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Quality Assurance in Higher Education Volume 1 Issue 02
April 2010
Meeting of Quality Enhancement Cells
14th
meeting of the 30 Quality Enhancement Cells established during Phase I and II was held
at the HEC Regional Center, Peshawar from 12th and 13th March. Dr. Said Khan Khalil, VC
University of Agriculture at Peshawar in his address as chief guest lauded the role of HEC
and appreciated the introduction of quality criteria in the universities. Dr. Sohail Naqvi,
Executive Director HEC through videoconferencing stressed upon the Heads of QEC’s to
take ownership of the quality assurance processes and help the institutions in improving
the quality of education. He informed that implementation of quality criteria has been
linked to funding to be provided to the universities by HEC. Dr. Azam Ali Khwaja, MD
Quality Assurance Agency informed that QEC’s are now operational in 62 public and private
universities and the implementation of the Quality Assurance Model would help in
identifying the weaknesses and strengths of programs so that remedial measures can be
undertaken. Each QEC through a presentation informed about the status of objectives
achieved. Some decisions taken were:
• Self Assessment process to be initiated in at least another three departments.
• Second cycle of SA to be initiated In departments at the end of 2years.
• Develop an effective communication strategy to sensitize the stakeholders.
• Updates of all QEC activities be continuously provided on the websites.
• Contributions from QEC’s on quality issues in local and international forums.
This Issue
Fourteenth QECs Meeting
Criteria for M.Phil/MS/Ph. D.
Pakistan at APQN Conference-2010
Plagiarism Detection Service.
6th Meeting of experts of Distance
Education.
National Accreditation Councils for
Teacher Education.
National Business Education
Accreditation Council.
*****************
AMOUNT OF FUNDS DISBURSED
TO THE UNIVERSITIES BY HEC IS
NOW LINKED TO
IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITY
STANDARDS.
MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR M.PHIL/MS AND PH.D.
Revised criteria for M. Phil/MS and Ph.D have been circulated amongst the
universities for their implementation on 6th
April, 2010. These are
reproduced below. More details are available on the HEC website.
Representation of Pakistan
at APQN Conference-2010
Prof. Dr. Syed Mahmood Raza,
Advisor (QA & LI) and Ms. Zia
Batool, Director General (QA)
participated in the Conference and
Annual General Meeting (AGM) ,
held on 3-5 March, 2010 at
Bangkok, Thailand, regarding
“Enhancing Quality of Higher
Education in Developing World”
organized by Asia-Pacific Quality
Network.
During the conference Director
Quality Assurance NUST, Air Cdre
(R) Engr Muhammad Ismail
presented a paper titled “Quality
Assurance and Self Assessment - A
Pakistani Perspective”. He also was
a panelist on the topic “Does
External QA enhances Internal QA?
Institutional Perspective!
****************************
3rd
International Conference on
Assessing Quality in Higher
Education will be organized by the
University of Management and
Technology, Lahore. HEC will be
one of the sponsors. Dr. Abdul
Raouf can be contacted for details
at abdulraouf @umt.edu.pk
1. Sixteen years of schooling or 4 year education (130 credit hours) after
HSSC/F.A. /F.Sc/Grade 12 equivalent will be required for admission in the
M.Phil/MS Programme leading to Ph.D. z
2. The GAT-General conducted by the National Testing Service with a
minimum 50% cumulative score will be required at the time of admission
to M.Phil/M.S. The GAT-General test is valid for a period of two years.
3. For award of M.Phil/M.S/Equivalent degree, candidates will need to
complete 30 credit hours, out of which at least 24 credit hours will be for
course work and minimum 6 credit hours for research work/thesis.
4. The minimum CGPA should be 3.0 (out of 4.0 in the Semester System) or
First Division (in the Annual System) in M.Phil/M.S/Equivalent Degree
for admission into Ph.D.
5. a. GRE Subject Test conducted by the Educational Testing Service will be
required at the time of admission to Ph.D. The minimum acceptable scores are as follows:
i. 40% Percentile Score: Valid for Admissions until December 31, 2009.
ii. 45% Percentile Score: Valid for Admissions until December 31, 2010.
iii. 50% Percentile Score: Valid for Admissions until December 31, 2011.
iv. 60% Percentile Score: Valid for Admissions thereafter.
b. In disciplines where this test is not available, the test will be conducted by
the National Testing Service (NTS). Qualifying score for NTS subject test
will be minimum 60% cumulative score.
c. If the Test is not available in NTS subject list, then a University Committee
consisting of at least 3 PhD faculty members in the subject area and
approved by the HEC will conduct the Test at par with GRE Subject Test
and qualifying score for this will be 70% score.
d. For presently continuing students (Admissions before January 11, 2010),
the candidates must pass the GRE Subject Test before submission of Ph.D.
Dissertation.
