Internal Quality Assurance Cell and its Contribution to Quality Improvement in Higher Education Institutions : A Case of SIMS

The internal quality assurance systems of Higher Education Institutions are Self-regulated responsibilities of the higher education institutions, aimed at Continuous improvement of quality and achieving academic excellence. Srinivas Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), being innovative higher education institution, has mechanisms for academic auditing and adopted quality management strategies in all academic and administrative aspects. The institution has an Internal Quality Assurance cell (IQAC) and adopts a participatory approach in managing its provisions. This paper contains the details of institutional Internal Quality Assurance Cell, the composition, the institutional policy with regard to quality assurance and how has it contributed in institutionalizing the quality assurance processes, contribution of management, external members, students and alumni etc., institutional integrated framework for Quality assurance of the academic and administrative activities, institutional training to its staff for effective implementation of the Quality assurance procedures, Academic Audit of the academic provisions the outcomes used to improve the institutional activities, and institutional mechanisms to continuously review the teaching learning process. The paper also analyse the advantages of Internal quality assurance cell in improving quality of higher education at Srinivas Institute of Management Studies.