Quality management

On 28 May 2021, the senate adopted the university's quality management principles, the aim of which is to establish a common quality management framework and define the quality management activities and persons in charge (in Estonian). On the other hand, the quality management principles support the development of the university’s quality culture and thereby improve the university members’ working and learning experience, as well as enhance the quality of services provided by the university.

Principles of quality management

The principles of quality management aim to create a uniform framework for quality management at the University of Tartu (“university”) and define the quality management procedures and the persons responsible.
Quality management is a part of strategic management, ensuring processes consistent with the university’s objectives of development and operation, and their periodic review and improvement. Quality management supports the development of the university’s quality culture and helps maintain and improve the quality of its main and supporting activities. Quality management is based on a cycle of continuous improvement, the parts of which are planning, doing, checking, and acting.
Quality management is based on the statutes and the strategic plan of the university. Quality is defined by the mission, fundamental values, vision and tasks of the university, as defined in the strategic plan. The procedures supporting the achievement of the goals of the strategic plan and the fulfilment of the university’s tasks at all levels of management are described in the bylaws and guidelines of the university.
The university ensures quality through continuous and purposeful improvement of all activities, taking into account the expectations and feedback of various stakeholders. The university’s stakeholders include the members of the university, continuing education learners, alumni, partners, employers, government agencies, local authorities and society at large. The university ensures that efforts to meet the expectations of one interest group do not reduce the satisfaction of other stakeholders.
The main activities of the university are teaching, research and development, and provision of services to society based on these activities. The quality of the main activities is influenced, among other factors, by the preparedness and motivation of learners, staff competences and motivation, the clarity, feasibility and ambition of the university’s development and operational objectives, the quality of support activities, the condition of teaching and research infrastructure, and financial and other resources.
The university’s support activities support the high-quality implementation of the main activities. The quality of the support activities is influenced, among other factors, by staff competences and motivation, the clarity, feasibility and ambition of the university’s development and operational objectives, and financial and other resources.
Information about the quality of the main and support activities is received via feedback surveys, internal evaluation of teaching and studies, performance interviews and evaluation of employees, achievement of performance and key indicators, internal audit and external evaluations, and other means. Based on the data received, improvements are carried out.
The hallmarks of quality culture are the commitment of employees and learners to their work and studies, shared values, ethics, cooperation, sharing best practices and the desire for continuous improvement.
The rector is responsible for optimal functioning of quality management. All employees of the university are responsible for quality within their field of activity. Learners are responsible for the quality of their learning.
The senate will review the principles of quality management as necessary, but at least once during the term of the strategic plan.

Quality management is based on the cycle of continuous improvement

The quality management activities and persons in charge

Planning

Activity and process	University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Planning the university’s development	University of Tartu Strategic Plan for 2021–2025 University of Tartu Financial Strategy until 2025 Spatial development strategy until 2025 of the University of Tartu Focal areas of the university’s research and development and innovation (on the intranet), in Estonian	Rector, director of development	Rector’s Office	Every five years

Planning staff recruitment and development	Good practice of leadership Regulations for Recruitment of Academic Staff	Rector, academic secretary	Human Resources Office, faculty unit	As needed

Planning the development of information systems	Digital Development Strategy (in planning stage), Information Technology Strategy in Estonian	Director of Administration	Information Technology Office	As needed
Mapping risks	Internal auditing rules (in Estonian)	Rector	Internal Audit Office	As needed

Activity and process	University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Planning the opening of a curriculum	Statutes of Curriculum Language and internationalisation principles of the University of Tartu	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Office of Academic Affairs, faculty unit	As needed
Planning of the organisation of studies	Study Regulations	Vice rector for academic affairs	Office of Academic Affairs, faculty unit	As needed
Planning of student admissions	Admission rules at the first and second level of higher education in the 2021/2022 academic year Admission Rules in Doctoral Studies Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian	Vice rector for academic affairs	Office of Academic Affairs	Once a year, in October
Planning the development of learning environments	Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian	Vice rector for academic affairs	Office of Academic Affairs, faculty unit	As needed
Development of continuing education programmes	Regulations of Continuing Education Procedure for establishing, invoicing and exempting from tuition fees for continuing education Procedure for issue of continuing education certificates, in Estonian Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Lifelong Learning Centre, Office of Academic Affairs, structural unit organising the continuing education	As needed

