Quality Evaluation of Higher Education Programmes: Process and Challenges in Latvia

The aim of the paper is to analyze process of higher education programmes’ quality evaluation and define its main challenges, basing on the case of Latvia. At present stage the evaluation of higher education study programmes is realized in frames of the European Social Fund financed project “Evaluation of higher education programmes and proposals for quality improvement”(the Project) from May 2011 – April 2013. There are approximately 950 higher education study programmes in Latvia, and most of them are evaluated in frames of the Project. Apart from accreditation this is the first Project for evaluating the quality of higher education programmes in Latvia, thus requiring analysis on its performance. Investigations included in the paper are based both on theoretical concepts (e.g., Baartman, 2007, Bornmann, et.al, 2006, Darussalam, 2010, Gikanti, Morrow, Davis, 2011, Gomez, 2007, Kai, 2009, Nesman, 2007, Sarrico, et.al, 2010, Smith, 2008, Yarmorharmmadian, 2011, Westerheijden, et.al, 2007, etc.), on statistical data analysis provided by Latvian higher education institutions in frames of the Project and on interviews with the Project administration. The paper concludes that evaluation of higher education programmes is a complex issue not only due to the number of data necessary for ensuring the evaluating the higher education quality, but also due to the different types of calculations the higher education institutions use e.g. for registering their academic staff or financing available for one programme. The paper provides summary of the main challenges having arisen during the evaluation of higher education programmes’.