External Quality Auditing in Sweden: Are Departments Affected?

The article studies the effects of the first round of quality audits in five higher education institutions in Sweden. Using the formal objectives of the audits as a starting point of the investigation, the article examines in which areas change, as experienced at the departmental level, seems to be achieved and where problems can be found. The results are then discussed in a broader context where experiences from quality audit and assessment processes in the UK are included, and where strengths and weaknesses of the current audit procedures in Sweden are identified. Some implications of the study, especially focusing on possible future improvements in the design of quality audits, are examined in the conclusion.