Activity and process		University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity		Responsible	Accountable		Time/frequency
Planning of new scientific research and applying for R&D funding for that		Regulations for processing development projects Code of Conduct for Research Integrity Description of Grant Office Description of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in Estonian Description of services provided by Grant Writing Unit (on the intranet), Guidelines on preventing, identifying and solving conflicts of interest and corruption-prone situations, Statute of the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, in Estonian Guidelines for equal treatment		Vice rector for research, dean	Grant Office, faculty unit		As needed

Activity and process

University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity

Responsible

Accountable

Time/frequency

Development planning

Strategic Plan of the University of Tartu Museum for 2019–2023, in Estonian
Strategic Plan of the University of Tartu Youth Academy for 2017–2022, in Estonian
Strategic Plan of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden 2025, in Estonian
Strategic Plan of the University of Tartu Library 2021–2025, in Estonian
Strategic Plan of the University of Tartu Academic Sports Club until 2025, in Estonian

Vice rector for research,
vice rector for academic affairs,
vice rector for development,
director of administration

Head of institution

Every five years

Acting

Activity and process	University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Strategic Management	University of Tartu Strategic Plan for 2021–2025 University of Tartu Financial Strategy until 2025 Spatial development strategy until 2025 of the University of Tartu Statute of the Development Fund, in Estonian Performance agreements Faculties’ strategic plans Strategic plans of faculties’ structural units	Rector, dean	Rector’s Strategy Office, faculty unit	Continuous

Governance and representation of the university	Statutes of the University of Tartu Rules and principles of the work of Rector’s Office Principles of establishment of and participation in legal persons, in Estonian Conditions and Procedure of Electing Representatives of Academic Staff to the Faculty Council Senate election rules Good practice of leadership Procedure of electing deans and directors of institutions, in Estonian	Rector	Rector’s Strategy Office	Continuous

International cooperation	Language and internationalisation principles of the University of Tartu Erasmus Charter for Higher Education 2021–2027, University of Tartu	Director of development, dean	International Cooperation and Protocol Unit, Study Abroad Centre of Office of Academic Affairs, faculty unit	Continuous

Financial management	Budgeting principles, in Estonian Budget Committee Rules, in Estonian Budgeting Rules Rules of Using Financial Accounts Accounting Policies and Procedures, in Estonian Procurement Rules Pricing Rules, in Estonian Description of Finance Office, in Estonian	Head of finance, deans	Finance Office	Continuous

Human resource management	University of Tartu Work Rules Collective bargaining agreement Regulations for Recruitment of Academic Staff Job Descriptions of Academic Staff Regulations for Evaluation of Academic Staff Regulations for Retirement with Emeritus Status Statute of Visiting Professorship in Liberal Arts Regulations for Giving Recognition Salary Rules Guidelines for equal treatment Occupational Health and Safety Regulations Description of Human Resources Office, in Estonian Regulations for Recognition with the Education Deed of the Year Award, in Estonian Statute of the University of Tartu best teaching staff award Statute of the Promotion of Teaching Quality Award, in Estonian	Rector, academic secretary (recognition), dean	Human Resources Office, faculty unit	Continuous

Managing and developing of the learning and work environment	Use and Disposal of Immovable Property Spatial development strategy until 2025 of the University of Tartu Rules of Construction Work and Investment in Immovable Property Rules of Using Buildings and Rooms Fire Safety Rules Regulations for ensuring security in the buildings of the University of Tartu Regulations for handling chemicals Rules of arming the security system in buildings and rooms Waste Management Rules Procedure for using email service Information Security Strategy, in Estonian Description of Estates Office, in Estonian Information Technology Standard, in Estonian Procedure for Providing IT Services, in Estonian Description of Information Technology Office, in Estonian	Director of administration, dean	Estates Office, Information Technology Office, faculty unit	Continuous

Academic ethics	Good practices: Good practice of teaching, learning, doctoral studies, Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, good practice of giving feedback Statute of the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, in Estonian Statute of the Centre for Ethics, University of Tartu	Academic secretary, dean	Faculty unit	Continuous

