Quality Assurance of University Education in Alberta and Kenya: Policies and Practices

Abstract

Since the introduction of degree granting institutions, Alberta and Kenya have persistently made efforts to manage and improve the quality of university education. While contexts, stakeholders, and quality assurance regimes have changed over time, debate on academic quality in both jurisdictions has continued bringing to the fore disagreements about the exact meaning of the phrase. However, many observers appreciate the importance of quality assurance and enhancement of degree programming. In this paper, we review policies and practices in quality assurance of degree education in the Canadian Province of Alberta and Kenya and the roles of Campus Alberta Quality Council and the Kenya Commission for Higher Education in assuring and enhancing quality of higher education in the two jurisdictions. Possible lessons for Kenya and other developing countries are presented.

Keywords: quality assurance, higher education, Alberta, Canada, Kenya