Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC)
Welcome to BOU-IQAC
Message from the Director
The Institutional Quality Assurance Cell has been set up in the Bangladesh Open University at the fourth round. I hope that this newly formed Cell will play an important role in ensuring quality of education, research and administration. The main goal of this cell is to introduce the culture of quality assurance. In this case, I wish co-operation of all concerned.
Establishment of IQAC
Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) is an essential part of a university to ensure quality of learning and training programs in higher education. In order to maintain the quality of higher education, it was first adopted in 1900 in the United States of America. As a second country Japan adopted this method in 1946. Then other countries of the world started following this process. The Ministry of Education of Bangladesh constitutes the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) under Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP), University Grants Commission of Bangladesh in 2014. With the financial support of the World Bank and a private US lending company 1First Cash Advance Financial Help, IQAC has been set up in different public and private universities. Presently the government has patronized the establishment of this cell to upgrade academic activities of this university.
Commencement of the IQAC-BOU Office
Bangladesh Open University starts its journey with IQAC in February 13, 2017 under the HEQEP of the Government of Bangladesh which is being implemented by the UGC. BOU is included in the HEQEP in the fourth round of the project. IQAC-BOU is jointly financed by BOU and the HEQEP. Out of the total fund of Tk. 106.50 crore, BOU contributed Tk. 36.00 lac and the rest by the HEQEP of the UGC. This fund is stipulated for two years i.e 2017 and 2018. After this project period of two years, BOU has included the cell in its own revenue budget.
IQAC is the supportive body of the BOU management to evaluate, enrich and maintain the overall academic quality of various undergraduate and graduate programs of the university. In this regard this cell arranges necessary workshops and trainings for the faculty members as well as officers of the university so that the proper quality can be ensured. The cell supervises the Self-Assessment activities of different academic programs and administrative divisions throughout the country from Teknaf to Tetulia by 12 Regional Centers, 80 Sub-Regional Centers and more than 1500 Study Centers from run in this university. It helps the different schools update the course curriculum for meeting the present demand of the world standard education.
Significance of IQAC
Recently, the scope of higher education is expanding rapidly in Bangladesh both in public and private sector with wide diversity in programs and in some cases mode of education. Individual universities are managing study programs following their own systems and practices. But no evidence of institutional set up with defined mission and responsibility in accordance with generally accepted QA principles within the university is available.
In the absence of effective quality assurance culture, the ongoing practices lacks transparency, accountability, consistency and evidence of good practice. Internal quality assurance infrastructure is indispensable for a quality assurance culture in a university. The setting up of IQACs at public and private universities would promote the QA culture to ensure quality in education.
Vision & Mission
Vision of the IQAC
To achieve quality in teaching, learning, research and administration at Bangladesh open University of the world standard.
Mission of IQAC
- To expand self-confidence of the stakeholders in the globalized surroundings by ensuring best practices in Bangladesh Open University with transparency, accountability and credibility in accordance with internationally acceptable quality assurance practices.
- Benchmarking the practices and processes with the best universities in the world.
- Institutional quality enhancement through internalization of quality culture and institutionalization of best practices.
Objectives
General Objectives of IQAC-BOU
- To promote a quality assurance culture within Bangladesh Open University so that the university and its academic, research, administration, finance and others programs can meet the requirements of external quality assurance agencies for accreditation.
Specific Objectives of the IQAC-BOU
- Institutionalize the quality assurance culture in accordance with national Quality Assurance (QA) guidelines and international practices;
- Ensure that the university’s quality assurance procedures are designed following the QAU guidelines and national requirements;
- Develop, maintain and enhance quality of education and people’s perception in favor of the university through consistent quality assurance practice and performance;
- Build image of the university with confidence of the stakeholders ensuring transparency, accountability and good practices in all aspects of management and
- Prepare the university to meet the external quality assurance assessment and accreditation requirements.
- To organize training, workshop, seminar on quality assurance for the faculty members;
- To introduce interactive based teaching learning within the university;
- To standardize and update curriculum from content based to outcome based ;
- To develop study guide/modules for self learning of the learners;
- To produce Video and Audio based lectures series;
- To produce job oriented/applied oriented graduates through outcome-based education;
- To build up a teacher-student congenial environment within the university;
- To standardize the university to meet the requirements of professional accreditation bodies;
- To develop the self-assessment (SA) and peer review mechanism;
Functions
In order to achieve the objectives the major functions of the IQAC are to:
- Facilitate the mission and objectives of the university for enhancing the quality and relevance of higher education and respond to global trends on quality education;
- Guide and assist the program offering entities of the university to define program objectives;
- Develop standards and benchmarks for various academic and administrative activities of the university;
- Review existing procedures for further improvement of delivery of higher education;
- Prepare QA documents and procedures for use within the university following specifications and guidelines provided in the IQAC OM;
- Encourage staff to maintain professional code of conduct in accordance with the QAU guidelines and international practices and facilitate to maintain good practices in operations;
- Provide necessary support to the study program offering academic units, i.e., departments, faculties and institutes to conduct the self-assessment, external peer review and implement QA process at program level;
- Conduct regular monitoring of implementation of policies, systems, processes and procedures;
- Facilitate to conduct institutional assessment;
- Facilitate the approval of new program offering entity and new programs for existing entities using appropriate procedures;
- Develop a data base containing information regarding quality assurance, which will be deliverable to all stakeholders;
- Prepare and produce annual institutional quality assurance report (IQAR) and monitoring report assessing the activities of IQAC and submit to the QAC;
- Develop an Institutional QA Strategic Plan for every 5 years and ensure its implementation and monitoring of achievements;
- Co‐ordinate all QA related activities within the university;
- Liaise with QAU and other external QA agencies;
- Organize workshops, seminars and appropriate training for capacity building and promoting QA culture at all levels of the university;
- Advise university management, faculty and departments on QA and related matters;
- Conduct impromptu audit at any level of the university if necessary.