Communication management	Symbols of the University of Tartu, in Estonian Rules of Using Symbols of the University of Tartu, in Estonian Description of Marketing and Communication Office, in Estonian Marketing and communication principles of the University of Tartu (on intranet)	Director of administration, dean	Marketing and Communication Office, faculty unit	Continuous

Risk management	Internal auditing rules, in Estonian	Rector, dean	Internal Audit Office, faculty unit	Continuous

Information management	Documentary procedure rules, in Estonian Documentary Procedure Rules List of documents, in Estonian Description of Administrative Office, in Estonian	Director of administration	Administrative Office	Continuous

Activity and process	University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Course design	Study Regulations	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Structural unit responsible for teaching the course	As needed
Opening of curricula	Statutes of Curriculum Language and internationalisation principles of the University of Tartu	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Degree Studies and Quality Assurance Unit, Office of Academic Affairs, dean’s office, structural unit organising the studies	As needed
Organising of teaching and studies	Study Regulations	Dean	Structural unit organising the studies	Continuous

Student admissions	Admission rules for the first and second level of higher education in 2023/2024 Admission Rules for Doctoral Studies Description of the Office of Academic Affair	Vice rector for academic affairs	Office of Academic Affairs, faculty's unit	Once a year

Counselling and supervising of learners	Study Regulations Statutes of Curriculum Description of the Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian Description of Student Union Office, in Estonian	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Office of Academic Affairs, structural unit organising the studies	Continuous

Counselling and supervising of teaching staff	Description of Human Resources Office, in Estonian Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian Good practice of teaching Regulations for Evaluation of Academic Staff Job Descriptions of Academic Staff Scholarships of teaching and learning	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Centre for Professional Development, Lifelong Learning Centre, structural unit organising the studies	Continuous

Managing and developing of the study information system	Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian Regulation of Study Information System, in Estonian Guidelines for e-learning	Vice rector for academic affairs	Office of Academic Affairs	Continuous

Development and organisation of continuing education programmes	Regulations of Continuing Education Procedure for establishing, invoicing and exempting from tuition fees for continuing education Procedure for issue of continuing education certificates, in Estonian Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Lifelong Learning Centre, structural unit organising continuing education	Continuous

Activity and process	University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Research studies and provision of research-based services	Code of Conduct for Research Integrity Regulation for Processing Development Projects Procedure for issuing calibration, analysis, measurement and test certificates, in Estonian Description of Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in Estonian Guidelines on preventing, identifying and solving conflicts of interest and corruption-prone situations How to avoid conflicts of interest in business cooperation (on the intranet) Statute of the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Tartu, in Estonian Guidelines for equal treatment Guidelines for entering R&D services in ETIS (on the intranet) Guidelines for answering Adapter enquiries (for administrators and partners)	Vice rector for research, dean	Grant Office, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, faculty units	Continuous

Management of R&D infrastructure	Principles for establishing and organisation of work of shared-resource facilities, (Intranet) Statutes of the University of Tartu High Performance Computing Centre, in Estonian Statutes of the University of Tartu Core Facility for Biosafety, in Estonian Statutes of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, in Estonian	Vice rector for research, dean		Continuous

Intellectual property protection	Procedure for Managing Intellectual Property Created at the University of Tartu Disclosure form for intellectual property with commercial potential Deed of assignment of intellectual property rights Description of Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in Estonian	Vice rector for research	Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Legal Advisor in Matters of Intellectual Property)	Continuous

Application of research results in business (startups and spin-offs)	Description of Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, in Estonian	Vice rector for research, dean	Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, faculty unit	Continuous

Activity and process	University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Maintaining the biobank	Statutes of the Institute of Genomics	Vice rector for research	Institute of Genomics	Continuous

Library services	University of Tartu Library Rules, Statutes of the University of Tartu Library, in Estonian	Vice rector for research	Library	Continuous

Maintaining of science and cultural historical collections and providing services based on them	Statutes of the University of Tartu Museum, in Estonian Statutes of the University of Tartu Library, in Estonian Statutes of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, in Estonian	Director of development, vice rector for research	Director of Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, director of museum, director of library	Continuous

