The University of Malta (UM) as a Higher Education Institution (HEI) is regulated by the Malta Authority for Further and Higher Education (MFHEA) which recognises UM as a self-accrediting HEI. The requirements that the University has quality assurance procedures in place and undertake quality assurance audits emanate from Subsidiary Legislation 607.03 and the National Quality Assurance Framework for Further and Higher Education.
The University is required to:
The National Framework focuses on internal processes through which quality is assured and comprises eleven Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Standards. These standards include not just academic processes but extend to all areas of the institutions’ operations. This calls for a comprehensive quality management system consistent with the definition of Quality Management as “an aggregate of measures taken regularly at system or institutional level in order to assure the quality of higher education with an emphasis on improving quality as a whole”
Consequently, managing the process of quality improvement is the responsibility of all Faculties, Institutes, Centres, Schools, Departments and staff at the University. Everyone on campus should recognise this as a priority expectation and that both academic (programme design, learning, teaching, assessment) as well as operational (strategic planning, people and estates management, IT, procurement and finances) processes contribute to and are essential to high quality outcomes.
the University of Malta embarked on establishing a comprehensive quality management system as shown in the figure below. This system aims for a quality improvement process which integrates seamlessly into the total institutional operation at 360˚ and includes both the academic as well as the other equally important operational (non-academic) quality improvement. UM’s aim is to implement a dynamic cycle of Plan-Do Act-Check (PDCA) in each process. Therefore, the quality management system combines planning, implementing, monitoring and review, and improvement mirroring the quality cycle in the National Framework.
Comprehensive Quality Management System [PDF]
The Quality Support Unit (QSU) liaises regularly with the Internal Audit Function (IAF) who provides independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and improve UM’s operational processes. The IAF helps UM to accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic and disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of governance, risk management and control processes.
The aim is to view UM’s internal quality assurance as a comprehensive and integrated system of continuous improvement rather than separate processes. Supporting process-oriented thinking and focusing on establishing reliable processes will lead to positive quality outcomes.
The quality of educational outcomes in a HEI has the students at its focus since they are the primary stakeholders. Students’ voice refers to the notion of student agency - when students participate actively in their education, collaborating and co-creating their own learning plan or pathway in a way that makes sense to them, thereby making learning more meaningful and engaging. Students’ voice helps the students feel personally invested in their own learning and gives them a role in shaping and creating it, rather than it being simply transmitted to them.
At the University, students are given the opportunity to express their ideas regarding pertinent issues and have various channels to voice out their concerns, opinions, feedback and evaluations of programmes of study and other related issues. This is done primarily through the UM Student Council (Kunsill Studenti Universitarji), Student Societies, Student Representatives or through the newly established Help Hub which serves as a one stop shop to UM’s key services. For instance, the Internal Quality Review Panel for the Periodic Programme Review has permanent student members who attend the panel meetings and participate actively in the discussions and programme reviews.
The UM gives priority to working in partnership with the UM Student Council (KSU) and ensures that there are student representatives at all levels of decision-making bodies at the University. The KSU, student representatives and student societies are an integral part of campus life and play a key role in liaising between students and the various FICS. Moreover, they serve as bridge and empower students to make their voice heard. It is for this reason that Internal Quality Assurance involves students at all levels. Through the students’ participation and feedback, the University can sustain continuous enhancement while simultaneously increase student engagement in the process of Quality Assurance.
As Malta’s only national and state-funded University, UM has at heart its responsibilities towards national and societal development. Apart from providing the range and diversity of graduates required by society and the economy, for the present and the foreseeable future, UM is also a national hub and engine for creativity and innovation in all branches of knowledge, business, technology, art and science.
Consequently, UM is committed to engage with external stakeholders from industry, area-expert professionals, international peers, investors, governmental and non-governmental organisations, alumni, etc., to support their specific labour market and research needs. External stakeholders are involved in all levels of monitoring quality and standards in all academic programmes and their valuable feedback contributes to the quality enhancement processes as this is deemed to be a powerful information source that can drive UM’s continuous development.
For the past three years, the QAC and QSU have been identifying good practices at FICS level, to be shared through the Quality Mailshot Initiative – a series of mailshots disseminated across the UM community roughly every fortnight during the academic year. The fourth series of mailshots is underway for the academic year 2022/2023. An online repository of all mailshots sent to date is available online.
The University of Malta produces various documents to ensure the University is effectively governed and managed. These documents include Statutes, Regulations, Bye-laws, Policies, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These documents protect the integrity and reputation of UM’s academic and operational processes and reflect the governance structure of the University.
The list of policies for UM staff is linked from the UM staff portal and is available online. Similarly, the list of policies for UM students is linked from the UM student portal and available online.
The management of University SOPs is regulated by SOP UNI-001. This SOP describes how to write, approve, issue and assign codes to these documents. Every SOP is identified by a unique code and version number and has an author(s), approver(s) and authoriser(s). SOPs are given a validity period of four years, after which they need to be reviewed and updated if necessary. SOPs that are no longer valid are rendered obsolete.
A full list of issued SOPs can be found on the University’s SOP portal. SOPs are labelled according to their scope and origin. A search tool at the top of the page facilitates filtering and accessibility.
Research Overview - Academic year 2021-2022 [PDF]
Research at the University of Malta aims to assemble a range of expertise across the University’s various subject disciplines to distinctly discover and transmit knowledge in a way that contributes to addressing current and future topics and gaps, and to respond to emerging areas of interest. In consistency with its vision and mission, UM seeks to engage in outstanding research that contributes to the existing knowledge and has local, regional and international implication through a quality research output. To foster and sustain its approach of conducting innovative research, UM strives to attract and retain high-calibre academics, and to provide them with support through numerous services including an enhanced research infrastructure, internal and external funding, and clear research policies and guidelines which are promptly disseminated to all academic staff.
Publications by UM academics and researchers have been on a consistent increase since 2016 as indexed by Scopus and Web of Science.
Number of publications [PDF]
The newly set up Doctoral School plays a pivotal role in supporting doctoral candidates and their supervisors who are dynamic actors in the research ecosystem. The conduct of research at UM is governed by the highest standards of integrity and professionalism overseen by the University Research Ethics Committee (UREC). In line with its Strategic Plan 2020-2025, the University is constantly increasing its visibility and outreach and consolidating its position as a proactive pillar in Malta’s economic development and in the provision of knowledge to its research stakeholders, including the government, industry and society. UM is continuously striving to consolidate public exposure through traditional and new media to better serve its wider community and stakeholders.
In this vein, the University continues to embrace Open Science practices and principles as exemplified by the Open Access Policy for UM and its Open Access Institutional Repository (OAR@UM).
