Quality Assurance.
Directorate of Quality Assurance
“A NEW DAWN TOWARDS QUALITY EDUCATION IN ISAE”
The Academic Senate of the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (ISAE) has recently established the Directorate of Quality Assurance in the domains of teaching, research and transfer of technology, in line with the Policies and Standards of the Higher Education Council (HEC) in Rwanda. The preeminent responsibility of this Directorate is to review and maintain the quality and standards of education in ISAE, and to devote itself to the dissemination of best practices with a view to promoting the quality and excellence in education.
The mandate of this Directorate is manifold : The salient aspects that will be administered by this Directorate are :
1. Developing policies and procedures regarding quality assurance, for approval by the Academic Senate.
2. Providing guidelines to Faculties and Departments on all matters concerning academic quality assurance.
3. Arranging review of academic programmes whenever needed, through organizing seminars/workshops etc. for quality enhancement.
4. Proposing policies and procedures for staff development in order to assure quality learning and teaching.
5. Ensuring that Faculties and Departments are carrying out their responsibilities in executing the approved programmes on the foundation of quality maintenance or enhancement.
6. Proposing reforms in the examination systems for improving quality on par with national, regional and international standards.
7. Proposing policies and procedures for improving the quality of research and transfer of technology.
8. Establishing the quality through self assessment and external audit by HEC.
Recent Developments :
1. The Audit team from HEC had concluded the audit of ISAE 2010.
2. Based on the audit report, ISAE is shifting from Competency Based Learning (CBL) to Student Centered Learning (SCL) encompassing the Modular system of course delivery. The existing programs are being reorganized as per the Modular system.
3. Various policy documents have been prepared. Documents such as, Policy document on, Appointment, Promotion, Training and Retention ; Policy Document on Research. The academic regulation has been revised reflecting the directives of HEC with reference to code of conduct of examinations, involvement of external examiners and related matters.
4. The directives from HEC on issues such as mounting New Programs, New Departments etc are being followed.
Administration :
The Directorate is manned by Prof. Dr. Antoni Joseph RAYAR, a renowned Soil Scientist, who has been working for ISAE for more than one decade. He was the former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, ISAE. In addition to his service in Rwanda, Prof. Dr. Antoni Joseph Rayar had also worked in Algeria and Nigeria at various academic levels.