Maintaining of natural history collections and providing services based on them	Statutes of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, in Estonian Rules of organisation of natural history collection and digital archive of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, in Estonian	Director of development	Director of Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden	Continuous

Conservation of cultural heritage	Rules for managing cultural assets Monitoring of the complex of buildings of the Observatory as UNESCO world heritage in line with the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention Monitoring of the historical buildings (main building, buildings of the Toome Hill and Botanical Garden) as buildings awarded with the European Heritage Label in accordance with Decision No. 1194/2011/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (Art. 15) Heritage Conservation Act and the management plan of the heritage conservation area of Tartu Old Town, in Estonian	Rector, director of development, director of administration		Continuous

Provision of science- and technology-based hobby education	Statutes of Youth Academy, in Estonian Statutes of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, in Estonian	Vice rector for academic affairs, director of development	Director of Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden	Continuous

Dissemination of research results (popularisation)	Statutes of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, in Estonian	Vice rector for research, dean, director of development, director of administration	Marketing and Communication Office, institution, faculty unit	Continuous

Assessment

Activity and process	University regulation, strategy document or guideline guiding the activity	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Annual review of strategic and implementation plans		Vice rector for development, deans	Rector’s Strategy Office, faculty unit	Twice a year (interim report in September and final report at the beginning of the year)
Annual reports		Head of finance	Rector’s Strategy Office	Once a year, in March
Development of the statistika.ut.ee dashboard		Director of development	Rector’s Strategy Office	As needed
Performance appraisals	Good practice of leadership Salary Rules Description of Human Resources Office, in Estonian Performance agreements Satisfaction surveys	Rector, dean	Head of Human Resources Office, heads of structural units, immediate supervisors	Once a year, from December to February

Evaluation of academic staff	Regulations for Evaluation of Academic Staff Job Descriptions of Academic Staff Code of Conduct for Research Integrity Good practice of teaching	Academic secretary, dean	Human Resources Office, faculty unit	As needed

Progress review of doctoral students	Study Regulations Regulations for Doctoral Studies (from 1 September 2021)	Dean	Doctoral centres	Once a year
Students’ and resident doctors’ appeals	Study Regulations Rules of Residency Rules of procedure of study-related appeals committee and steering admission committee, in Estonian Regulations of Continuing Education Guidelines for equal treatment	Dean	Vice dean for academic affairs, vice dean for residency of the Faculty of Medicine, vice rector for academic affairs, appeals committee, admission steering committee, head of structural unit managing the continuing education, head of Office of Academic Affairs, legal counsel for organisation of studies	As needed

Employee feedback to work environment	Description of Human Resources Office, in Estonian Units’ risk assessments Satisfaction surveys Performance appraisals	Director of administration, dean	Human Resources Office, head of structural unit	Once a year

Internal auditing	Internal auditing rules, in Estonian	Head of internal audit	Internal Audit Office	Continuous, according to the internal audit plan

Institutional accreditation and other external evaluation	Statutes of Curriculum Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian Description of Rector’s Strategy Office, in Estonian	Rector, vice dean for academic affairs,	Rector’s Strategy Office, Office of Academic Affairs	Once every seven years

Risk assessment	Internal auditing rules (Estonian)	Rector	Internal Audit Office	Once a year

Benchmarking national and international institutions with a similar profile	International university rankings Results of the ENLIGHT programme	Director of development	Rector’s Strategy Office	Continuous

Activity and process	Effective bylaws, strategy documents or guidelines	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Internal evaluation of teaching and studies	Statutes of Curriculum	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Degree studies and quality assurance unit of the Office of Academic Affairs, structural unit or dean’s office managing the curriculum	Once a year
Assessment of students	Study Regulations	Dean	Structural unit organising the studies	Continuous
Feedback to degree study courses and curricula and continuing education programmes	Procedure for Asking and Taking into Account Feedback in Degree Study Regulations of Continuing Education	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Office of Academic Affairs, structural unit organising the studies	Once a semester (Dec, May), For continuing education programmes – continuous

Self-evaluation of quality assurance in continuing education	Self-evaluation report of continuing education (on the intranet)	Vice rector for academic affairs	Lifelong Learning Centre of the Office of Academic Affairs	Once a year

