HEC concludes evaluation visits of three varsities

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Tuesday concluded evaluation visits of three HEC-recognised higher education institutions for institutional performance evaluation (IPE) and postgraduate programme review (PGPR).

The universities were evaluated by HEC’s quality assurance agency (QAA) which paid three-day visits to the University of Gujrat, the University of Lakki Marwat and the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana, a press release on Tuesday said.

Similarly, the HEC will evaluate 15 more institutions and universities by June 2021, it said.

The IPE is a holistic review of an institution or a university, in which its overall performance is evaluated on the basis of 11 IPE standards, which are Mission Statement and Goals, Planning and Evaluation, Organisation and Governance, Integrity, Faculty, Students, Institutional Resources, Academic Programmes and Curricula, Public Disclosure and Transparency, Assessment and Quality Assurance and Student Support Services.

Likewise, in PGPR, an institution or a university is reviewed to check whether or not it is implementing HEC minimum criteria for launching MS, MPhil and PhD programmes.

The purpose of these evaluations is to bring improvement in the higher education sector so that the ultimate objective of quality could be achieved, said the statement.

These evaluations are conducted by engaging peers from other universities including vice-chancellors and rectors and academia not below associate professors as well as the Directors of Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs). “This endeavour will help to improve the state of quality in higher education institutions.” DNA