Training on self-assessment of educational quality of university training programs in journalism

Attending the conference were Dr. Mai Thi Quynh Lan, Dr. Tran Thi Hoai, MSc. Vu Mai Anh, Institute for Education Quality Assurance, VNU; Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa, Vice Principal of the University, Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong, Head of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, and lecturers in the Faculty.

Overview of the conference

Speaking at the conference, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa said: Self-assessment seems simple but will be difficult for those who have never approached it. It is necessary to look at the positive and negative aspects to have a self-assessment of quality. Strive to have all 23 undergraduate training programs of the University be quality accredited by 2020, of which 1/3 of the programs are accredited according to AUN standards.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa speaks at the conference

The conference focused on listening to reports from representatives of the Institute for Education Quality Assurance, VNU. The content focused on explaining and discussing 11 standards in the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assessment Standards for Training Programs (AUN-QA).

The purpose of this self-assessment standard for training quality is to improve the quality of training, which is the basis for the authorities to evaluate and recognize universities that meet educational quality standards. Students will have an overview of the training programs of the majors to make appropriate choices. For employers, they will grasp the human resources they are looking for.

The set of assessment standards includes 11 standards revolving around the following contents: Mission and goals of the university; training program; management organization; teaching staff; facilities; international cooperation activities.

Dr. Tran Thi Hoai explains the standards of the AUN Training Quality Assurance Model

During the process of explaining the proposed standards, staff from the Institute of Quality Assurance, VNU and teachers from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication discussed and pointed out the highlights and limitations of training quality to have timely solutions.

Assessing the strengths of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong said: The curriculum has a combination of employers who are journalists going from practice to teaching. This is an opportunity for employers to understand what skills students need, and at the same time opens up many opportunities for students to collaborate with press agencies.

Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong shares about the outstanding achievements of the Faculty

After explaining the set of standards, Ms. Vu Mai Anh (Institute for Education Quality Assurance, VNU) presented the instructions on writing a self-assessment report according to AUN-QA standards. Ms. Mai Anh clearly pointed out the requirements and regulations for a report.

"The common weakness in those reports is that they only have a descriptive part, the analysis part is still shallow. Besides, there is no culture of data storage. Although the information source is available, the insufficient evidence will be disadvantageous in the self-assessment process," said Ms. Mai Anh.

The training session helped the lecturers of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication understand the core content and essential requirements for a self-assessment report. Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong expressed her thanks to the staff of the Institute for Education Quality Assurance, VNU, for sharing and providing useful information to the conference.