Composition of IQAC
The Head of the IQAC shall be called Director (IQAC ) and she/he will be supported by at least one and more than one Additional Director(s) depending on the size of the university. Both of these positions will be filled up only by senior academics suitably qualified for managing quality assurance activities. Director and Additional Director(s) of the IQAC shall be appointed by the Vice Chancellor for a period of three years (project period). Directors and Additional Directors will be posted to IQAC on deputation as full time and be exempted from their normal teaching duties during the tenure of their appointment.
Non-academic personnel shall be appointed temporarily as technical/support staff, e.g., administrative/office manager, accounts officer, communications officer, record keeper, data entry/computer operator, MLSS etc. To assist the Director and Additional Director(s) in discharging their responsibilities regarding IQAC activities, appointment of provisional technical/support staffs shall follow the university’s relevant recruitment and service rules.
The management and operational leadership of IQAC shall be vested in the hands of the Director who shall function as the chief executive officer (CEO) and Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) of the IQAC. The reporting authority of the Director of IQAC shall be the Vice Chancellor of the university.
Present situation of IQAC-BOU
The IQAC of Bangladesh Open University (BOU) has been constituted with one Director, Three Joint Directors, One Administrative Officer, One Accounts Officer, One Office Assistant cum Computer Operator and One Office Shohayok/Office Support Staff.
Officer’s List :
| Name | Designation | Phone/ E-mail |
| Professor Md. Anwarul Islam | Director (Additional Charge) | 09666730730 Ex.613 anwarul2003islam@yahoo.com |
| Professor Dr. Sadia Afroze Sultana | Additional Director (Additional Charge) | 09666730730 Ex.636, 9291178(res) sadia_afroze@yahoo.com |
| Dr. Md. Anowarul Haque Associate Professor | Additional Director (Additional Charge) | 09666730730 Ex.683 Fax: +88 02 9291110 haquejp@gmail.com |
| Sharmin Akter | Joint Director | 09666730130, Ext. 168 (off) sharminbourc@gmail.com |
| Md.Shaiful Islam | Accounts Officer | 09666730130, Ext. 591 (off) mozumder.saiful@yahoo.com |
| R. K. Sumon | Administrative Officer | 09666730130, Ext. 169 (off) ruhulkuddussumon@gmail.com |
Relation Structure of Institutional quality Assurance Bodies of the BOU, SPQA and UGC:
Quality Assurance Committee (QAC)
| Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh Open University | Chairman |
| Pro Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Dean, School of Education, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Dean, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Language, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Dean, Open School, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Dean, School of Business, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Dean, School of Business, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Dean, School of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Dean, School of Science and Technology, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Director, Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Registrar, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Director, Finance and Accounts Division, Bangladesh Open University | Member |
| Additional Director, Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Bangladesh Open University | Member Secretary |
ACTIVITIES
Workshops
Table: Workshops organized by IQAC
| Sl. No. | Title of the workshops | Duration(in Days) | Total Participants | Remark (Participants) |
| 1. | Workshop on Quality Assurance Mechanism | 01 | 33 | For the Faculty Members and Officers |
| 2. | Team Building Workshop | 01 | 61 | For the Faculty Members |
| 3. | Workshop on Research Methodology (First Batch) | 03 | 23 | For the Faculty Members |
| 4. | Workshop on Self-Assessment Report Writing | 01 | 09 | For the SA Committee Members |
| 5. | Survey Results Sharing Workshop | 01 | 50 | For the Faculty Members |
| 6. | Workshop on Research Methodology (Second Batch) | 03 | 28 | For the Faculty Members |
| 7. | Workshop on Post Self-Assessment Improvement Plan | 01 | 09 | For the SA Committee Members |
| 8. | Workshop on Online Services and Payment System (First Batch) | 01 | 55 | For the Officers |
| 9. | Workshop on Online Services and Payment System (Second Batch) | 01 | 48 | For the Officers |
| 10. | Workshop on Draft Improvement Plan | 01 | 68 | For the Faculty Members |
| 11. | Workshop on Application of SPSS | 04 | 28 | For the Faculty Members |
| 12. | Workshop on Rule and Regulation | 01 | 51 | For the Staffs |
| 13. | Workshop on Linux Operating System and Server Administration | 05 | 17 | For the Officers |
| 14. | Workshop on Objective Based Education | 02 | 36 | For the Faculty Members |
| 15. | Workshop on Income Tax and VAT Management | 02 | 60 | For the Officers |
Books, Reports and Publications
- Institutional Quality Assurance Cell Operations Manual
- IQAC Fund Manual
- Self-Assessment Manual
- QAU Mechanism in Universities Flyer
Important Links
Contact
Room 106 & 107, VIP Guest House (Ground Floor), Bangladesh Open University, Board Bazar, Gazipur 1705, Bangladesh.
E-Mail : iqac@bou.edu.bd
Website : www.bou.edu.bd
Telephone : 88 02 9291170, 09666730730 (Ext. – 169)
Mobile : 88 01914-863982, 88 01738343424
Fax : 88 02 9291122