Quality

In 2013 Utena UAS implemented the Study Quality Management System (hereinafter – SQMS) based on the ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard, the EFQM Excellence Model and the European Higher Education Quality Assurance Regulations and Guidelines (ESG).

The purpose of SQMS is to ensure high-quality and sustainable work of Utena UAS, to guarantee the transparency of ongoing processes, to divide responsibilities among employees and to promote continuous improvement of the Utena UAS activities, individual processes, study quality, more efficient and rational use of people, time, materials, etc. resources. SQMS consists of 12 process groups and 44 processes covering management positions, marketing and advertising, curriculum development and improvement, study management, applied research management, non-formal adult education, project management, international and national cooperation, resource management, SQMS evaluation and improvement processes. SQMS process descriptions and other information are available to the Utena UAS staff online, via the DGA[1]electronic environment.

In 2013 after the evaluation of the implemented system by external experts, Utena UAS was granted a certificate proving the compliance with the provisions of the ISO 9001:2008 standard, which was approved in 2014 and in 2015 by external audits and in 2016 re-certificated.

In 2018 SQMS was matched with the new version of ISO 9001:2015 standard and ESG (2015). Following the evaluation of this updated version of the SQMS by external experts, Utena UAS was awarded a certificate proving compliance with the provisions of the ISO 9001:2015 standard. The system is not currently certified.

However, in 2020 it was updated: the provisions of the EFQM model were abandoned, a new management position process "Risk Management Process" was introduced, in paragraph 1.1. The monitoring element was introduced in process 1.1. Development of the Utena UAS Strategy, the names of some processes and the hosts of the processes were specified. The study quality is coordinated by the collegial institution – the Study Quality Committee, formed by the Rector of Utena UAS by the orders of 15 Jan 2019, No. V-24 and 4 Feb 2019, No. V-24.

[1] https://dga.utenos-kolegija.lt/ejakosc.php?p1=4