RESPONSIBILITY OF SUBJECTS OF MANAGEMENT OF QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION: ANALYSIS OF EXPERT ASSESSMENTS OF EMPLOYERS

Abstract

Improving the quality of higher education and ensuring its close connection with science is provided by the strategic direction of state development. The aim of the article was to clarify the opinion of employers on the responsibility of the subjects of quality management of higher education for its final level and to analyze the received expert assessments through the prism of improving public administration mechanisms to ensure the quality of higher education. Determining the level of responsibility of some of the subjects of quality management in higher education for its final level has become one of the focuses of the project «Assessment of the quality of higher education». Using the tools of expert interviews and questionnaires, the results of the employers' survey were analyzed and it was found that employers are not interested in being involved in quality assurance procedures in higher education and do not feel responsible for its final level. This position of employers is quite natural, because the participation of representatives of the real economy sector in assurance procedures over higher education quality does not provide that economic effect which subject of management can obtain using relevant resources within their professional activities. The so-called unnaturalness of assurance processes higher education quality for the subjects of management has led to the fact that respondents among employers have rated their level of responsibility almost on a minimum level. Employers put the highest level of responsibility for the higher education quality on higher education institutions and students, thereby reducing not only their own level of responsibility, but also the level of responsibility of public administration bodies and society as a whole. According to the results of a survey of employers, we found out their opinion as for the distribution of responsibility for the higher education quality between its stakeholders such as: students; higher education institutions; employers; public administration bodies (public authorities and local authorities); society (public associations; monitoring missions; expert agencies). The results of the respondents' answers analysis allowed us to formulate generalizations and conclusions regarding the possible directions for improving the content and practice of using of some of the public administration mechanisms over insurance of the higher education quality, there were also made generalizations regarding creating conditions for employers' attracting to control quality of results of higher education institutions' activity. The article substantiates the need for mandatory inclusion of employers' representatives into the composition of the expert groups for accreditation of educational programs, as well as in the examination commissions for awarding (assigning) professional qualifications to future specialist.