Cork Institute of Technology

Institutional Review 2010

Introducing the 2010 Institutional Review

In 2010, Cork Institute of Technology is due to undergo Institutional and Delegated Authority Review.

Institutional Review is a comprehensive external review of all Institute functions, both academic and non-academic. The requirement on the Institute to undergo this five-yearly review arises from the 1999 Qualifications (Education and Training) Act. As CIT holds delegated authority to make its own awards, the statutory review of the operation of delegated authority is integrated with Institutional Review.

Institutional Review is organised by HETAC. Many Institutes have already completed the review during the current Institutional Review cycle, which commenced in 2008. Documentation on completed Institutional Reviews can be accessed by clicking here.

Phases of Institutional Review

Institutional Review is carried out in two phases. The first phase is constituted by a period of self-study and takes place during the current semester. The findings of this self-study will be summarised in a Self-Evaluation Report, which CIT is due to submit to HETAC in June 2010. Following on from this, the Institute will receive an extended site visit from an independent external review panel. This visit is scheduled for November 2010. The final Institutional Review Panel report will allow HETAC to endorse the quality of CIT’s education provision and extend our delegated authority.

Objectives of Institutional Review

Institutional Review has six Prescribed Objectives:
• to enhance public confidence in the quality of education and training provided by the institution and the standards of the awards made;
• to contribute to coherent strategic planning and governance in the institution;
• to assess the effectiveness of the quality assurance arrangements operated by the institution;
• to confirm the extent that the institution has implemented the national framework of qualifications and procedures for access, transfer and progression;
• to evaluate the operation and management of delegated authority where it has been granted;
• to provide recommendations for the enhancement of the education and training provided by the institution.

The six review objectives prescribed by HETAC pre-determine the main parameters of self-study. More detailed review criteria can be extracted from the external policy documents and standards which frame and guide the Institute’s operations in each area under review. The following section provides links to the main policy documents, standards and guidelines relevant to Institutional Review.

Contact

Queries and comments on Institutional Review in Cork Institute of Technology may be directed to Ms Eva Juhl [eva.juhl@cit.ie], CIT Institutional Review Facilitator (Tel.: 021-433 5386).

Links