Teaching Matters A challenge that universities the world over have had to face in recent years is the growing demand to take a systematic approach to quality, and to open up their processes to independent assessment.

At first the demand was met by denial and resistance, as academics reacted negatively to any suggestion that their quality could or even should be assessed. This initial negativity was led by those who saw autonomy as meaning the freedom to cry "Hands off! We are doing a good job because we say so."

Happily, heads have been taken out of the sand, and the negativity replaced by a serious and measured engagement with the process. In the case of the Irish universities, the initiative was taken by the universities rather than by government - in contrast to some other European nations where governments stepped in to counter university reluctance or opposition. (Surely this is a model for action on the many other issues which higher education faces, for example strategic planning of the system.)

One of the best kept secrets in education - despite the universities' valiant attempts to publicise this fact - is that a detailed quality-assurance process is in place in our seven universities. The outcomes, both positive and negative, are available for inspection by any member of the public on the websites of individual universities and of the Irish University Association (IUA). Such a degree of openness has been rare in Ireland, and must be applauded.

The Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB), though originally created by the universities, is being transformed into an independent body with a 14-member board, half of them internal to the universities and the other half, including the chair, from outside - two of the latter being from abroad. It will be able to initiate reviews of the sector or of individual universities. In that respect, the universities are surrendering some of their autonomy, since these reviews and the focus they bring to bear on chosen topics might not be to their liking. Real progress.

Neither does the good news stop there. Further encouragement comes from the recent Review of Quality Assurance in Irish Universities carried by the European Universities Association (EUA). According to the experts of the EUA, the Irish universities have established a quality-assurance system which is functioning, well organised and now yielding results. More: they believe that many universities in Europe and elsewhere could learn from the Irish experience.

In their judgment, the quality-assurance processes now in place have already had a positive influence on teaching and learning. Awareness of quality issues is rising rapidly. The quality-assurance process helps to keep the content of courses up to date, and supports a practical approach to improving teaching and learning. The EUA teams also noted that research-based teaching is widespread in Irish universities, which they rightly saw as a very positive indicator.

Such praise, which I believe to be well-deserved, should prepare us to be open and constructive in reacting to the more critical comments the EUA also had to offer. Many of these echo the findings of the recent OECD report, and indeed also reflect my own feelings on the issues.

The EUA was clearly surprised by such things as:

The almost complete lack of systematic student feedback in the assessment process - an essential part of an effective quality-assurance system.

The virtual absence of performance appraisal of individual staff members, with incentives or sanctions attached to this.

The size, composition and balance of university governing authorities, which they saw as a hindrance to proper strategic planning.

The universities' low capacity for analysis of their situation. Irish universities generally have incomplete information about themselves and how to benchmark their performance against chosen competitors.

The low numbers of research Master's and PhD students as well as post-doctoral fellows, which leads to small and isolated groups of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows in many fields.

The extent of the scope that exists for greater inter-institutional co-operation between universities and also with other organisations, to create internationally competitive critical mass in many research fields. In general, the EUA teams viewed the links between Irish universities and the external world as being very traditional.

The low interest in a broader international vision for institutional development.

This mixture of strengths and weaknesses is to be expected. It would be surprising if it were otherwise, for what organisation can claim to be perfect? What is important is that our universities accept that the achievement of high quality is a never-ending process. And what is most important of all is that there is an institutional commitment to pursue that objective, no matter what negatives are unearthed on the way.

Anyone interested in issues of quality in higher education will benefit much from a detailed study of this huge - and growing - resource, the EUA sectoral report and the individual university reports that are being provided so openly by the universities. The universities deserve to be commended for this initiative, which will clearly continue. And they should be much more praised for this and for the fundamental positives in these reports than criticised for the faults which have been identified.

Danny O'Hare is a former president of Dublin City University