Everyone – managers, staff and students at NMBU – is responsible for the work on quality developments, but all have different roles.
- Students are responsible for participating actively in learning activities, speaking up and participating in student evaluations, student organisations, committees and forums. Read more about the student role.
- Staff must know and comply with the procedures in the systems and propose improvements.
- Managers have a special responsibility for ensuring that quality development is an integrated part of the management in the respective units and for ensuring that the development work takes the direction set by the goals and strategies adopted by the department, University Council and Rectorate.
It is crucial to the robustness and predictability of the system that the distribution of roles and responsibilities is clearly described. The following table provides an overview of roles and responsibilities in quality assurance.
Please note that the table below is an overarching description of roles and responsibilities at NMBU. As mentioned, the departments choose how to organise the work on the quality of education and there are therefore variations between the departments in terms of the terms used and the internal organisation.
ACTOR | RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS |
The University Board Universitetsstyret (US) | Is responsible for ensuring that NMBU has a quality assurance system. Adopts the annual Quality Report and the programme portfolio. Provides overarching guidelines for the work on the quality of education. |
Rector | Has the overarching responsibility for the quality assurance system. Reports to the Council in the annual Quality Report. Concretizes the University Council's guidelines and selects focus areas for the quality of education. |
Pro-Rector for Education Pro-rektor for utdanning | Has the overarching responsibility for the work on quality of education and ensuring the continuous quality enhancement work at the institution. Plays a central part in implementation of periodic program evaluation and in the approval of new programmes of study. Leads the University's Academic Affairs Committee and have line responsibility in the Department of Academic Affairs. |
Dean – Faculty Board Dekan - fakultetsstyre | Has the overarching responsibility for the work on quality assurance in the Faculty. Programme development and the development of the programme portfolio are particular areas of responsibility. Provides a summarising comment to the Rector based on the departments' reports and also provides a recommendation for the programme portfolio. Follows up with the Heads of Department in the implementation of the action plan. |
The University Academic Affairs Committee Universitetets studieutvalg (U-SU) | Advisory committee for the Rector in the area of quality of education. Provides input for the Quality Report and recommends measures. |
The University Research Committee Universitetets Forskningsutvalg (U-FU) | Advisory committee for the Rector in the area of research, including doctoral programmes. Provides input for the Quality Report and recommends measures. |
The Learning Environment Committee Læringsmiljøutvalg (LMU) | Advisory committee for the Rector and Council for issues related to the learning environment. Provides input for the Quality Report related to the psychosocial and physical learning environment. |
Fakultetsstyre | Approve the Faculty quality report (incl. programme reports) and action plan. |
Dean Dekan
| Has an overarching responsibility for quality assurance in the department and submits the Faculty's quality of education report (incl. programme reports) to Rector. Is responsible for ensuring that the Faculty action plan is followed up on. |
Provide advice and input for Faculty management in cases related to education, at both the programme and course levels. Discuss the programme reports before it is sent to the Faculty board. | |
Head of Teaching Undervisningsleder | Chair of the Faculty Academic Affairs Committee. Sits on the The University Academic Affairs Committee. |
Programme coordinator Program(råds)leder | Is responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing and developing the programme, using the action plan as a point of departure. Chair of the programme committee. Is responsible for programme evaluations and must submit the programme report to FAK-SU The report is the basis for the Faculty's quality of education report, and shall also be enclosed with this report. |
Course responsible[1] Emneansvarlig | Is responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing and developing the course, with the Action Plan as a point of departure. Is responsible for course evaluations and must submit the course report (which is based on the evaluations) to the Programme Board / Education Committee. |
Lecturer Underviser | Shall implement and develop teaching in the course and help students achieve the learning outcomes. Provides continuous feedback to students about the results of evaluations, reviews and implemented measures. |
Student | Is responsible for getting involved in the work on quality, providing input in relevant forums and participating in evaluations. Each department has a Student Council. The students on the Council are represented in Programme Committees/Councils, the Education Committee, Department Board, Faculty Board, the University Council, the Learning Environment Committee and the Rector's management groups. |
The Department of Academic Affairs in the central administration | Has the ongoing responsibility for the design and content of the quality assurance system, including procedures for programme and course evaluations. Performs secretariat functions for Academic Affairs Committees, Deans, Faculty Boards and the Rector. Prepares NMBU's Quality Report. |
Forum for Academic Matters | Administrative meeting about academic matters. Exchanges of information and experience across the departments. |
[1] Adamstuen: Course block coordinator