Abstract

Title of publication

Audit of Arcada University of Applied Sciences (Auditering av Yrkeshögskolan Arcada)

Authors

Eva Åkesson, Trine Bjerva, Jussi Laitinen, Janne Wikström & Mirella Nordblad.

Arcada’s self-assessment (eds.) Birgitta Eriksson, Mona Forsskåhl & Tomas Träskman

The Higher Education Evaluation Committee’s decision

Arcada University of Applied Sciences passed the audit on 26 January 2024.

The Quality Label is valid until 26 January 2030.

The audit team’s evaluation of evaluation areas I-III

I: HEI creates competence: good level

II: HEI promotes impact and renewal: good level

III: HEI enhances quality and well-being: good level

HEI as a learning organisation – evaluation area chosen by Arcada

Management and steering of RDI processes

Theme and partner for benchlearning

Theme: RDI processes

Partner: Kristiania University College 

Key strengths and recommendations

Strengths

  • Arcada has functioning practices for identifying changes in working life and society, e.g., through sector councils and teachers working in their profession outside Arcada. These practices ensure that Arcada’s study programmes remain attractive for the future labour market.
  • Arcada has an open culture that encourages staff to do new things and to be innovative in their own work.
  • Student engagement has a clearly defined role in Arcada’s quality system. Students’ feedback is followed up and they receive feedback-on-feedback.
  • Arcada’s reorganisation has benefited its scientific research and external funding.

Recommendations

  • Arcada should work for a common understanding of research-based education and education-based research, and thereby create a closer link between teaching and research in its daily activities. Especially the research, development and innovation activities’ (RDI) connection to education and education’s interdisciplinarity should be strengthened at Arcada.
  • The broad and versatile RDI activities carried out in cooperation with external partners should be made more visible. At present, mainly research is emphasised at Arcada.
  • Arcada has recently revised its quality system. Arcada should conduct a thorough evaluation of the system after a completed quality cycle in order to be able to draw lessons about the system. Arcada should make the quality system more visible throughout the organisation.
  • The use of research funds should be increased, for example, by more flexible work time planning.