Quality is a vital part of Nizwa College of Technology's mission.
Effective planning and careful implementation of plans are of course, essential to the creation of a high quality institution, as processes of monitoring and review. However, equally important is the commitment of each member of staff to understand the College's purpose and future ambitions, to see his or her role in relation to institutional goals, and to do his or her job well and with enthusiasm.
Quality must be the responsibility of everyone who works in the College.
Specifically, quality is of great importance to the College because
there is a need to show that government money is being spent wisely and that high quality outcomes are being achieved;
the College's reputation and the professional satisfaction of its staff both derive from knowing, and being able to demonstrate, that students are learning effectively and achieving high levels of performance in all programmes;
the College exists in order to provide the nation with a skilled workforce.
The College is guided by Ministerial decree No 14 / 2006 which emphasises:
full compliance with the Bylaws of the Colleges of Technology;
College-level planning consistent with the overall Strategic Plan;
constant monitoring of College departments to assess progress in implementing action plans ('work plans');
careful monitoring of course and programme delivery across the curriculum, including On-Job Training;
data collection on College graduates to ascertain the effectiveness of the education and training they have received;
rigorous self-assessment across all Colleges, taking into account mission, goals and objectives.
The College's stakeholders include, but are not limited to, students, staff, the Ministry, private and public sector employers, parents of students, and the wider community as a whole. The College will at all times seek formal feedback from these stakeholders and see to it that College activities and services meet their needs.
The manual sets out in detail the College's quality assurance philosophy and how this translates into day to day practice. The College:
values excellence in the day to day work of the College in all areas of activity;
places emphasis on monitoring the quality of service provided to students and prospective students;
recognizes the importance of self-evaluation, action planning and constant improvement;
recognizes that benchmarking with other institutions is an important tool in the monitoring and improvement of educational quality.
The QAM will be updated every two years through changes or additions approved in the minutes of the College Quality Assurance Committee. Over time the procedures contained in this manual will be improved, expanded and fine-tuned so that they fully meet the needs of the College and all its stakeholders.