An assessment panel is appointed for each higher education institution to conduct a review of all of the institution’s courses and programmes. The assessment panel’s first site visit to Uppsala University will be conducted digitally on 16 and 17 February, when questions will be asked based on the self-evaluations conducted by the University and student union reports.

“The visit will begin with an interview with University Management, followed by interviews with deans, support functions at various levels of the organisation, working life representatives, directors of studies, heads of department and programme coordinators, as well as Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral students,” explains Camilla Maandi, head of the Unit for Quality and Evaluation at the University’s Division for Quality Enhancement.

After the first site visit, the assessment panel will identify the audit trails to be followed up during its second visit.

“Once we have been informed of which audit trails they have selected, we will have two to three weeks to collect material to illuminate our work in these areas and pass this on to the assessors. They will then make a second site visit in May, during which further interviews will be conducted regarding work performed along the chosen audit trails.”

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor leads the project group

A special project group at the University led by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Coco Norén is responsible for the institutional review. Expert advice is provided by Camilla Maandi and Åsa Kettis, head of the Division for Quality Enhancement.

“We work extensively to prepare documentation, plan visits and maintain contact with the Swedish Higher Education Authority. The group also has a senior faculty administrator from each disciplinary domain plus a dean/deputy dean representing their disciplinary domain. Student representatives have also been involved in the project group. There is also a reference group with members from the faculties that are not represented in the project group and students,” explains Camilla Maandi.

There are various contact channels out into the organisation to disseminate information about work on the review.

“While senior faculty administrators and deans/deputy deans in the project group have been very active in gathering information from the organisation in conjunction with the self-evaluation, we have also visited deans’ meetings and the vice-chancellor’s heads of department meeting and other forums to inform about the review.”