INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE REGULATIONS

INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 566.01

INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE

REGULATIONS

24th January, 2017

LEGAL NOTICE 28 of 2017, as amended Act II of 2020.

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

Assurance Committee Regulations.

(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

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

Committee which shall consist of the following members

(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.

INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE

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 Further

and Higher 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.

INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE COMMITTEE

(1) The Internal Quality Assurance Committee shall

exercise its functions independently and impartially and to such

end 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 have

the power, upon obtaining the authorisation of the Chief Executive

Officer, to

(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.