Co-operation at the cusp of academic and corporate governance: establishing and embedding a joint quality committee in a university

This paper will explore a key focus for the architects of the new infrastructure: clearly delineating the remits of the organs of academic and corporate governance whilst ensuring effective collaboration and exchange between those bodies, especially on matters located on the cusp of both. This focus led to the establishment of a new Joint Quality Committee (JQC). Unlike quality committees in the antecedent institutions, JQC reports to both Academic Council and to Governing Body – though reports on the same matters may be through different lenses. JQC’s remit encompasses the establishment and implementation of schedules of quality reviews for all areas (academic and service), as well as the scheduling and management of cross-cutting thematic reviews, which have the ancillary benefit of promoting increased engagement and cooperation between stakeholders across the institution. JQC considers aggregated university data and stimulates action by relevant entities, ensuring that linkages and synergies are identified and exploited in doing so. The paper will reflect upon the committee’s activity, and on how it is supporting clarity of purpose and greater cohesion in the university’s governance. It will set out key themes arising, future plans, and advice for other HEIs.

This paper was presented at EQAF and reflects the views of the named authors only.

ISSN: 1375-3797

Co-operation at the cusp of academic and corporate governance: establishing and embedding a joint quality committee in a university

Chris O’Riordan, Mairéad Boland, Derek O’Byrne

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