Abstract:

This paper looks at the perspectives of quality assurance at two institutions of higher education, one in South Africa and one in Saudi Arabia, from the viewpoint of academic staff. It reviews the reasons for the introduction of quality assurance within the two respective countries, and then focuses specifically on how academic staff has perceived this. The paper looks at similarities and differences in perspectives of women academic staff at a College in Saudi Arabia, and staff in the Faculty of Business, Management Sciences and Law in a University in South Africa, and what may have influenced their perspectives.

The paper draws on information collated from questionnaires and interviews over a period of time, and reflects on the respective progress in terms of quality assurance implementation at the two institutions, using these specific Institutions to comment on general issues of quality assurance in higher education.

Keywords:

Quality assurance, higher education institutions.