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BMS CQA By Laws

CQA Operational Guidelines

BMS CQA By Laws

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By Laws Governing the Quality Assurance Activities at Business Management School

A Centre for Quality Assurance (referred hereafter to as CQA) is hereby established to oversee all quality assurance activities at Business Management School (referred hereafter to as BMS) in compliance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Circular No 04/2015.

CQA GOAL

The goal of the CQA is to maintain high standards in all academic, support and operational activities and to ensure the continuous improvement of the quality of these activities, in order to achieve overall institutional excellence.

CQA OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the CQA shall be as follows:

  1. To practice globally recognized quality assurance international best practices
  2. To create an internal quality assurance system that is aligned with the national requirements, guidelines and frameworks
  3. To create a work culture that seeks to continuously improve its quality of work
  4. To enhance awareness among the university staff and other stakeholders on the value of quality assurance
  5. To prepare quality assurance related documentation and reports
  6. To liaise with other universities and organisations to improve the quality of higher education in Sri Lanka
  7. To develop and maintain favorable public perception of the university through improved quality of education based on consistent practice of quality assurance procedures

CQA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The CQA Management Committee (MC) shall consist of the following persons:

  1. Vice President of BMS shall be the chairperson of the Committee
  2. CQA Head may chair in the absence of the Vice President
  3. Dean of the Faculty of Management and Technology
  4. Dean of the Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences
  5. QA Coordinator of the Faculty of Management and Technology
  6. QA Coordinator of the Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences
  7. Academic Registrar
  8. Director Finance or a representative
  9. Secretary of the CQA

THE DUTIES OF THE CQA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

  1. Take all measures as it may deem necessary for the achievement of the objectives of the CQA
  2. Take all policy and administrative decisions deemed necessary for the effective working of the CQA
  3. Support the activities of the Faculty Quality Assurance Committee (FQAC)
  4. Review and evaluate the progress of the CQA and the FQACs
  5. The CQA Management Committee shall meet at least six times each calendar year

THE HEAD OF THE CQA

The Head of the CQA shall be responsible for:

  1. The overall administration of the Centre, in accordance with the policies and guidelines, as laid down by the CQA Management Committee
  2. The convening of meetings of the CQA Management Committee
  3. Facilitating the arrangements necessary for the conduct of external subject, programme and institutional reviews
  4. Any other functions necessary for the efficient and effective functioning of the Centre, as recommended or delegated by the Vice Chancellor

FACULTY QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITEE (FQAC)

The FQAC shall consist of the following persons:

  1. Dean of the Faculty
  2. Heads of Departments
  3. QA Coordinator

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE FACULTY QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITEE (FQAC)

  1. To implement the decisions taken by CQA Management Committee related to the Faculty
  2. To monitor and report progress on the QA activities to the CQA Management Committee
  3. To promote quality enhancement activities within the Faculty

CQA Operational Guidelines

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Operational Guidelines for the Centre for Quality Assurance of Business Management School

Prepared by the Centre for Quality Assurance (CQA) of Business Management School

1. Introduction

This document outlines the key aspects of the internal quality assurance approach of the Business Management School (BMS) in compliance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Circular No 04/2015. It includes the objectives of the Center for Quality Assurance (CQA), the composition, the responsibilities and the functions of the CQA.

2. Objectives of the CQA

The CQA shall seek to,

  1. To practice globally recognized quality assurance international best practices
  2. To create an internal quality assurance system that is aligned with the national requirements, guidelines and frameworks
  3. To create a work culture that seeks to continuously improve its quality of work
  4. To enhance awareness among the university staff and other stakeholders on the value of quality assurance
  5. To prepare quality assurance related documentation and reports
  6. To liaise with other universities and organisations to improve the quality of higher education in Sri Lanka
  7. To develop and maintain favorable public perception of the university through improved quality of education based on consistent practice of quality assurance procedures

