Quality is "the ability of a service to meet the expectations and needs of everyone who benefits from it." It is "satisfaction." It is "a process." It is "an investment." It is "a systematic approach to the understanding of perfection and excellence." It is "conformity to requirements." According to ISO, quality is "the totality of characteristics of a product or service that demonstrate its ability to satisfy a specified need.
All activities used to meet quality requirements are considered quality control activities. Examples of quality control activities in higher education institutions include Input Control-Reporting, Strategic Plans, Administrative and Academic Activity Reports, and Internal Evaluation Reports.
These are administrative and procedural activities implemented in a quality management system. They serve as a means to prevent errors and defects in the services provided and to avoid issues during service delivery. In quality management and control, this defect prevention is very different from defect detection and rejection in quality control. Examples of significant quality assurance tools in higher education institutions include Institutional External Evaluation, the European University Association (EUA) Institutional Evaluation Program, Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THE QC) External Evaluation Program, Program Accreditation (ABET/MÜDEK, FEDEK, etc.), Certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 17001, ISO 27001 system standards), the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) Label, Diploma Supplement (DS) Label, and national and international rankings and indexes that monitor institutional goals and strategies.
The Quality Assurance System encompasses all the principles of planning and implementing internal and external quality assurance and accreditation processes for higher education institutions' educational, research, societal contribution activities, and administrative services. The fundamental principles of the quality assurance system are as follows:
a) Promoting a culture of quality assurance within the university.
b) Ensuring that quality assurance efforts within the university are based on the Quality Policy declared by the university.
c) Encouraging academic staff to take ownership of quality processes in academic matters and administrative staff in managerial issues, considering it a fundamental responsibility.
d) Planning all activities, implementing them according to the plan, conducting measurement processes to observe the results, identifying areas that need improvement based on these measurements, and carrying out improvement activities.
e) Documenting all processes, principles, and job descriptions within the university and ensuring they are applied as written.
It is a management system necessary for the administration and control of an organization in terms of quality. The aim of this system, which is to be structured and maintained continuously, is to meet expectations while ensuring continuous improvement.
It is a management philosophy introduced by Dr. Edwards Deming, which focuses on exceeding internal and external customer expectations as its primary goal. It emphasizes informing and empowering employees and aims to continuously improve all processes through teamwork. The principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) are as follows:
It is a document that briefly summarizes what quality means for the university, including the processes and mechanisms involved and how it is organized. It is created with a comprehensive and participatory approach.
a) Establishing the institution's internal and external quality assurance system to evaluate and enhance the quality of educational, research activities, and administrative services in accordance with the regulations, guidelines, procedures, and principles set by the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THE QC) and the university's strategic plan and objectives. This includes identifying institutional indicators, monitoring policies, and processes related to quality assurance in alignment with the university's mission, vision, and strategic goals as determined by national higher education strategies. It also involves ensuring that academic units set measurable goals, track performance indicators, and periodically review these targets, establishing self-assessment systems to ensure program quality, coordinating program accreditation processes, and addressing areas identified for improvement in the previous internal and external evaluations, submitting these activities for Senate approval.
b) Conducting internal evaluation activities and preparing an integrated institutional internal evaluation report that covers management activities related to education, research and development, societal contribution, and the supporting administrative services. This report should be aligned with the strategic plan, the annually prepared performance program, and the administrative activity report, and should be submitted for Senate approval.
c) Submitting the annual internal evaluation report, approved by the Senate, to THE QC and sharing it with the public by publishing it on the institution's main website.
d) Making necessary preparations for the external evaluation process and providing all necessary support to THE QC, external evaluation institutions, and external evaluators.
e) Planning training, meetings, workshops, and other events to develop and promote a quality culture.
f) Managing the internal and external stakeholder communication system related to the Commission's activities and, when necessary, inviting relevant stakeholder representatives to Commission meetings.
a) Defining, implementing, and ensuring the sustainability of the necessary processes for the quality assurance system.
b) Reporting the performance within the scope of the quality assurance system and identifying the needs for improvement.
c) Managing relationships with external organizations on matters related to quality assurance.
d) Coordinating between all academic and administrative units of the university regarding the duties of the Directorate.
e) Ensuring the structuring of the University Quality Assurance System by following quality standards.
f) Coordinating meetings held with Unit Quality Representatives.
g) Preparing, revising, publishing, recording, and distributing documents related to the area of responsibility.
h) Preparing the institutional internal evaluation plan and ensuring that internal evaluations are conducted.
i) Ensuring that internal stakeholders receive training on quality and accreditation and providing related training.
j) Facilitating the setting of quality objectives and the performance measurement based on these objectives.
k) Providing secretarial and personnel support services to the KTO Karatay University Quality Commission.
l) Managing the administrative tasks of the Directorate.
m) Taking necessary measures to facilitate external evaluation and audit activities.
