Internal system for the assurance of the quality of education at Lodz University of Technology (IEQAS)

Lodz University of Technology, as one of the leading universities of technology, considers the high quality of education and modern teaching offer to be one of the five strategic objectives of its activity.

The Quality Assurance Policy of Lodz University of Technology is based on the innovativeness of education understood as the process of building knowledge, skills and developing the creativity of students and doctoral students as well as the innovativeness of the academic staff. The result is the contribution of the University and its graduates to building a sustainable and competitive economy as well as inclusive economic and social growth. This goal is achieved through the creation and improvement of products, processes and organisation.

The values that we respect and promote in our everyday activities are: work ethics, commitment, social sensitivity and continuous improvement.

TUL academic community implements the Quality Assurance Policy through:

• building a culture of quality,
• shaping the environment, including resources and infrastructure, conduciveto innovativeness of staff, students and doctoral students,
• strengthening the synergy between the University and its socio-economic environment,
• developing education based on scientific research and economic needs strategic for the University, the Region and the country,
• providing graduates with competences valued on the labour market,
• ensuring conditions for the University staff to develop competences conducive to innovative education,
• improvement of education and organisation of the education process in cooperation with students, doctoral students and the social and economic environment,
• drawing upon the best national, European and global models,
• confirmation of high quality of education through participation in national and international rankings and applying for national and international accreditations.

Lodz University of Technology applies the best academic practices while respecting the provisions of national law, standards in force in the European Higher Education Area and internal regulations of the University.

Vice Rector for Education is generally responsible for the assurance of the quality of education at TUL, including supervision and coordination of tasks.

Day-to-day management of education affairs has been delegated to the Rector’s Representative for Education. To provide administrative support, the post of Lead Specialist in Quality of Education has been established at the level of central administration.

Two committees appointed by the Rector and one appointed by the Senate operate within the IEQAS. They are the University Committee on the Quality of Education, University Committee on the Assessment of the Quality of Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Student Affairs.

Heads of basic organizational units (BOUs) of the University are responsible for quality assurance at the units they manage. They appoint committees on the quality of education and committees on the assessment of the quality of education, which constitute part of the system of the assurance of the quality of education.

Responsibilities and competences of particular institutional components i.e. persons and units responsible for the quality of education, support and cooperating units both at the central level and at the level of basic organizational units are depicted in detail on a separate page.

The elements of the Internal Educational Quality Assurance System at TUL functioning at the central level regulate, in a procedural sense, matters of educational quality on a university-wide scale and set guidelines for the TUL organisational units providing education.

Activities concerning the development and improvement of procedures and mechanisms for ensuring the quality of education, as well as monitoring and evaluation of the quality of education (e.g. evaluation surveys, class observations) are systematically carried out at TUL. As a result, preventive and corrective measures are taken to eliminate deficiencies. At least once per academic year, the Chairpersons of the Field of Study Council report on the quality of education to the Vice Rector for Education. In order to eliminate shortcomings in the educational quality assurance system and to prevent their occurrence in the future, irrespective of ad hoc measures, a corrective and improvement action plan for the next academic year is prepared every year. The IEQAS improvement activities at TUL also involve students, PhD students and employers engaged in the work of the various bodies that make up the IEQAS.

Essential tools supporting the IEQAS at TUL include:

1. Integrated Didactic Information System (ZSID) – a system enabling the collection, processing and storage of data related to the teaching process, including surveys, for dean's offices, TUL Language Centre, TUL Sports Centre, Residential Campus, matters related to finances, scholarships for students and doctoral students, etc.
2. Sphinx survey system – a system dedicated to the process of surveying the teaching process at TUL, enabling university-wide surveys, analysis and visualisation of the results, as well as their reporting.
3. Terminal for Academic Teachers (ZTN) – a system used for entering grades, registering for examinations, preparing and updating course syllabuses, etc.
4. Virtual Campus of Lodz University of Technology (WIKAMP) – a system used to conduct classes using distance learning methods and techniques, it is used as a platform for the exchange of information between different groups of the University staff, etc.
5. Web Dean’s Office [PL WebDziekanat] – a student portal with a number of functionalities, including informational: there are legal regulations, study programmes (ECTS catalogue), schedules, fee tables, obligatory dates and session dates, application forms, announcements and "virtual transcript of records" announcements. Students can obtain information regarding: grades in their studies and are obliged to check and possibly report inaccuracies; generation of an individual bank account by students living in the dormitories, etc.
6. Electronic Mail System of Lodz University of Technology (SPE) – a system for business correspondence, which is obligatorily used by all TUL staff and students, with the obligation to read the incoming mail on a daily basis.