Quality Assurance and Enhancement at ATU

ATU is committed to making sure that quality and excellence are central to everything we do.  We base our decisions on evidence, and we continually look for ways to improve what we are doing.  A robust Academic Quality Assurance and Enhancement (AQAE) Framework is essential to fulfilling ATU’s mission. It ensures that ATU students will have the best possible learning experience and it provides reassurance to all its stakeholders that the University adheres to the highest standards in academic excellence. 
 

ATU operates according to the provisions set out in the:

• Technological Universities Act 2018
• Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012
• Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Amendment Act 2019.

ATU complies with the following Quality Assurance and Enhancement guidelines:

• Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG, 2015)
• Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) Core Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines (2016)
• Sector Specific Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines for Designated Awarding Bodies (DAB) (2016)
• QQI Topic Specific Quality Assurance Guidelines
   

ATU is a Designated Awarding Body and as such is responsible for the establishment of our quality assurance and enhancement policies and procedures. Two categories of quality assurance are central to our approach:

1. Internal Quality Assurance and Enhancement includes all documents and systems developed by the University that promote effective academic administration and public confidence.
2. External Quality Assurance and Enhancement includes the monitoring and reporting that occurs with external bodies including Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). QQI is the statutory body which provides oversight for Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Ireland.  It is responsible for the National Framework for Qualifications (NFQ).

ATU has used the statutory quality assurance guidelines issued by QQI in designing, establishing, evaluating, maintaining, and reviewing our Academic Quality Assurance and Enhancement policies and procedures.  The following areas are addressed:

• Governance and management of quality
• Documented approach to quality assurance
• Programmes of education and training
• Teaching and learning
• Assessment of learners
• Supports for learners
• Information and data management
• Public information and communication
• Other parties involved in education and training
• Self-evaluation, monitoring and review.