IR and QA office
The Institutional Research and Quality Assurance (IRQA) department ensures achieving quality and standards as envisaged in the SUN’s Vision and Mission. It also strives to provide quality services in academic and academic support services in SUN and evaluate best practices of National and International Academic Institutions. This department works towards meeting the guidelines/standards/accreditation requirements provided by National Universities Commission (NUC) and International Accreditation Agencies.
The Institutional Research (IR) is responsible for planning, designing data collection instruments, gathering, compiling, analyzing and disseminating information to Operational Executives and Strategic Decision makers. Major role of IR unit is to measure, analyze and report findings that facilitate in gauging the level of Institutional Effectiveness (IE), Identifying gaps and making amendments in the process of Institutional Effectiveness.
Quality Assurance (QA), review various feedbacks and IE reports for each academic year. The findings and suggestions on the feedbacks are disseminated to all Heads of the units after approval from the Vice chancellor for necessary decisions and actions to improve academic and academic support services. The Quality Assurance unit designs appropriate methodologies for meeting the Quality standards of the Institution in Academics and Academic Support Services to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the institution.
i. To develop and maintain quality standards in the institution.
ii. To evaluate the Institutional Effectiveness through auditing the academic and academic support service processes and identify gaps and disseminate information to all stakeholders.
iii. To evaluate the implementation of actions and outcomes for self-study purpose on a longitudinal time frames.
iv. To be a center for collection, compilation and analysis of data.
v. To develop IE & feedback tools and evaluate the institutional performance accordingly in an academic year.
vi. To comply with national accreditation standards along with classification framework.
vii. To facilitate the institution in obtaining international accreditations, ratings and rankings
viii. To identify national and international institutions and coordinate for best practices and Benchmarking.
ix. To provide inputs for strategic plan review.
x. To facilitate the Faculty Evaluation System (FES), Staff Evaluation System (SES), Senate (ST), and Board of Trustee (BOT) evaluation system.
xi. To coordinate submission and review of institutional planning, closing reports, MIS Report and fortnightly report.
xii. To coordinate review of the Institutional Effectiveness System
I. SERVICES PROVIDED
A. INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH
i. Planning and Decision Support
Institutional Research unit identifies the data requirements, plan and develops assessment tools helpful in gathering appropriate information for increasing institutional effectiveness. IRO compiles, analyzes and disseminates information for decision making in the process of institutional effectiveness. It provides inputs for preparing and evaluating Strategic Plan, annual and semester plans.
ii. Feedback Survey
Conducting various surveys that helps in assessing the status and requirements of SUN among the stakeholders is a major responsibility of the Institutional Research Unit. Student, staff, graduate and employer perceptions and opinions are imperative in determining the future directions of SUN. Therefore, IR reviews, develops, plans and implements appropriate survey tools, analyzes and disseminates the results for appropriate action.
iii. National and International Accreditation
IR Unit is responsible for the process of national and international accreditation process by coordinating and collecting necessary institutional data & documents required for local as well as international accreditation.
iv. Facilitating the Performance Evaluation System
The IR unit helps in developing the tools for performance evaluation systems of evaluating Faculty and Staff. It collects and analyzes information on various stake holders and evaluates their performance through a predefined evaluation systems and forwards the evaluation results to decision makers.
B. QUALITY ASSURANCE
i. Quality Enhancement
SUN is committed to excellence in all aspects of academics and academic support service departments as envisioned in the vision statement. The Quality Assurance unit ensures there is continuous enhancement of the institutional goals in meeting the specified standards and requirements across all areas of Academics and Academic Support Services.
ii. Developing Institutional Policies
IRQA department is responsible for preparing, amending, ensuring compliance and evaluating the policy and procedures of SUN.
iii. Quality Auditing
The IRQA Department coordinates with Quality Assurance for conducting audit of Academic and Academic Support Services. The audit of Academics includes audit of curriculum and CDDs at the start of every Academic Year and review of course files, course reports, CDP upload, CDP implementation, Quality check of question papers, etc. every semester. The QA nominates a team of subject experts in coordination with DIRQA and Vice Chancellor who shall be responsible for the audit of course files. The audit of academic support services includes audit of start of AY preparations, start of semester preparations, semester closing audits, audit of uploads on website, portal and ERP, etc.
An audit report with gaps identified and recommended actions is prepared and sent to concerned units for implementation of necessary actions to close the gaps identified during the audit.
iv. Ensuring compliance with accreditation standards
The Quality Assurance Unit keeps track of all the latest updates in the NUC standards and reviews its impact on the institutional policy and procedures. It is the responsibility of the Quality Assurance Unit all the necessary amendments as per the latest updates are reflected in the appropriate policies. It ensures that all the important documents of the Institution are amended as per the changes in the standards set by the NUC.
C. OUTREACH AND ACCREDITATION
i. International accreditation
The IRQA department facilitates the institution in obtaining recognized international accreditations for its various Programmes SUN as Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The department also identifies recognized global ranking agencies for achieving ranking of the institution to enhance its brand image. Some of the ranking agencies currently identified include QS, Time Higher Education, Shanghai, etc.
ii. Benchmarking
Benchmarking in higher education is an important tool of setting higher goals and achieving them through defining specific academic processes and procedures. SUN benchmark its Key Performance Indicators and processes with institutions both inside and outside the Nigeria for the purpose of improving its process, Programmes and operations of the institution. SUN enters into Memorandum of understanding with institutions at the Nigeria and international level to make the benchmarking process more realistic and useful.
Apart from external benchmarking, SUN processes also includes internal benchmarking wherein every academic & academic support service unit at SUN has predefined the key performance indicators and that are to be achieved as per benchmark which is developed based on the previous year’s performance. The IRQA department reviews the benchmark set by different units and guides them on updating the same during the planning review of all units. SUN has also adopted standardizing CDPs (Syllabus), nature of assessment tools, quality check of question papers to meet learning outcomes, Programme learning outcomes linked with the skills and competencies desirable by the industry at the academic level.
iii. Best practices
SUN policy and procedures are prepared based on the guidelines provided by NUC standards and taking in consideration some of the best practices followed at a similar to SUN level of NUC and outside of NUC. SUN reviews its policy and procedure manuals before the start of the academic year and incorporates the necessary changes for the coming year. Yearly reviews are carried out at the end of the spring semester to identify status of current practices followed at SUN and to align with the requirement of NUC.
iv. Facilitate data for awards, ranking and listing
The Quality Assurance Unit provides data to other departments which are working towards achievement of renowned awards, and listing of SUN at national and international levels. The department helps in preparing documents, evaluating and developing application forms and equivalencies for Programmes.
1. What is IRQA
IRQA means Institutional Research and Quality Assurance
2. What is their functions in the institution?
Their functions are: Planning and Decision Support, Feedback Survey, National and International Accreditation, Facilitating the Performance Evaluation System, Quality Enhancement, Developing Institutional Policies, Quality Auditing and Ensuring compliance with accreditation standards.
3. When was SUN Licensure
SUN was licensed 28-May-2018
4. Number of academic Programmemes with full accreditation status in the university
The University began its operation in 2018 and in 2021, December 11 Programmemes were accredited.
5. Who designed feedback form?
IRQA team designed the feedback form before the event plan and analyse the feedback after the event.
6. Can I submit event report without feedback analysis?
No, feedback analysis is compulsory in the event report.
7. What is the full meaning of CDD?
CDD stands for Course Definite Document
8. What is the full meaning of IE tools
IE tools stands for Institutional Effectiveness Tools
9. What are the full meaning of FES and SES
FES stands for Faculty Evaluation System while SES stands for Staff Evaluation System