The Central Quality Assurance Office

Quality Assuranceinthe AAB aimed at incorporating standards and principles set by the Bologna Process. Implementing these standards is seen as a main precondition to achieving a high quality in teaching and scientific work.

Quality assuranceis done in accordance with the Regulation on Quality Assuranceandthe Instruction on Quality Assurance, which comply with the legal framework in Kosovo and with the Law on Higher Education and Administrative Instruction on Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions and international standards of the European Network of Quality Assurance (ENQA). Quality Assurance Instructionwas revised and adjusted to the framework document developed by the TEMUPS project entitled “Support and Development of Structures for Quality Assurance (SC) inPrivate Higher Education Institutions in Kosovo”. Besides relevant local institutions like MESTandKAA, a large contribution in developing the handbook was provided by experts of the field of quality from the University of Salzburg (Austria), Cork University College (Ireland) and POLITEHNICA University from Bucharest (Rumania). Also, as of this year, the AAB has become part of“Encouraging the process of curriculum development based on learning outcomes and research guided teaching in the private higher education institutions of Kosova“ project. 

In institution’s development strategy, quality assuranceis considered a main commitment that will enable the institution to design and provide quality programs with a clear profile, tailored to students’ needs, relying on principles of academic freedom and implementation of laws in force, accredited by respective institutions, recognised by employers and professional associations and conducive to the development of the people and the society.

In compliance with AAB’s Strategic Development Plan, in 2005, a Quality Assurance Office was also established.

To ensure quality teaching, learning, study programs, research and administration in the AABthrough continuous implementation and improvement of quality and to make sure that mechanisms and procedures for achieving quality are functional. Accomplishing this mission is in harmony with the mission of the institution and contributes to accomplishing its vision of being the best non-public university in the country and the region and to produce human resources that will contribute to the development of the local and global community.

• Ensuring and advancing the quality as part of University’s strategy for the provision of high-level teaching, learning and research.
• Quality assurance involves all stakeholders inside and outside the University.
• Quality assuranceis designed to complete the internal and external approval and accreditation process.
• Quality assurance practices must be documented, monitored, revised and be subject to evaluation process.
• Quality assuranceis designed to boost institutional and public trust in institution’s academic standards.
• Quality assuranceis a process that is facilitated and supported by institution’s steering bodies.

The main role of the QAO is to obtain support and professional and administrative leadership and instructions on and support for quality assurance at all levels of the institution and assist in organising the accreditation of the institution and study programs.

• Formulate various strategies, policies,mechanisms, procedures and practices for ensuring and advancing the academic quality in the institution.
• Promote a culture of quality in the institution.
• Develop the Quality Assurance Guide, which will provide evaluation of teaching, revision of programs and evaluation of students.
• Give advice in approving and developing study modules and programs.
• Develop strategies and help advance teaching and learning.
• Coordinate the schedule of activities with quality coordinators at the level of fields of study.

• Main duties and responsibilities:
• Works in close consultation with the CQAO and the Deputy Rector for Teaching Affairs;
• Acts as a supporter of quality assurance inside the faculty;
• Develops, directs, plans and provides strategy and processes for quality in the AABin cooperation withother relevant stakeholders;
• Provided services and assistance in implementing best practices and initiatives;
• Gives advice in approving and developing study modules and programs;
• Supports implementation of quality improvement strategies;
• Provides support for evaluation by the external Expert Evaluation Group and for accreditation process;
• Responsible for organisation and collection of questionnaires for students and academic staff;
• Prepares feedback on implementation of recommendations for the respective faculty, starting from the process of evaluation, written as a plan for improvement, and discusses and adjusts the same in cooperation withthe CQAO.

Depending on the culture and the history of an institution, in some countries, internal evaluations are initiated by institutions themselves, and in other countries, pursuant to legal provisions defined by the government or international organisations. Questionnaires for the staff and the students related to the quality of various aspects in the institution and interviews with people from the industry and stakeholders regarding the institution constitute the most frequent tools for internal evaluation.

The AAB University initiates the quality assurance process by creating internal bodies, which are responsible for quality assurance in the University. The Quality Assurance Officeis responsible for compiling and implementing the evaluation methodology, based on decisions taken by Senate’s Quality Assurance Committee. The management and the Senate decide on the basic framework for annual and periodical evaluations or evaluations with a special focus, and the Office, depending on the type of evaluation,formulates the questionnaires andprovided for information and awareness for the process of evaluation.For instance, an evaluation may involve measuring students’ satisfaction with the university in general, including advice, courses provided, quality of teaching and workload. On the other hand, another evaluation may include measuring the achievement of a number of competences provided by the program. In addition to these, the number of students and their transition from a year to another, the gender breakdown, grades etc. are analysed. This is how the data taken from evaluation questionnaires can be checked against the data contained in students’ files and how trends from a year to another can be tracked. Evaluation may also include the overall functioning of the University with regard to the operations of the council, administration and other services. This is how a culture is ensured and quality is required in each activity in the University. However, to achieve this, all methodologies and information collection tools must be developed diligently and in constant consultation with the stakeholders.

