Educational Quality Assurance

Our educational quality assurance is aimed at the perseverance, supervision and improvement of the quality of our programmes. In order to maintain the high level of educational quality the UG takes action itself (internal quality assurance) or is inspected by persons or institutions outside of the university (external quality assurance).

Internal Quality Assurance

The core of the UG's internal quality assurance is the systematic accumulation of information about our education, which provides signals about our educational quality. The UG has a quality assurance system that is embedded at every level of our institution and regards monitoring, reporting and providing a follow-up. The educational quality is monitored on the staff, programme, faculty and institutional level. Within these cycles, information is provided by the programmes, faculties and the Board of the University (e.g. evaluations, results, benefits, conversations, co-determining and advisory councils or committees). The provided information gives us an insight in what actions need to be taken in order to improve our quality standard where necessary (e.g. in-depth analyses, improvement plans, policy revisions or goal adjustments).

The cyclical approach is systematically discussed and recorded on the different levels within the University of Groningen. This includes formal rules of procedure regarding the initiation, adjustment or cancellation of programmes/ tracks and the preparation and settlement of government inspection.

These have all been formulated in the UG Quality Assurance Protocol (currently being updated).

Flow charts procedures for changes in educational programmes

Changes to educational programmes can be requested 1.5 years in advance of taking effect. For a better overview of certain procedures linked to such requests, see the following flow charts (Dutch only):

• New degree programme
  • Roadmap for coordination of plans for new degree programmes within UNL
• Termination educational programme
• New master track (currently being updated)
• Termination master track (currently being updated)
• Change of name educational programme
• Change of name master track (currently being updated)
• Double and Joint Degrees
• Selective master
• Numerus fixus bachelor
• Starting and registration dates
• University Minor

Underlying policies for changes to educational programmes

• UG Policy on master's tracks

• Policy framework for admission to and selection for master's programmes
• Guidelines for University of Groningen Admissions Boards
• Guidelines Double and Joint Degrees (login required)
• UG Assessment Policy
• UG Framework for the Societal Anchoring of Education (Advisory Councils)
• Minor Space Policy
• University Minors Policy
  • Application form university minor
  • University minor application form guidelines
  • Procedure for Periodic Assessment of University Minors
• Framework for admission to numerus fixus programmes
• UG policy on AI in teaching
• Pricing policy on study costs 2024-2025

External Quality Assurance

The accreditation system and its programme inspections take a central position in the external quality assurance of the UG. Programmes are accredited every six years. The accreditation is a quality label which proves that the programme received a positive assessment by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization (NVAO). The Strategy Department of Education & Research monitors the entire accreditation process (from self-evaluation to the request to be assessed) of all programmes and advises faculties in their requests to offer new programmes.

An overview of all the Development Dialogues with the corresponding programme accreditations can be found here.

Next to the accreditations on programme-level, the institutional audit (ITK) is also part of the external quality assurance. The institutional audit is an independent research on the system the university uses for monitoring its educational quality. The institutional audit takes place every six years and is assessed by an external committee of the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization. The central question of the institutional audit is if the UG's vision on education can be realized through its internal quality assurance and is able to improve its educational quality in a sustainable manner.

More information regarding the institutional audit can be found here.

The following SES-employees are responsible for the respective components regarding the Institutional Quality Assurance: