Guidelines for programme auditors at the University of Bergen
These guidelines can also be found as an Appendix to the Handbook for Quality Assurance of University Education.
Main content
- A programme auditor is an external peer who has special tasks relating to the evaluation of one or more study programmes. The faculty will appoint one or more programme auditors for its study programmes or parts of them. The term of office is normally four years.
- The programme auditor shall evaluate the organisation and implementation of a study programme, or part of it. The programme auditor must be given relevant information and can request further documentation. Evaluations by programme auditors shall include views on the five points shown in the table below. The faculty can issue more detailed rules about the programme auditor’s tasks.
- At least once during his/her term of office, the programme auditor should meet staff and students for discussions about quality development of the study programme.
- The programme auditor shall produce an annual written report on the study programme based on the mandate defined by the faculty. The programme auditor is also free to submit comments regarding any matters relating to the teaching, structure and contents of the study programme.
- The reports from programme auditor is part of the background information for the education report that the relevant department will produce. The programme auditors’ work can also be designed so that several successive annual reports together constitute an external programme evaluation.The annual report can be written in Norwegian, English or another appropriate language by agreement.
- The remuneration of programme auditors will be according to an agreement with the faculty. The report must be submitted by 1 December.
Evaluations by programme auditors shall include views on the following in particular (ref. part 2 above):
| I | Curriculum, organisation of the study programme and teaching |
| II |
The assessment system that is used in the study programme, cf. sections 3-9 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. As a basis for his/her evaluation, the programme auditor shall be given an overview documenting the evaluation system and the assessment system for the individual courses in the study programme. The programme auditor shall particularly evaluate the assessment system when only internal examiners are used.Those responsible for the programme of study must decide whether the programme auditor needs to be given further information about the assessment procedures. |
| III | The extent to which the programme auditor has participated in discussions with the academic staff about quality development of the study programme. |
| IV | Any special factors relating to implementation of the study programme during the period. |
| V | The role and tasks of programme auditor. |
The faculty can issue more detailed rules about the programme auditor’s tasks.
