Professions offer helping hands

Accreditation systems used by professional bodies could be a model for a new quality regime in higher education.

A national survey by the Higher Education Quality Council found that professional bodies already have a strong influence on all areas monitored through quality assessment and audit.

Nearly three-quarters of professional bodies take account of "wide" institutional matters, such as internal quality assurance procedures and staffing policies, when deciding whether to accredit courses or schools.

Most required applicants for accreditation to give details on admission policies and staffing, although these are seen as an institutional responsibility.

Ninety per cent of professional bodies paid close attention to the qualifications and experience of teaching staff, according to the survey. Just over 40 per cent strongly recommended that staff in leadership roles be in full corporate membership; 45 per cent stressed the importance of involving practitioners on a visiting lecturer basis; 85 per cent gave close attention to staff development policies; and 25 per cent specified expected staff:student ratios.

Facilities are looked at by most bodies, with information technology and libraries coming under the closest scrutiny.

A quarter fully specify the overall curriculum of courses, and half specify the syllabus and 80 per cent make recommendations or issue guidelines on student assessment.

In some professions, such as dentistry, the size of the total student intake target is also determined by Government.

A report on the findings says there is so much overlap that there is a clear case for common documentation and joint visits.

These are being explored by funding councils and the HEQC. But Robin Middlehurst, the HEQC's director of quality enhancement, suggested a new quality agency could go one step further.

"The accreditation model might be seen as one which could work for the whole sector," she said.

Alan Crispin, report author and assistant director of quality enhancement, advocated a "mixed economy" approach. "The new agency will have to face up to the fact that professional bodies are already heavily involved. It may decide to negotiate with them to do some of the work," he said.