Hi! Can you explain what SQC is?
SQC is SFS's committee for quality assurance issues. This means that we work to best represent students in matters relating to educational quality.
Specifically, we have four areas of responsibility:
1. Organize a national student pool for student representatives within the national quality assurance system for higher education.
2. Develop SFS's advocacy work in relation to quality issues in higher education.
3. Represent SFS in contact with relevant stakeholders as needed, identified by SFS presidium.
4. Arouse interest and increase competence in quality issues within SFS as an organization
Interesting, but what does quality work actually mean?
Quality is a concept that can be tricky to have a clear definition of. When it comes to higher education, we at SQC tend to use a variation of this definition:
“Educational quality is a measure of how well the education strengthens the student's ability to learn useful skills, abilities and attitudes”
It is therefore about creating good conditions for learning. So that the student has the opportunity to take on the parts of the education that are useful to him. Our work is about how we can ensure that Sweden's higher education institutions fulfill these ideals to the greatest extent possible.
How does your work go?
Among the best things we know is to discuss how the work of higher education institutions can be linked to quality for the student, a topic that we spend a lot of time on, and which so far seems inexhaustible. That is how we can deepen, build and share our expertise with each other.
In addition to talking to each other, we also assist SFS member unions and the board with expertise in the area. This may involve inviting elected officials with quality responsibility from the country's unions to discuss and share experiences or assist the board with information.
When we are not addressing other students, we also work with other social actors. We advocate for students on issues of quality towards UKÄ, SUHF, the Ministry of Education and other national authorities by participating in conferences, writing texts or through student representation at meetings and in working groups.
Do you have any successes to share? and what are you working on right now?
During the past year, SFS has established a network for education managers, developed and presented a position paper on the national quality assurance system, and supported the SFS board in developing the three-year focus area on the conditions for high educational quality in SFS's operational plan. Previously, SQC has established the SFS student pool, which brings together Sweden's best student representatives for nomination to UKÄ's various reviews and other assignments.
Recently, we have been meeting with various decision-makers to discuss how the national quality assurance system can be strengthened and to develop the network meetings. The latest meetings have focused on how we create good systems for course evaluations and what we students can do to increase our higher education teaching skills. We have also started planning for how the national student pool will develop.
It's a very fun assignment and in the committee we always have fun discussions and a strong community. Quality work touches on a lot of things that are important for students at the university and college, and getting to nerd out about these issues with others and really being involved and influencing is both very fun and rewarding.
The work in SQC involves a maximum of 3 hours a week and the committee normally meets every other week to discuss current issues. Apply by May 9th, you will find more information here. You can read more about SFS committees here.