Academic Quality Unit
Academic quality assurance at the National
University of Samoa is central to its role as a provider of tertiary education
and training. Accordingly, the National University of Samoa is committed to
improving the quality of the education and training services it offers to an
increasingly expanding student body.
The NUS acknowledges that stakeholders will
differ on their definition of what constitutes a quality university education.
NUS stakeholders include:
a) Students: as
the main recipient or client of NUS services through the fees they pay or
scholarships they are awarded, their feedback and suggestions are critical to
quality improvement of their learning experience;
b) Staff: without
whom service provision by the NUS would fail, their commitment and quality is
critical to providing a high quality learning experience for students;
c) Employers
and Community: as the main users of the attributes developed by
graduates throughout their time at NUS, their input is needed through advice on
our programmes and courses, and feedback on the performance of our graduates in
the workplace and community;
d) Government
of Samoa: as the main financing agent for the university, their priorities
and strategic direction influence the NUS strategic direction.
Definition of Quality
The National University of Samoa takes a pragmatic approach to the concept of quality, and defines quality university education as university education and training which:
a) Consists
of:
o Effective and
sufficient inputs (student attributes, curriculum, staff
attributes, physical & learning resources, student support services,
research, governance)
o Effective and
efficient processes (pedagogy/andragogy, assessment, student
engagement, staff professional development, faculty management); and which
b) Results
in:
o Desired outputs (student
results, graduate attributes, graduate competencies); and
o Desired
outcomes (graduate employment and career progression, contribution
to society and national development).