Page 68 - AUN-QA

3.4 Self-Assessment Report (SAR)

A typical self-assessment project would take about 9 months to a year to prepare.
However, the duration depends on the stage of development, availability of data and
information and the maturity of the university, faculty or school. At the start of the
project, it is important that the sponsor, project team and staff have a common
comprehension and understanding of the AUN-QA guidelines and criteria. Training
and communications should be set up to ensure this. The SAR is the product of the
self-assessment exercise and it should be written in an objective, factual and
complete manner and follow the AUN-QA criteria self-assessment checklist (See
Appendix A).

The self-assessment must be finalised with a SAR. Writing an effective SAR requires
skills and time. Some guidelines for writing an effective SAR are:

 The report is the account of the self-assessment. That is to say, the SAR is not
just descriptive but it is also analytical. It includes an evaluation of the problems.
At the same time, it provides an indication of how the problems identified will be
dealt with. Use the diagnostic questions provided in each of the AUN-QA criteria
to do this.
 Since it is a self-assessment, which is of the utmost importance for an external
assessment team, it is important for the SAR to follow a specific format based on
the AUN-QA criteria and checklist.
 Illustrate clearly what, where, when, who and how the QA mechanisms or
instruments are implemented and managed to fulfil the criteria. This will help you
to piece all related information together.
 Focus on information and data (objective evidences) that directly address the
criteria. The report has to be concise and factual. Provide trends and statistics to
show achievements and performance. The quantitative data requires special
attention. The manner in which data is presented is important for the right
interpretation of the data. There is a clear need for standardisation of data such
as student numbers, appointment of teaching staff, staff-to-student ratio, pass
rates, etc.
 Self-assessment forms the starting point for improvement between the review
committee and the faculty as well as a document for inter-collegial assessment.
When conducting a self-assessment, it is important to draw up an institution’s
own standards and criteria, but it is also essential to take account of the criteria
formulated by outsiders, such as an accrediting body. When analysing an
institution's own quality, it is important to look for evidence on how far the criteria
have been met. If there are no formally formulated standards in the country or
region, the standards as formulated in this manual may be used and taken as
benchmarks.
 The SAR should be written or translated into a language (i.e. English) that is easy
for external assessors to comprehend. Provide a glossary of abbreviations and
terminologies used in the report.

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