Strategic Planning, a widely used decision-making tool, is a macro planning model that serves as a management planning framework designed to adapt to increasing technological and administrative developments. In this plan, which clearly defines where an institution aims to be in five years, objectives and goals are outlined, along with performance indicators that are used to monitor and measure the achievement of these goals at regular intervals.
These are repeated activities aimed at improving the performance of systems and processes towards specific goals. The foundation of the KAIZEN philosophy, which is a Japanese way of life, is rooted in the Japanese words KAI (change) and ZEN (good). The Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement was also embraced by Deming, who incorporated it into the fifth of his fourteen principles for implementing total quality management: "Continuous search for shortcomings in production and services, and improvement efforts should be undertaken." In this context, institutions and employees should continuously seek out their deficiencies and consistently ask themselves, "How can I do better?" thereby striving for self-improvement and embracing change.
The Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THE QC) was established under the "Higher Education Quality Assurance Regulation," published in the Official Gazette on July 23, 2015, No. 29423, and was later reorganized according to the provisions of Additional Article 35, added to the Higher Education Law No. 2547, through the Law No. 7033 dated July 1, 2017, "On Amendments to Certain Laws and Decrees with the Aim of Developing Industry and Supporting Production." The Higher Education Quality Council, which evaluates the quality levels of higher education institutions' educational and research activities as well as administrative services according to national and international quality standards, conducts internal and external quality assurance, accreditation processes, and the authorization processes of independent external evaluation bodies. The Turkish Higher Education Quality Council is an institution with administrative and financial autonomy, possessing public legal personality and a special budget.
The Turkish Higher Education Quality Council consists of 13 members, including:
The main duties of the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council are as follows:
It is an evaluation activity carried out annually by the Quality Commission to monitor the quality of the institution's educational, research, and administrative services, as well as institutional quality improvement efforts, and to prepare for the External Evaluation Program/Institutional Accreditation Program/Monitoring Program processes.
The university prepares an internal evaluation report that covers all educational, research, and supporting administrative services, integrated with the strategic plan, annual performance program, and administrative activity report. The Strategy and Quality Management Directorate completes the internal evaluation activities by the end of February each year and submits them to the Quality Commission. The Quality Commission evaluates the internal evaluation activities of the Strategy and Quality Management Office and finalizes the Internal Evaluation Report in March. The university then submits the finalized Internal Evaluation Report to the Higher Education Quality Council by the end of April for informational purposes.
The External Evaluation Program is a program designed by the Higher Education Quality Council to evaluate the educational, research, development, and management system processes of higher education institutions based on the External Evaluation Criteria. Higher education institutions are required to participate in the External Evaluation Program at least once every five years. As a basis for this program, Internal Evaluation Reports (IER) are prepared annually by higher education institutions. Once the institutions to be included in the program are determined, an evaluation team is selected from the pool of evaluators and assigned to conduct the evaluation process. Under the program, the evaluation team conducts two visits to the institution being evaluated: a preliminary visit and a field visit. Following these visits, the Institutional Feedback Report (IFR) prepared by the evaluation team is shared with the public by the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council.
Universities are required to undergo an institutional external evaluation process at least once every five years as mandated by the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THE QC). The external evaluation schedule and methods are periodically prepared and announced by THE QC. The external evaluation of universities is carried out by an evaluation team composed of external evaluators authorized by THE QC or by independent institutions and organizations accredited by the Higher Education Council with a Quality Evaluation Registration Certificate. External evaluation services for accreditation at the university unit or program level are conducted by a national or international independent institution that holds a Quality Evaluation Registration Certificate.
Program Accreditation refers to the evaluation and external quality assurance process that measures whether a higher education program meets predefined academic and field-specific standards set by an accreditation organization. In Turkiye, the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THE QC) is responsible for the authorization and recognition activities of accreditation organizations. The authorization of national accreditation organizations and the recognition of international accreditation organizations are conducted within the framework of principles and criteria set by THE QC. Since 2016, information about programs accredited by organizations authorized or recognized by THE QC has been included in the YKS Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide (formerly known as the ÖSYS Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide).
