External quality audit as an opportunity for institutional change and improvement

There is limited evidence regarding whether external quality audits contribute to strategic change and improvement in universities. The majority of literature on the subject is anecdotal and reflects two opposite viewpoints. First, audits do not contribute to institutional improvement and enhancement of student learning experience. Second, audits, if managed effectively and aligned well with internal systems and processes, may motivate universities to self-assess and improve their core business and services. This paper outlines the steps taken by the University of Western Sydney to effectively prepare for the External Quality Audit by the Australian Universities Quality Agency in 2006, with the view to use this audit as a lever for internal change and improvement. The areas where improvement was needed were identified in the process of the audit preparation through the University-wide self assessment, internal reviews, tracking performance data and the outcomes of the trial audit. Further, based on the comparison of the University performance data from various sources before and after the audit the paper concludes that audits can be used as a lever for institutional change and can contribute to measurable improvement. Quality Management at UWS Some relatively older Australian universities, such as those in the “Group of Eight”, have had their systems for strategic planning and quality assurance in place for a long time. The University of Western Sydney (UWS) with its history of structural change has had to establish such systems relatively recently. In 2001 after the mergers with three member institutions UWS established the Office of Planning and Quality (OPQ) in order to coordinate University quality management initiatives, provide advice on strategic planning and review activities, provide information for tracking and improving performance, and manage complaints. In 2003-2004 UWS developed and implemented its first strategic plans, covering Learning and Teaching, Research, and Community Engagement.