Abstract:

In the new European Higher Education is important to establish quality assurance systems that may be adapted to different national circumstances without forgetting the requirements in the European strategy.

The strengths of universities reside increasingly in maintaining an effective relationships with their environment, offering answers to the needs of all its stakeholders, placing them in the center of the academic and researcher processes.

The 1988 Magna Carta was signed in Bologna. The conclusions of the World Conference on Higher Education of UNESCO in 1998 and the Declaration of Bologna respect the universities autonomy in fulfilling their responsibilities. In this sense, evaluation and quality assurance of qualifications are elements that are integrated into the mission and strategy of each university. The quality assurance programs national and international levels should focus on ensuring and monitoring the rigor of the evaluation processes universities have established.

The real value of the Quality Assurance System is its contribution to improving teaching, learning, research and public accountability. In other words, Systems Quality Assurance of the universities are structured demonstration of academic practice, which is described and is based on existing quality assurance and control processes of the different centers in the University. The objective of the System of Quality Assurance is the establishment of cyclic processes of planning, development, public information and feedback to promote the renewal and improvement of quality through self-reflexive criticism and based on objective data and actual results

The University of Vigo is a young and modern institution, created in 1990 by separation from other Galician University. It is a public institution, committed to the principles of equity, solidarity, democracy and freedom. The University of Vigo offers a great variety of degrees and diplomas to a rapidly increasing number of students; more than 19,500 in the academic year 2008-09.

The University of Vigo has 22 centers and seven affiliated centers, is a growing institution comprised of four campuses: Vigo-Torrecedeira, Vigo-As Lagoas Marcosende, Pontevedra campus (approx. 25 km from Vigo) and Ourense campus (100 km from Vigo).

In this work is presented the content of the quality manual of the University of Vigo Centers and Departments, and the breakdown of procedures, highlighting the most relevant indicators of each procedure. The manual quality assurance system of the University of Vigo provides a solid basis on which the various centers design and build their own system of internal Quality, facilitating the design and implementation of various procedures ( A total of 26), evidence management, data collection and analysis of indicators and ,finally, the standardization and systematization of improvement actions to ensure the quality of degrees, masters and doctorates teachings. The basic objectives and Procedure Manual of the different centers that comprise the University of Vigo is to ensure quality of all the degrees attached to the Center reviewed and improved whenever deemed necessary to their training, based on the needs and expectations of differents stakeholders to which they will promptly informed and kept updated the own Quality Assurance System.

Keywords:

Manual Quality, higher education, Quality assurance.