The Institutional Accreditation Program (IAP) is an external evaluation method that ensures the assessment of quality assurance, education and training, research and development, social contribution, and management system processes in higher education institutions within the framework of the "plan, do, check, act" (PDCA) cycle. The IAP is conducted by evaluation teams formed by the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THE QC) under the Institutional External Evaluation and Accreditation Criteria and the Institutional External Evaluation and Accreditation Guide. Each year, the higher education institutions to be included in the IAP are determined by THE QC, and evaluation teams are formed according to the structure of these designated institutions. These evaluation teams conduct two visits to the respective higher education institutions (a preliminary visit and an on-site visit). As a result of these visits, Institutional Accreditation Reports (IAR) are prepared by the evaluation teams, and based on these reports, THE QC makes accreditation decisions. The following decisions are made by THE QC under the IAP:
Institutional External Evaluation focuses on the overall assessment of the institution, while program accreditation is a process of evaluation at the program level. Additionally, the external evaluation process serves as feedback for the evaluation of the institution as a whole, whereas program accreditation is a certificate of competence granted based on the criteria used by the accrediting organization, specifically for the education and training provided in the relevant program of the higher education institution.
The external evaluation program and the institutional accreditation program are two different external evaluation practices conducted by the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THE QC). The External Evaluation is a peer review process in which each higher education institution is included at least once every five years. An independent evaluation team qualitatively and quantitatively assesses the level of alignment with the criteria based on the maturity level of the "plan, do, check, act" (PDCA) cycle in education and training, research and development, social contribution, and administrative service processes. The evaluation report for the institution is then shared with the public. On the other hand, Institutional Accreditation is an evaluation process in which, at the end of the same process, the accreditation decision and report pertaining to the institution are made public by THE QC.
It is a feedback report prepared by the evaluation team for institutions that have undergone the external evaluation process, highlighting the institution's strengths as well as areas open to improvement.
It is a report prepared annually by the institution according to the guide provided by THE QC, with the purpose of monitoring the institution's annual internal evaluation processes and serving as a basis during the external evaluation process, which is to be conducted at least once within five years.
It is a certificate awarded by the European Commission to higher education institutions that correctly implement the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in all undergraduate and graduate programs, enhancing the institution's prestige and quality. Both the Diploma Supplement and the ECTS Labels, which are awarded based on international standards, increase the quality and reputation of the higher education institution and provide international credibility to the institutions.
It is a document developed by the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and the European Centre for Higher Education (UNESCO/CEPES) that is issued by higher education institutions as an addition to the diploma to make the awarded degree more easily understood. The Diploma Supplement is provided together with the diploma, without requiring a request from the student, free of charge, and is issued only once as a single copy, just like the diploma. It is designed as a form that ensures that diplomas and degrees awarded in one country can be fully understood by the relevant institutions and organizations in other countries. The Diploma Supplement helps students better convey the skills and qualifications they acquired during their studies. Thus, it facilitates the recognition of diplomas and study periods for students who wish to go abroad for education or work purposes. The Diploma Supplement consists of 8 sections. The first section of the Diploma Supplement provides information about the individual. The other sections include explanations about the nature of the degree, the level of the degree, the content of the completed program, the courses and grades obtained by the student during the program, the academic/professional rights conferred by the degree, and the higher education system of the country where the education was obtained. The Diploma Supplement does not replace the Transcript or grade sheet. It is not a Curriculum Vitae (CV). It does not automatically grant academic/professional recognition. In Turkey, the implementation of the Diploma Supplement began in the 2005-2006 academic year following a decision made at the General Assembly meeting of the Higher Education Council on 11.03.2005. Accordingly, from the 2005-2006 academic year onwards, higher education institutions are required to issue a Diploma Supplement prepared in a widely spoken European language, in addition to the diploma, to their graduating students.
Higher education has been undergoing a significant transformation process across almost all regions of the world over the past twenty years. Countries have begun forming regional collaborations to compare their higher education systems and to develop common solutions to similar problems. The most comprehensive of these is the Bologna Process, initiated in the European region to create a common area in order to compete with the economic development of the United States and Japan. The Bologna Process emerged with the goal of creating a comparable, competitive, and transparent higher education area in member countries, and the objectives set within this process are developed according to the needs, depending on the practices of the countries. In this context, the Bologna Process is characterized as continuously evolving and dynamic. In other words, the Bologna Process is not a static system but a continuously developing process.
It is the mapping of the hierarchical structure and chain of relationships within an organization as a whole. Depending on the preferences of the organizations, this hierarchical structure can display employee names, titles, photos, and departments, along with the internal relationship connections.
These are documents that describe the reporting lines, duties, responsibilities, and authorities of all personnel within an organization, from the top executive to the lowest-level employee.
It is a series of interrelated processes carried out to produce added value. It is a set of related and interactive activities that transform inputs into outputs. A process should fundamentally be definable, measurable, repeatable, controllable, and capable of creating added value.
It is an established method for performing a task, typically carried out in the specified sequence of steps. It defines how a particular job should be done. Procedures are generally more comprehensive than instructions.
These are documents that explain the steps to be followed, the rules to be adhered to, and the individuals responsible for carrying out a specific activity or task correctly. Instructions contain more specific and detailed information compared to procedures.
