The mission of the Office of Quality Assurance is to support the institution’s development and improvement through a participatory internal quality mechanism in learning.
The vision of the Office of Quality Assurance is to activate an effective quality management system through which quality is assured in all processes and operations of the institution.
The Office of Quality Assurance was established on January 14, 2019 to enhance the effectiveness of The Mico’s Quality Assurance mechanism. This is critical as we move toward full university status, with the next step being Institutional Accreditation.
The OQA logo was developed through a collaborative process over several weeks. The OQA logo incorporates a number of elements. The use of the gear as the ‘O’ with its two-tone appearance, the placement of the Mico logo, the font face of the “Q” and “A” are all deliberate elements that speak to the role that quality places in enhancing institutional effectiveness. Read more about the evolution of OQA logo here.
In keeping with the institution’s strategic objective of attaining University status and maintaining institution and program accreditation, the OQA seeks ensure that all stakeholders pursue and achieve the highest standards in teaching, learning, research and administration. The Office is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the processes by which the institution continuously assures quality and standards in its operations.
Through consistent efforts, the OQA aims to ensure a broad understanding of the role and purpose of quality processes among the institution’s stakeholders. This requires well-informed staff who are trained in various quality management protocol which they adhere to when executing various departmental duties.
The OQA is compliant with the requirements prescribed by local quality organizations and professional associations while aiming to achieve international standards in quality. As part of our focus, the OQA:
The goal of OQA is executed through the Quality Officers and Quality Researcher. To do this, the OQA corps undertakes a number of activities:
We have developed and employ various commonly referred to as The Mico “Policy on Policies”, which dictates how policies, protocols and regulations are to be developed and the process they should undergo for revision.
Staff of the Office of Quality Assurance meet weekly to plot the way forward. Our offices are closed to the public for while we engage in brainstorming, planning and monitoring sessions.
As part of our data collection efforts we engage our stakeholders in surveys, consultation sessions and other fact finding exercises. The data collected covers both institutional record as well as observations and perceptions from the staff and student population.
A critical part of what we do is ensuring that staff are fully sensitized on new policies and on critical changes to policies and regulations. We also ensure that training workshops are conducted where necessary.
We are guided by the OQA uses the PDCA model for Continuous Improvement (see figure below), which has its roots in the manufacturing industry and is recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in their Quality Management standards.
PDSA Model courtesy of The W. Edwards Deming Institute® Retried from MindTools
All stakeholders of the Mico University College play a critical role in this cycle, providing us with feedback on the policies, regulations and procedures and letting us know where there is need for such guidance in the operations of the institution.