Context Introduction

An extensive, independent and objective review of quality assurance in Irish universities was conducted by the European University Association and American and Australian experts in 2004. The review was jointly commissioned by the Irish Universities Quality Board [ IUQB ] and the Higher Education Authority [ HEA ]. The review was structured to accord with the respective responsibilities of the universities and the HEA concerning quality assurance under the Irish Universities Act (PDF)1997. The combined review arrangements were designed to ensure that the university system and its stakeholders gained maximum benefit from comprehensive evaluations by teams of experienced international quality assurance experts and that the procedures and processes in place in Irish universities could be reviewed against best practice internationally. The review took place in the wider context of -

• The Government's "strategic objective of placing Ireland's higher education system in the top rank of the OECD in terms of both quality and levels of participation" the Government's commitment to "support efforts to protect and improve the quality of academic teaching and learning at undergraduate level " (Programme for Government)
• The Government's acknowledgement that "the challenges of maintaining, quality, responsiveness and competitiveness in higher education are a major priority against the background of unprecedented levels of expansion, change and diversification in the sector in Ireland"

The implementation of appropriate quality assurance procedures must be an essential part of any strategy to achieve such top rank positioning. The intention was that this review would support the Irish universities in the continuing development of their quality assurance procedures to meet the best standards and practices in the world.