3. Functions of the CQA

In order to achieve above objectives, the major functions of the CQA are

  1. Conduct all activities pertaining to Internal Quality Assurance of BMS on a daily basis
  2. Support BMS and programme offering entities (units, departments, faculties and institutes) with the preparation for external quality assurance, assessment and accreditation requirements.
  3. Offer guidance and assistance to programme offering entities in defining programme objectives and outcomes, graduate profiles, and curricula which are in accordance with national reference points such as the Sri Lanka qualification Frame work (SLQF) and Subject Benchmark Statements (SBS).
  4. Support the establishment and effective functioning of the BMS Faculty Quality Assurance Committee
  5. Promote and coordinate quality assurance activities within BMS by conducting workshops, seminars, development of manuals and other appropriate capacity building activities.
  6. Liaise with the Non State Sector Higher Education Division (NSHED) of the Ministry of Higher Education (MoE) and other external quality assurance agencies as well as relevant international agencies.
  7. Develop, review and revise by laws and standard operational procedures necessary for governance and management of the CQA.

4. Aims of the Centre for Quality Assurance

The aims of the CQA of BMS are:

To be in line with the nationally recognized documents of Minimum Standards for DANSHEIs, with particular importance to the following:

  1. Policy and procedures for higher education
  2. Approval, monitoring and periodic review of programmes and awards
  3. Teaching, Learning and Assessment of students
  4. Quality assurance of teaching staff
  5. Learning resources and student support
  6. Information systems
  7. Public information

5. Post of Head, Centre for Quality Assurance

The CQA shall be headed by the Head of the CQA and supervised and advised by the Board of Governors of BMS.

The responsibilities of the Head of the CQA should include the following:

  1. Develop regulations for the CQA
  2. Prepare operational guidelines for the CQA in accordance with the general guidelines developed by the NSHED of the MoE and customized for the DANSHEI’s governance structure/ organogram and specific implementation arrangement.
  3. Develop a 3-year strategic plan for the CQA and obtain approval from the Management Committee (MC) (composition given below) of BMS and the NSHED.
  4. Develop the annual work plan for the CQA and obtain approval from the Management Committee (MC) of BMS.
  5. Develop an annual budget for QA Activities at BMS
  6. Ensure that the CQA is established on the BMS website
  7. Report regularly on QA activities and progress to the MC and the NSHED
  8. Circulate notices of QA activities to the DANSHEI community.
  9. Conduct BMS and entity level awareness programs on QA.
  10. Initiate and support preparation of SER of Institutional Reviews.
  11. Motivate and support study programmes to prepare SERs for programme reviews.
  12. Provide necessary training and workshops for self-assessment report (SER) preparation.
  13. Motivate and support academic staff to showcase best practices in QA.
  14. Develop relationship and liaise with international agencies and BMS on QA activities.
  15. Support Academic staff in the process of preparing proposals for the conduct of new degree programs and, ensure that applications submitted to the NSHED approval in this regard are compliant with the Sri Lanka Qualification Framework.
  16. Report on BMS’s QA activities to the NSHED
  17. Submit an annual report of the CQA to the NSHED.
  18. Convene and facilitate all meetings of the CQA and EQACs.
  19. Assist manual preparation on QA aspects in Entities
  20. Make available to all staff and external stake holders the results of external and internal reviews including students’ surveys.

6. Composition of the CQA

The CQA should have a Management Committee (MC) for taking decisions of governance of the CQA. The members of the CQA MC are as follows:

  1. Vice President of BMS shall be the chairperson of the Committee
  2. CQA Head may chair in the absence of the Vice President
  3. Dean of the Faculty of Management and Technology
  4. Dean of the Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences
  5. Academic Registrar
  6. Director Finance or a representative
  7. Secretary of the CQA
  8. QA Coordinator of the Faculty of Management and Technology
  9. QA Coordinator of the Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences

7. Reporting Procedure of the CQA

The CQA will report the progress of its activities to the MC monthly. Further, the FQACs of the Faculties of Study will present the progress of their activities monthly to the Dean of the Faculty, who will subsequently report to the CQA. The administration, finance and academic support divisions will present the progress of their activities to the divisional heads, who will subsequently report to the CQA.

A monthly report should include the Institute name, period of monthly report, and Quality
assurance activities in the format expected by the NSHED.

8. Role of the Faculty Quality Assurance Committee (FQACs)

The FQAC of the Faculty of Study is responsible for developing the guidelines relating to the quality assurance activities of the faculty and overseeing the implementation of such activities. These activities will revolve around the following aspects.