6. Additional Ph.D. level course work of at least 18 credit hours followed by a
Comprehensive Examination and an open defense of Dissertation is essential
for the award of Ph.D. degree.
7. Acceptance/publication of at least one research paper in an HEC approved
“X” category journal is essential for the award of Ph.D. degree (“Y” in case of
Social Sciences only).
8. The Plagiarism Test must be conducted on the Dissertation before its
submission to the two foreign experts, as described below.
9. The Ph.D. Dissertation must be evaluated by at least two Ph.D. experts from
technologically/academically advanced foreign countries in addition to local
Committee members.
10. A copy of Ph.D. Dissertation (both hard and soft) must be submitted to HEC
for record in Ph.D. Country Directory.
11. There should be at least 3 relevant full time Ph.D. Faculty members in a
department to launch the Ph.D. program.
12. The maximum number of Ph.D. students under the supervision of a full time
faculty member is five which may be increased to eight under special
circumstances in certain teaching departments subject to prior approval of the
Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Plagiarism Detection Services provided to
universities by HEC
6th Meeting of experts of
Distance Education
HEC is reviewing the Distance
Education Programs being
conducted by the universities in the
country in order to streamline the
system. In this connection the 6th
meeting of experts was held on
March 17, 2010 at Higher
Education Commission, Islamabad.
Dr. Syed Mahmood Raza, Advisor
(QA & LI) at HEC chaired the
meeting. The experts were briefed
on the examination system of
Virtual University. The experts will
now review the system prevailing
at Allama Iqbal Open University will
be reviewed through an on-site
visit.
*****************************
FACTS.
670 FACULTY MEMBERS IN 43
UNIVERSITIES ARE NOW WORKING
UNDER THE TENURE TRACK
SYSTEM.
THE NUMBER OF PROGRAM TEAMS
FORMED BY THE QUALITY
ENHANCEMENT CELLS IS NOW 653.
Since the ZERO TOLERANCE FOR PLAGIARISM policy announcement by HEC, a number of
steps have been undertaken to curb this menace. One such step involved the provision of
Plagiarism Detection Services to universities. In this connection, the plagiarism detection
software ‘Turnitin’ has so far been provided to 60 public and 7 private sector universities.
The software after matching any scholarly work with all available sources generates a
similarity report. Presently, similarities of up to 19% are being allowed.
To orient the users about the software and techniques of interpreting the reports generated
by the software, sessions are being arranged by the Quality Assurance Division of HEC with
each university. So far, faculty members of 37 universities have been briefed, the last session
through videoconferencing being held for the faculty of Liaquat University of Medical and
Health Sciences. Mr. Muneer Ahmad, Deputy Director (email: [email protected]) is the
focal person for the plagiarism detection service at HEC. See also www.turnitin.com
Fourth Meeting of National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
(NACTE)
The fourth meeting of NACTE council was held on 31st
March 2010 at University of Education Lahore. Dr. Munawar S. Mirza presided.
Agenda items included briefing on Accreditation Tools and Manuals, establishment of the Secretariat at Islamabad and budgetary proposals for 2010-
2011. Members were informed that a Pilot study in 30 institutions of the country is currently being undertaken using the standards developed in
collaboration with UNESCO.
Since the Council meeting, a workshop attended by 50 evaluators of the Council was held at Islamabad from 5th
April to 11th
May 2010.
******************************************
An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a
life.
Unknown Author
Meeting on Standard Operational
Procedures for NBEAC
The National Business Education Accreditation Council (NBEAC) in a meeting
of senior academicians held at HEC on 25th
February, 2010 presented the
SOP’s for review. The Chairman NBEAC, Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed briefed the
participants about the proposed standards to be followed for accreditation
of business programs in the country. Selection criteria document for
evaluators was also presented in this meeting. The task of developing the
assessment proformas and doing a final review of NBEAC SOPs was assigned
to UMT, LUMS, FAST-NU in this meeting.
Awareness workshops on Quality
Assurance convened by QECs
Current status of 15 QEC’s established during
Phase III: Awareness Seminars held in
International Islamic University, Sardar Bahadur
Khan Women University, Gomal University,
Khyber Medical University, Islamia University,
Lahore College for Women University, University
of Education, University of Gujrat, Dawood
College of Engineering and Technology and Shah
Abdul Latif University.
Bahria University, Balochistan University of
Engineering and Technology, Hazara University,
University of Health Sciences and Sukkur
Institute of Managemnt Sciences yet to hold
AWARENESS SEMINARS for their faculty.
From Phase I & II, QECs at Frontier Women
University, Peshawar; Liaquat University of
Medical & Health Sciences, University of
Punjab, and Dow University of Health
Sciences, Karachi convened various events
to sensitize the stake holders about Internal
Quality Assurance Mechanism.
Quality Assurance Agency
Higher Education Commission
H-9, Islamabad
Prof. Dr. Azam Ali Khwaja
Ms. Tahreem Aslam
