A Qualidade no Ensino Superior “ Exigências e Limitações

Abstract

Taking into account that polysemy of the term quality make difficulties to its conceptual delimitation, the Author choices a definition of the above-mentioned term which has an instrumental scope, thus avoiding semantic variations along his article. The definition of quality which he selected was formulated by the British Standards Institute and was transcribed from McTaggart (2006). Circunscribing his analysis of quality to higher education, he justifies the relevancy of the application of the concept of quality adopted by the management models practiced by the business world to higher education. Afterwards, he analyses the period between the publication of the Law of the Assesment in Higher Education (Law 38/94) and the publication of Law 38/2007, which laid down a new Assessment system and gave rise to the Assessment and Accreditation in Higher Education Agency through the Decree-Law 369/2007. In what relates to the period of coming into effect Law 38/94, the Author points out the positive sides which the same has contained, namely in the range of the Foundation of Portuguese Universities (FUP) and the National Assessment Council of Higher Education (CNAVES). The Author also refers the Management Quality Model of the Coimbra University which has started in the academic year of 2008/2009. At last, he enumerates some requirements to justify the quality in higher education as well as some limitations to the application of a quality culture and practice at that level.