  1. Curriculum development, management and review
  2. Teaching, learning and assessment methods
  3. Learning environment (learning opportunities, resources and locations)
  4. Academic staff (staff training, upgrading knowledge and skills, student and peer observation, reflection etc.)
  5. Administrative staff (general administration and documentation)
  6. Student support services (including academic guidance and counseling)
  7. Students (including student progress and their achievements)

9. Role of the Administrative, Finance and Academic Support Divisions

As Administrative, Finance and Academic Support Divisions of BMS provide support services to carry out the academic activities of the various Faculties of Study; the respective Heads of these divisions are responsible for carrying out the following
activities.

  1. Develop the guidelines for the conduct of functions of the respective divisions.
  2. Develop the relevant operating manuals required in carrying out the respective functions.
  3. Oversee the implementation of these functions in the respective divisions in line with Guidelines and procedures.
  4. Take remedial action when required.

In carrying out these activities, it is expected that these divisions secure the support of the relevant officials of the Faculties of Study.

10. Conclusion

Quality Assurance (QA) is a continuous process. Everyone at BMS is collectively responsible for the QA of its education provision and standard of awards. Hence everyone is expected to improve the quality of activities that they are engaged in. The establishment of the stipulated internal processes would contribute to enhance the quality at BMS as a whole leading to a quality culture.

BMS Strategic Plan

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OUR FUTURE

Strategic Plan 2023 – 2026

Vision 2030

Creating a passion for learning in a family culture to take on tomorrow.

Mission

BMS is committed to creating an intellectually stimulating learning environment through inspirational teaching and research within an inclusive academic culture that benefits the learner, community, country, and the region.

Our Philosophy

We believe that learning is homemade, and a family culture is essential to develop learner engagement in a fast changing world. Our philosophy is embedded on five pillars of educational services as the values perceived by the institution.

Values (ISECT)

Integrity
We conduct the affairs of the institution as a reliable, honest, and ethical provider of higher education.

Supportive
We understand the diverse needs, expectations and ambitions of our students and ensure a mutually supportive professional and learning community.

Excellence
We strive to achieve excellence in our services through robust policies, processes, procedures, and efficient management systems.

Compliance
We are committed to complying with regulatory, quality assurance and accreditation requirements locally and internationally.

Transformation
We harness the resources of the institution to enable learners to transform themselves with knowledge and skills to realise their ambitions and potential.

Goals

  1. Sustain high standards in teaching and learning
  2. Enhance industry partnerships and graduate employability
  3. Develop a research culture among staff and learners
  4. Ensure continuous learning and development of staff
  5. Serve the community through socially responsible projects

Goals and Objectives

1. Goal: Sustain high standards in teaching and learning

Objectives :

1.1. To provide digital and online learning resources
1.2. To provide continuous feedback and support to learners
1.3. To implement modern interactive teaching methods
1.4. To achieve commendation in academic and administrative audits

2. Goal: Enhance industry partnerships and graduate employability

Objectives :

2.1. To incorporate industry training as an integral component of programmes.
2.2. To seek industry and professional recognition of programmes.
2.3. To develop technical and transferable skills among the graduates to match the market demand of the relevant industry.
2.4. To support learners and graduates with global study exchange and employment opportunities

3. Goal: Develop a research culture among staff and learners

Objectives :

3.1. To encourage learners and staff to contribute to the Journal of Applied Learning
3.2. To collaborate with national and international universities to develop research engagement.
3.3. To organise research symposiums with a view to develop a research culture within the institution.
3.4. To participate in external research conferences and symposiums locally and regionally

4. Goal: Ensure continuous learning and development of staff

Objectives :

4.1. To organise structured staff development programmes
4.2. To encourage and support pursuing recognized higher learning
4.3. To provide opportunities to participate in external training events
4.4. To recognize achievements with performance appraisals

5. Goal: Serve the community through socially responsible projects

Objectives :

5.1. To identify community needs with a focus on the underprivileged
5.2. To conduct socially responsible activities to address community needs
5.3. To encourage student and staff participation in community service projects
5.4. To implement green university concepts with a focus on sustainability