SCIENCE quality-assurance policy

SCIENCE’s quality-assurance system mirrors the Policy for the Quality Assurance of Study Programmes at the University of Copenhagen, and aims to ensure that SCIENCE’s study programmes continue to be of high quality and relevance. The quality-assurance process is designed continuously to enhance and improve SCIENCE’s position as an attractive educational institution and partner at national and international level.

The policies and procedures at SCIENCE follow UCPH’s guidelines and help support the implementation of strategies in the educational area at SCIENCE.

The quality-assurance policy and associated procedures are set at faculty level and apply to most of the faculty’s study programmes, departments and study boards. However, some study programmes follow their own procedures and report annually to the dean and the faculty management at SCIENCE. This is the case for the professional bachelor programme in forestry and landscaping engineering, outdoor education, the park diploma where the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management is responsible for the quality-assurance.

In addition, SCIENCE provides teaching for two study programmes at the Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research in China, namely Water and Environment and Nanoscience and Technology. In accordance with the training agreement between UCPH and the Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS), the quality assurance of these two programmes is undertaken by SDC. SDC is responsible for formulating a quality assurance policy and for the ongoing quality assurance of the study programmes. The quality assurance policy is being prepared and will be presented to the rector for approval before it comes into force. University Education Services at UCPH is responsible for obtaining and verifying the SDC quality assurance procedures.

Quality culture in SCIENCE

At SCIENCE it is important that quality assurance of the study programmes involves the students, heads of studies, study boards and departments. It is important that there is a common understanding of the frameworks and a clear division of responsibilities. This will ensure a culture in which everyone is able to address challenges quickly and effectively. The dean has the ultimate responsibility for quality assurance of study programmes at the Faculty.

The students are an important part of the quality assurance culture at SCIENCE. They are represented on the study boards as well as in various committees and councils at faculty and department level. At faculty level, students are represented in the Dialogue Forum and the Faculty Working Environment Committee, while at the department level they are represented in teaching committees and department councils. Information about the department councils and committees can be found on the individual departments' websites under 'About the Department'. In addition, extensive information about councils and committees can be found at KUnet.

Organisation and responsibilities

SCIENCE has a well-defined organisational structure and a clear division of responsibilities, which helps to underpin its quality culture.

The descriptions of job functions and the organisation explain in detail what the participants and offices deal with and their respective areas of responsibility, including the delegation of responsibilities from the dean to the associate dean.

Not all documents has yet been translated in to English. Functional descriptions for deputy heads of department, directors of studies and heads of section as well as mandates for various committees are available to all members of staff at the English site of KUnet.

The document Organisation and division of responsibility describes the allocation of responsibilities and the interrelationships between the participants according to SCIENCE's quality-assurance system.