Summary
Description of internal and external quality assurance system at WUR
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Our educational quality assurance focuses on safeguarding, monitoring, and enhancing the quality of our degree programmes. To ensure our high standard of educational quality, Wageningen University (WU) has its own internal quality assurance system consisting of processes for reviewing, monitoring, and improving education. In addition, WU is taking part in external quality assurance, such as evaluations by external experts and accrediting bodies.
Internal quality assurance system
The central mechanism of our internal quality assurance system is the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act), which operates at the course, programme, and institutional levels and is guided by constructive feedback and ongoing dialogue with internal and external stakeholders.
Image 1: Screenshot of PDCA cycle - interactive version can be found in the attachment.
Within each cycle information is collected which provides signals about our educational quality. This includes for example student and alumni evaluations, scientific peer reviews, student performance data, education experience sessions and outcomes from various meetings. This information helps to identify what actions need to be taken to improve quality where necessary (e.g. in-depth analyses, enhancement measures, policy revisions or development).
Want to know more?
The interactive infographic (see attachment) Educational quality assurance and enhancement provides a visual summary of the different PDCA-cycles at WU-, programme-, and course level, and the instruments and actors involved at each level.
The policy document Education quality assurance and enhancement WU 2025 (see attachment) provides a comprehensive description of our internal quality assurance system.
In case you have other questions related to the internal quality assurance you can reach out to the department Quality & Strategic Information (QSI).
External quality assurance system
The university as a whole, as well as all individual BSc and MSc programmes, undergoes external assessment for accreditation once every six years.
For individual programmes, this involves:
- New programme: TNO (Toets Nieuwe Opleiding) - Initial accreditation
- Existing programme: Programme assessment for re-accreditation every six years
Programme accreditation is carried out by an external panel review and includes:
- A self-evaluation report or cover letter with existing documentation
- A site visit by the assessment panel
- Document study
- Review of theses from graduates
- Interviews
Each programme is assessed against four standards, in accordance with the assessment framework of the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization (NVAO).
An overview of all the Development Dialogues (Ontwikkelgesprekken) with the corresponding programme assessment panels can be found here.
The institutional audit (Instellingstoets Kwaliteitszorg, ITK) is also part of the external quality assurance. It is an independent evaluation of WU’s internal quality assurance system. The central question of the audit is whether the internal quality assurance system, in conjunction with the quality culture, ensures that WU's vision on good education can be realized. The institutional audit takes place every six years and is assessed by an external committee appointed by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization (NVAO).
Panel reports of new and existing programmes and the institutional audit are available from the website NVAO: Decisions & Reports – NVAO
The Quality & Strategic Information (QSI) department of Education and Student Affairs (ESA) supports and monitors the various accreditation processes.