UK: New method
Great Britain has had a central evaluation system since 1997. But in May 2002, the secretary of state for education and the Higher Education Funding Council drew up a new system of evaluation which will use independent assessors and a special quality watchdog that will play an advisory role and monitor progress in every institute. Basic evaluation criteria include the academic quality of university course studies, their renewal in accordance with scientific advances and the resulting effect on quality. The evaluation, which will be carried out in six years, will go as follows: A first report will be drawn up on the degree to which universities reach national goals in tertiary education; The Quality in Education Committee will then award marks for improvements to the system and give advice to the authorities of the respective institute; Institutes will then undergo a final evaluation by outside assessors.
