Quality aspects

• There is an educational setting, organisational structure, and a quality assurance system and infrastructure that functions exceptionally well.
  
• The organisation has a competent management and committed teachers with relevant knowledge, experience and ability.
  
• The organisation has a sound academic or artistic foundation and is based on best practice.
  
• The forms of teaching and examination are designed in accordance with learning objectives and expected outcomes.
  
• The fostering of student learning is outstanding.
  
• Students achieve excellent results.
  
• A centre of excellence describes and analyses factors of educational success and the reasons these lead to exceptional results.
  

By using quality aspects rather than fixed criteria the award was able to:

• include non-traditional and innovative units
• avoid becoming too normative
• allow the department, study programme, or organisational unit to define their own factors of success.

The quality aspects and accompanying questions are stated below.

There is an educational setting, organisational structure, and a quality assurance system and infrastructure that functions exceptionally well.

• Is there an effective quality assurance system?
• Can the organisational structure be considered as optimal?
• Are work duties and responsibilities shared appropriately?
• Does the unit have the support of the higher education institution as a whole?
• Does the unit receive support through its networks and vice versa?
• Does the administrative support provide continuity?

The organisation has a competent management and committed teachers with relevant knowledge, experience and ability.

• Is there a system for recognising and rewarding excellence in teaching?
• Is there a system for the professional development of staff?
• Does the teaching staff participate in international activities and exchanges?
• Is the student/teacher ratio well balanced? 
• Is the unit prominent in comparison with similar environments?

The organisation has a sound academic or artistic foundation and is based on best practice.

• Is there a clear link between current research and development, and teaching?
• Are new research and new knowledge quickly integrated into teaching?
• Do students actively take part in research and development projects?

The forms of teaching and examination are designed in accordance with learning objectives and expected outcomes.

• Are the forms of teaching and methods of assessment clearly defined?
• In what way do the methods of teaching and assessment contribute to achieving the objectives?
• How are learning outcomes defined and measured?
• Are the qualitative targets clear?
• Have other quality indicators been defined and, if so, in what way are they used?

The fostering of student learning is outstanding.

• Are there routines for gathering and evaluating the views of students?
• In what way does the unit respond to student needs and criticism?
• Are innovative and successful teaching methods being developed?
• Are degree projects externally examined or compared?
• Is there a shared culture of maintaining high standards?
• Is there adequate student support when required?
• Is there any national or international benchmarking?
• Are students encouraged to participate in international exchange programmes and visits to partner institutions?

Students achieve excellent results.

• Are indictors of student performance available, e.g. applicants per place, retention and completion rates?
• Are statistics available and in what way are they used, e.g. employment rates for graduates and continuation to doctoral studies?
• Are there other mechanisms for gaining feedback from alumni and, if so, what is the impact of this feedback?
• Are there any methods for measuring added value?

A centre of excellence describes and analyses factors of educational success and the reasons these lead to exceptional results.

• How are the factors that lead to success defined?
• Is there an interest in sharing results with others?
• What influence does the unit have on other environments for teaching and learning: locally, nationally and internationally?