Internal Quality Assurance Committee Regulations, 2017

L.N. 28 of 2017

INSTITUTE OF TOURISM STUDIES ACT

(CAP. 566)

Internal Quality Assurance Committee Regulations, 2017

IN exercise of the powers conferred by article 27(8) and (9) of

the Institute of Tourism Studies Act, the Minister for Tourism has

made the following regulations:-

(1) The title of these regulations is the Internal Quality Citation and

scope.

Assurance Committee Regulations, 2017.

(2) These regulations provide for the establishment of the

Internal Quality Assurance Committee of the Institute.

For the purposes of these regulations and unless the Interpretation.

context otherwise requires

"Act" means the Institute of Tourism Studies Act;

"Board of Governors" means the Board established by article 9

of the Act;

"Chief Executive Officer" means the Chief Executive Officer of

the Institute of Tourism Studies appointed in accordance with article

17 of the Act;

"Institute" means the Institute for Tourism Studies;

"Internal Quality Assurance Committee" means the Committee

that will monitor the organisational performance in accordance with

the National Quality Assurance Framework for Further and Higher

Education;

"Minister" means the Minister responsible for Tourism;

"Program Quality Validation Board" means the Board entrusted

to oversee the effective operations of the Institute academic

programmes through validations as established in article 3 of the Act.

(1) There shall be an Internal Quality Assurance Internal Quality

Assurance

Committee which shall consist of the following members

Committee.

(a)

three members appointed by the Board of Governors

from amongst academic staff in possession of at least eight (8)

years of service and qualified in academic quality assurance;

(b) two external members appointed by the Board of

Governors

Provided that the Board of Governors shall appoint one of

such members to act as the Head of the Internal Quality Assurance

Committee on a full time basis.

(2) The members of the Internal Quality Assurance Committee

shall hold office for two (2) years. The members may be re-appointed

for further periods.

The Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall have the

following functions

(a)

to perform Quality Assurance Review of the

organizational performance of the statute in accordance with the

provisions set out in the Education Act and the National Quality

Assurance Framework for Further and Higher Education;

(b) to establish priorities for quality improvement and to

ensure that the Institute’s mission is successfully achieved;

(c)

to develop and monitor the implementation of the

Institute’s quality assurance management system through the

establishment and scrutiny of department-based quality

standards and practices as well as the coordination of self-

reviews, peer reviews and departmental reviews;

(d) to publish, in December of each administrative year,

an annual institutional report covering the previous academic

year;

(e)

to monitor the implementation of recommendations

included in internal and external quality assurance audits;

(f)

to share best practices with key stakeholders in

quality assurance;

(g)

to promote quality culture amongst the Institute’s

staff;

(h) to build capacity on quality assurance among both

staff and students.

(1)

It shall be the duty of the Internal Quality Assurance

Committee to

(a)

periodically inform the Chief Executive Officer on

the annual report and the sufficiency of resources;

(b) report significant issues related to the processes

concerned with the Institute’s activities, including potential

improvements to those process; and

(c)

coordinate with the Chief Executive Officer and

provide oversight of other control and monitoring functions

including compliance, legal aspects, ethics and external audit.

(2) In exercising its functions and in reporting to the Chief

Executive Officer, the Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall

disclose to the Chief Executive Officer any concerns which may arise

during the exercise of its functions. Whenever a disagreement persists

between the Chief Executive Officer and Internal Quality Assurance

Committee, the Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall report

such facts to the Board of Governors.

(1) The Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall Independence

exercise its functions independently and impartially and to such end and impartiality.

none of the governing bodies shall interfere in the conduct of the said

Committee.

(2) Any member of the Internal Quality Assurance Committee

who has any direct or indirect interest relating to any particular

function of the Internal Quality Assurance Committee, not being an

interest which disqualifies such member from remaining a member,

shall disclose the nature of the interest at the first meeting of the

Internal Quality Assurance Committee after the relevant facts have

come to that member’s knowledge; such disclosure shall then be

recorded in the minutes of the meeting, and the member having an

interest as aforesaid shall withdraw from any meetings at which such

matter is discussed. Any such disclosure shall be communicated to

the Board of Governors without delay.

(1) The Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall Powers vested

have the power, upon obtaining the authorisation of the Chief in

Quality

Executive Officer, to

Assurance

Committee.

(a)

have unrestricted access to all functions, files,

property and staff as determined by its specific assignment,

regarding the applicable rules for data protection and

confidential information;

(b) in the framework of the annual report, allocate

resources, set frequencies, select subjects, determine scopes of

work and apply the techniques required to accomplish audit

objectives; and

(c)

obtain the necessary assistance of all personnel in

units of the Institute where they perform audits, as well as other

specialised services from within or outside the organisation.

(1) The Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall

meet at least once a week.

(2) No business shall be transacted by the Internal Quality

Assurance Committee unless a quorum of three members is obtained.

(3) The Head of the Internal Quality Assurance Committee

shall chair and regulate all proceedings and discussions and the

Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall establish its own rules of

procedure during its meetings.

(4) The Head of the Internal Quality Assurance Committee

may invite guests to attend the meeting as observers.

(5) The Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall reach its

decisions through a simple majority vote.

€0.36