpose is to assist the institution to achieve high standards in teaching and learning at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as coordinate and manage quality assurance institution-wide activities.

The Centre through the use of the Quality Policy manages and monitors the institutions operational activities, processes and procedures and ensures a shared responsibility by both academic and administrative staff.

Mandate of the centre will be to:

        • Monitors quality enhancement policy
        • Oversees the institution’s Quality Management System
        • Develops and implements the institutions teaching and learning strategy
        • Coordinates the advancement of standards and guidelines for developing, implementing and monitoring quality academic programmes in the institution
        • Receives, reviews and advises schools concerning the quality of proposals for new programmes or major revisions to existing programmes
        • Oversees the five-yearly process of programme reviews conducted by external reviewers and produce annual summary reports for Academic Committee
        • Sensitizes and raises awareness on quality matters and quality improvements to all staff in order for them to develop a continuous culture of quality enrichment.
        • Ensures that assessment practices and procedures promote ethical conduct

 

Staffing at the OQA

Currently, the Centre has a Director, and two quality specialists. Moving forward, the centre plans to have additional staff to cope with the demands of the University especially as the schools and departments grow in size.

Quality Management System

The Quality Policy is institutionalised through the following:

        • 1. The Quality Committee of the Senate
        • 2. Departmental Quality Assurance Committees An electronic QMS for well-coordinate daily operations of the University
        • 3. Regular conduct of internal and external quality audits by internal auditors, Peers and Regulatory bodies
        • 4. Continuous development and maintenance of the various standards, guidelines and benchmarks of the university’s teaching and learning operations.
        • 5. Monitoring and of QMS through regular training of staff, evaluation of operations and benchmarking

 

Accreditation responsibilities of the Centre

        • Accreditation of the institution as an Education and Training Provider in line with new BQA regulations
        • Registration of programme on the NCQF
        • Registration and Accreditation of Assessors and Moderators
        • Registration of Learning Programmes 

 

Collaboration with other peer institutions

The centre collaborates with other centres and institutions for international best practice, benchmarking through peer audits, and or peer reviews.

At the moment the centre is at the forefront of the partnership with NAMCOL (see partnership documents like OQA).

Centre Policy Documents

        • BOU Quality Policy
        • BOU Teaching and Learning Policy
        • BOU Programmes Development and Review Policy
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