Abstract

Title of publication

Audit of the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk)

Authors

Jaana Ignatius, Olli Kolehmainen, Mikko Korhonen, Riikka Mäki-Ontto, Kati Isoaho & Hanna Väätäinen. Self-assessment of Xamk (ed.) Marjaana Kivelä.

The Higher Education Evaluation Committee’s decision

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK), passed the audit on 24 February 2021.

The Quality Label is valid until 24 February 2027.

The audit team’s evaluation of the 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: excellent level

HEI as a learning organisation – evaluation area chosen by Xamk

Learning environments supporting the integration of RDI and teaching

Theme and partner for benchlearning

Students’ study path

Partner: Henan University, China

Key strengths and recommendations

Strengths

  • The pedagogical development programme is a document that brings unity to the enhancement of the degree programmes and directs the activities towards the future.
  • Xamk has an organisational operating culture characterised by open interaction which, in addition to formal feedback channels, facilitates education enhancement.
  • Xamk’s management system and strategy efficiently direct the HEI’s impact work and its development. The Hansa system, which operates as the RDI project portfolio, is a promising tool which creates possibilities for more strategic targeting of the RDI activities in the future.
  • Quality management at Xamk relies on systematic and continuous improvement of the activities over the long term and is based on combining the good practices of the merged HEIs.

Recommendations

  • The student feedback practices and the implementation of development forums should be harmonised appropriately between different fields of education and units.
  • Internationality should play a more prominent part in the planning of education to ensure that the goal of a genuinely international HEI can be attained comprehensively.
  • Work to develop customer relationship management has been launched but remains incomplete. Consequently, Xamk’s regional development work is partly scattered and fragmented. The efforts to develop customer relationship management should be continued with the aim of achieving a model of regional development work that supports education and RDI.
  • Quality management at Xamk should be improved further for the part of regional development activities and through more extensive stakeholder participation.