At the University of Zambia, the Quality Assurance Directorate plays a critical role in ensuring the highest standards of academic excellence, institutional integrity, and continuous improvement. Our mission is to uphold and enhance the quality of teaching, learning, research, and administrative practices, while aligning with national and international educational standards.
Vision
To be the Anchor of a quality culture in the University of Zambia.
Mission
To promote a culture of continuous improvement and to contribute to the overall success of the University and its stakeholders.
Quality Assurance Directorate (QAD)
Falling under the office of the vice chancellor, the Quality Assurance Directorate (QAD) is responsible for the development, implementation, and monitoring of the institution’s systems for quality assurance. Our aim is to foster a culture of quality that transcends all levels of academic and support functions of the University in reinforcing the attainment of the goals and objectives enshrined in the current strategic plan of the University.
Key Responsibilities
- Accreditation of programmes & registration of qualifications Compliance: Ensuring that all academic programs meet the accreditation requirements set by relevant regulatory bodies, mainly the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA).
- We also ensure compliance with both national and international standards.
- Continuous Improvement: Promoting a culture of continuous improvement in University functions and services through regular evaluations, feedback mechanisms, and benchmarking against best practices in higher education.
- Programme and Course Reviews: Coordinating the periodic review and assessment of academic programmes, ensuring that they remain relevant, effective, and aligned with the institution’s strategic goals.
- Curriculum Development: Supporting schools, institutes and directorates in the development of curriculum that reflects current trends, research, and industry needs while maintaining academic relevance.
- Training & Development: Providing professional development opportunities for staff to enhance their skills and stay updated with the latest in training, research methodologies, and technological advancements.
- Student Engagement & Satisfaction: Gathering and analyzing student feedback to ensure that the student voice is heard and that their expectations are met or exceeded. Feedback mechanisms include surveys, tracer studies, student engagement in curriculum development and review, self-assessment reports at the programme as well as Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET). SET is mandatory and is conducted at the end of each teaching and learning period (semester/term), at least week before each study break. Students can only print their examination slips after they have evaluated all their lecturers for that particular course.
- Quality Audits & Reporting: Conducting planned and impromptu quality audits to assess the effectiveness of various university functions and services, and providing actionable recommendations to drive continuous improvement.
Commitment to Excellence
We are committed to fostering strong systems of quality assurance that support academic and operational excellence at the University of Zambia. By engaging both internal and external stakeholders, i.e. staff, students, parents and guardians, sponsors, government, regulatory and professional bodies and national and international partners, we ensure a comprehensive approach to promoting, improving and maintaining a university-wide quality culture in line with the University’s vision, mission and values.