An effective internal evaluation requires an evaluation process that is free from influence andwith an emphasized ethics so that evaluations are done in an effective and fair manner. This type of independence and efficient supervision ensures that evaluation effects are determined by the policies developed by the Senate.The Office of the Rector, in cooperation withSenate’s Quality Assurance Committee, approves the mode of reporting.The Senatedecides on recommendations with an academic effect that have emerged from the evaluation, and the Board decides on recommendations with a financial, legal and strategic impact. In the model applied by the AAB, studentsparticipate in theQuality Assurance Committee, and stakeholdersare involved in the external evaluation and academic program planning.The Senatesets up theQuality Assurance Committee. The Rector is responsible for implementation of evaluation results through bodies that he/she presides over, be they academic or administrative. The Rector has a lead roleandmay delegate the responsibility to therespective Deputy Rector. In terms of units, they work closely with the Quality Assurance Office.

Accreditation is a formal and transparent process of quality control, during which an independent body, based on internationally recognized defined standards, examines whether institutions and/or programmes offered at university level comply with minimum quality requirements.

AAB College is a private provider of higher education programmes offering a wide range of quality academic programmes. AAB College is accredited by the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KKA) and licensed by Ministry of Education, Sciences and Technology (MEST) to offer a number of study programmes in the Bachelor level (level six, first cycle, aacording to the Bologna process and the National Quality Framework), and Master level (level seven, second cycle according to the Bologna process and the NQF).

For any accreditation to be granted a number of standards or conditions for accreditation has to be met. These standards for accreditation have been fully met by the AAB College and hence institutional and programme level accreditation was granted to AAB College.These standards for accreditation can be found by clicking HERE.

For further information on the accrediation please visit the KAA’s website at: http://www.akreditimi-ks.org/new/index.php/en/accreditation/2014-11-19-14-30-14/private-institutions

AAB College is accredited to offer study programmes of the levels described above, in three locations around Kosovo, and these are:

• The branch of AAB College at the Prishtina Campus (Fushe Kosove, Kosovo)
• The branch of AAB College at the Ferizaj Campus (Ferizaj, Kosovo)
• The branch of AAB College at the Gjakova Campus (Gjakove, Kosove)

At the Prishtina Campus of the AAB College, are the main headqurters of the institution.

AAB College has so far gone through three institutional accreditation processes:

• First Accreditation: 01.Ocotber.2009 – 30.September.2010 (1 year)
• Second Accreditation 01.October.2010 – 30.September.2013 (3 years)
• Third Accreditation: 01.October.2013 – 30.September.2018 (5 years)

AAB College has so far gone through a number of program accreditation and reaccreditation processes:

• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2009 – 30. September. 2010
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2010 – 30. September. 2011
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2010 – 30. September. 2012
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2010 – 30. September. 2013
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2011 – 30. September. 2012
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2011 – 30. September. 2014
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2012 – 30. September. 2013
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2012 – 30. September. 2014
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2012 – 30. September. 2015
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2013 – 30. September. 2016
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2014 – 30. September. 2016
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2014 – 30. September. 2017
• Accreditation and Reaccreditation of programs: 01.October.2014 – 30. September. 2019

Currently offered study programs

• Banking, Finance and Accounting- BSc
• Management and Informatics- BA
• Marketing and Business Administration- BA
• Management and Informatics – MA
• Marketing and Business Management – MA
• Banking and Finance – MA
• Sector Management – MA

• Software Engineering – BSc
• Computer Sciences – MSc

• Mass Communication – Journalism – BA
• Mass Communication – Production – BA
• Mass Communication and Journalism – MA

• General Law – LLB
• Criminology profile
• European Integration profile
• Law – Civil Law – LLM
• Penal Low – LLM

• Public Administration – BA, with Profiles:
• Public Administration
• Political Sciences and Diplomacy
• Public Administration – MA

• Physical Culture and Sports – BA
• Physical Culture and Sports – MA

• English Language – BA
• English Language – MA

• Child care and welfare – BA
• Social policies and Child welfare – MA (Accreditation)
• Psychology – BA ( Accreditation)

• Architecture – BA
• Graphic Design and Multimedia – BA
• Musicology – BA
• Interior Design – BA
• Painting – BA
• Fashion Design – BA

For the AAB College, student representation by the students themselves is of paramount important. And for this reason at the AAB College, we have introduced the tutoring system. It is important that students have a strong voice through student tutors (or representatives), and their voice is heard in an attempt to make changes and improvements or to move forward for the better. There is no doubt that the importance of student tutors is great and therefore AAB College financially rewards students for their work. The financial reward is freeing them from some semester installment payments and other benefits.

Tutor students will spend part of the day at the collegefacilities, in particular in the faculty to which they belong and for which they have been selected to help other students. There could be instances where students would be reluctant to freely communicate their difficulties with academic staff or administrative staff, the dean’s office or the management, or the Office of Quality Assurance – but students can feel more comfortable to express themselves with student tutorsor student representatives. So, the purpose of the student tutor is to represent as best as possible the opinions of the students that they represent, and discuss with other stakeholders their requests, complaints, suggestions, etc.

The system of student tutoring is very important because student tutors do empower the communication triangle: student – teacher – management or administration – student.