Since its origins, one of the pillars of the development of the higher education system has been to guarantee the quality of its activities. In this spirit, and since 2009, UPB has formally assumed its commitment to quality through the dissemination of the institutional Quality Policy, the creation and availability of the Quality Manual and the implementation and operationalization of the Quality Assurance and Management System (SGGQ).
Quality Policy
UPB’s quality policy is based on sharing the mission, vision and values, as defined in the Statutes, and the commitment to the guidelines defined in the strategic plan, with the aim of guaranteeing the quality and continuous improvement of all the activities carried out, as well as promoting good practices.
The institutional policy for quality is based on the following principles:
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- Assume quality and quality assurance as the driving force behind the functioning and development of the institution;
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- To guarantee the quality of teaching/learning, research, internationalization, interaction with society and the defense of identity, in accordance with the applicable legal precepts, internal norms and external national and international standards;
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- Define processes and procedures that allow for systematic and routine monitoring and evaluation of the activities carried out and that indicate the level of accountability of those involved;
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- Creation of a structure responsible for quality assurance and management at institutional level to guarantee cohesion, coherence, harmony and comparability;
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- Ensure forms of involvement and active participation of the entire academic community and other stakeholders in processes of analysis, reflection and debate on the performance achieved;
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- To listen to the needs and expectations of all stakeholders and to gather input for quality improvement and/or assurance;
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- Organize an internal quality assurance and management system that follows an integrated and holistic approach, applying national and European quality assurance benchmarks, and that is also representative of the institutional culture of transparency and accountability;
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- Implement an adequate, simple, unbureaucratic and effective quality assurance and management system;
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- Promote a model of organization, operation, management and governance of the institution centered on efficiency, quality, transparency and accountability;
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- Ensuring that the UPB community is informed about the implementation, monitoring and review of the institutional quality policy and its practical application.
Quality Manual
The Quality Manual is the formal document that defines the institutional policy for quality and how it is implemented and materialized through the Quality Assurance and Management System. It is a structuring document, built with the participation of all internal stakeholders (Organic Units, Research Units, Social Welfare Services and Central Services) and has the status of a shared and recognized management tool.
Quality Assurance and Management System
The Quality Assurance and Management System is a group of processes that interact and complement each other and was developed using the continuous improvement cycle approach. It defines the set of interrelated activities, identifies the resources needed to carry them out and establishes the metrics to assess and monitor their performance and compliance with the established objectives.
More information at
sggq.ipb.pt.