Article Summary
The assessment of higher education quality management is always based on the stakeholders’ perceptions, based on how they have identified and interpreted the information shared by the institutions.

By:  Dr. Noor Azman Ali, Deputy Director, Centre of Quality Assurance, UPM

The assessment of higher education quality management is always based on the stakeholders’ perceptions, based on how they have identified and interpreted the information shared by the institutions.

Quality is one of the fundamental assessments for higher educational institutions' (HEI) performances where stakeholders will evaluate their performances and functions.

Quality perception is vital as stakeholders will evaluate on whether the HEI have performed according to what they have expected or vice-versa. Stakeholders’ perceptions are myriad in forms and ways, but generally, the perceptions can be identified into two - academic scholarly and non-academic perspectives.

The academic scholarly perspective is assessed through the activities of teaching and learning conducted by higher educational institutions as this is one pertinent aspect of their functions. 

The other academic perspective is the research activities which are conducted to ensure that higher educational institutions can proceed to move forward in the frontier of knowledge in research activities.

HEI are supposed to be able to entice and convince the stakeholders to invest in their research activities by proving that their research outputs can provide good returns for the community and industry.

The non-academic activities of HEI is to provide an expedient environment for extracurricular activities so that students can develop all of the required qualities a part of the soft skills required by potential employers.

These aspects will determine the capability of HEI is based on the competency of their academic and administrative staff.

Every higher educational institution is supposed to develop their own LMS to make sure that their academic activities are at par with the Industrial Revolution 4.0, academic applications requirements on the internet and artificial intelligence as all these requirements for technological infrastructure is no more an option.

HEI are supposed to be able to promote their reputations and functional activities related to knowledge transfer and information-sharing activities to their stakeholders.

In conclusion, the perceptions of stakeholders on quality performances of higher educational institutions are significant to paint the right image of the institutions as what is expected by their stakeholders.

There is no doubt that quality perception helps to wield influence on those entities who carry out the assessments and in ensuring that HEI are always regarded as imperative and reputable institutions in the perspective of their stakeholders and among academic community.

Date of Input: 14/04/2021 | Updated: 14/04/2021 | hairul_nizam