Evaluation of the organisation of admission		Vice rector for academic affairs	Office of Academic Affairs, faculty's unit	Once a year

Activity and process	Effective bylaws, strategy documents or guidelines	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Open science, incl. data management, publication	R&D results are evaluated externally, for example, by funders of scientific data collecting and publishers (more generally, publishers of research output) – peer review as quality assessment Statutes of the University of Tartu Library, in Estonian The library’s guidelines for Open Science and research data management (website of UT Library), Regulations for Doctoral Studies	Vice rector for research	Library	Continuous
Evaluation of R&D, incl. regular and targeted evaluation	The terms and conditions of evaluation of R&D are established pursuant to the Organisation of Research and Development Act by the minister responsible for the field. The university must apply for regular evaluation. Targeted evaluation is mandatory if the university has received finances from state budget funds in the evaluated field.	Vice rector for research	Grant Office	Regular evaluation once every seven years. Targeted evaluation as needed.

Activity and process	Effective bylaws, strategy documents or guidelines	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Management reports	Annual reports of the University of Tartu Museum, in Estonian Reports of the Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, in Estonian Annual reports of the Youth Academy in Estonian	Director of development, vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Institution, faculty unit	Once a year

Applying for quality label	Activity Plan for Environmental Education and Awareness 2019–2022, in Estonian Criteria for good environmental education programmes, in Estonian	Vice rector for academic affairs	Service provider

Feedback surveys	In non-formal environmental education in line with the criteria for good environmental education programmes	Vice rector for academic affairs	Service provider	At the end of the course

Improvement

Activity and process	Effective bylaws, strategy documents or guidelines	Responsible	Accountable	Time/frequency
Supporting the development of employees, incl.	Description of Human Resources Office, in Estonian Satisfaction survey Feedback from internal training courses	Director of administration, dean	Human Resources Office, faculty unit	Continuous
Development of leadership skills	Good practice of leadership Description of Human Resources Office, in Estonian	Director of administration, dean	Human Resources Office, dean’s office	Continuous
Development of teaching and supervising skills	Description of Office of Academic Affairs, in Estonian Description of Human Resources Office, in Estonian Good practice of teaching Scholarships of teaching and learning	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Centre for Professional Development, Lifelong Learning Centre,	Continuous
Sharing of best practices		Rector, dean	Faculty unit	Continuous
Development of learning skills		Vice rector for academic affairs	UTSU	Continuous
Updating of the organisation of studies	Study Regulations	Vice rector for academic affairs	Office of Academic Affairs	As needed
Amendment and updating of curricula	Statutes of Curriculum	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Office of Academic Affairs, faculty unit	As needed
Updating of continuing education programme	Regulations of Continuing Education	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Lifelong Learning Centre of the Office of Academic Affairs, unit organising continuing education	As needed
Amendment and closing of courses	Study Regulations	Vice rector for academic affairs, dean	Office of Academic Affairs, faculty unit	As needed
Updating of educational programmes (e.g. museums)		Director of development	Service provider	As needed
Updating of services		Vice rector for research, vice rector for academic affairs, director of development, director of administration	Service provider	As needed

Updating of bylaws and guidelines		Vice rector for research, vice rector for academic affairs, director of development, director of administration	Relevant structural unit	As needed

Adjusting the assesment of risk level		Rector	Internal Audit Office	As needed

Evaluation of the impact of improvement activity	See Assessment	Relevant member of the Rector’s Office	Relevant unit	After implementing the improvement activity

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Quality management

Principles of quality management

Quality management is based on the cycle of continuous improvement

The quality management activities and persons in charge

Planning

Acting

Assessment

Improvement

Mark your calendars: 3-Minute Thesis Competition for doctoral students to be held on 2 October

Keep up with University of Tartu news

Quality management

Principles of quality management

Quality management is based on the cycle of continuous improvement

The quality management activities and persons in charge

Planning

Governance

Learning and teaching

Research and development

Service to society

Acting

Governance

Learning and teaching

Research and development

Service to society

Assessment

Governance

Learning and teaching

Research and development

Service to society

Improvement

Governance, learning and teaching, service to society