Quality Assurance
The Common Core Program is a key component of undergraduate education at HKUST, complementing studies in specialized disciplines and offering diverse learning opportunities. To align with the University’s quality and academic standards, the Program maintains high academic quality through the adoption and implementation of a robust Quality Assurance (QA) framework.
This framework defines the organizational structure and roles of all parties involved in QA processes and activities. It encompasses the full spectrum of course-level processes, including planning, approval, delivery, modification, and review of common core courses. It also addresses program-level implementation, monitoring, and review. Teaching and learning support activities play a crucial role in this framework through promoting and recognizing innovations and excellence in teaching and learning within common core courses.
Quality Statement
The Common Core Program is committed to providing undergraduate students a well-rounded and quality education that broadens their horizons, inspires and ignites their passion for learning, and empowers them for lifelong pursuit of excellence.
This quality statement has been adopted and maintained by the Committee on Undergraduate Core Education (CUCE) [link to “Committee (CUCE)” in Section I] since June 2014. It emphasizes the University’s commitment to upholding the quality of the Common Core Program and galvanizes support from stakeholders in its QA efforts. The quality statement is instrumental in communicating with students, faculty, and the HKUST community about the beliefs and ideals embedded in the Program, as well as the University’s intent to manage the Common Core Program with high standards.
Quality Assurance Handbook
The QA processes and activities are consolidated into the Common Core Program Quality Assurance Handbook. This Handbook serves as a practical reference for faculty and staff, facilitating communication about the Common Core mission, goals, objectives [link to the “Mission” section of “The Program” in Section E], and the QA framework.
| Chapter 1 | INTRODUCTION |
| Chapter 2 | MISSION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES |
| Chapter 3 | QUALITY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK |
| Chapter 4 | DEVELOPMENT AND APPROVAL OF COMMON CORE COURSES |
| Chapter 5 | COMMON CORE COURSE CHANGE AND DELETION |
| Chapter 6 | COURSE MONITORING AND REVIEW |
| Chapter 7 | PROGRAM REVIEW |
| Chapter 8 | TEACHING AND LEARNING SUPPORT |
| APPENDICES |
(Obsolete) Roles and Responsibilities of Key Committees and Units
The instructors and course offering units have the principal responsibility for the quality of common core courses particularly for their design, delivery and assessment. They develop new common core course, and recommend changes to approved ones when deemed necessary. These are submitted to the Schools for consideration and endorsement before submitting to the relevant Course Review Panel (CRP), which makes recommendations to CUCE for approval. Schools are responsible for ensuring that the Common Core requirements and processes are met and implemented by their course offering units. The Schools establish arrangements to monitor departmental processes for assuring the quality of common core course delivery and for maintaining the academic standard of these courses.
CRPs are established by CUCE for reviewing new course proposals, course change applications and delivery of Common Core courses for their respective Common Core area. The review aims to ensure that the course design and content meet the common core courses proposal general criteria and area intended learning outcomes (AILOs). The CRP makes recommendations to CUCE on courses that could serve the ILOs of the Common Core area in concern, and advises on the delivery of common core course ILOs and their mapping with the area ILOs.
CUCE advises and makes recommendations to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies on Common Core policies and regulations, and to monitor and review procedures, quality and performance relating to the university core curriculum in the undergraduate degree programs. CUCE also oversees and recommends implementation of the University Common Core Program during the transition period from the existing 36-credit distributional framework to the new 30-credit scaffolding framework.
The CUS advises and makes recommendations to the Senate on policies and regulations, and to monitor and review procedures, quality and performance relating to undergraduate studies of HKUST and HKUST (Guangzhou) in light of the "Unified HKUST, Complementary Campuses" umbrella. The CUS also considers and approves common core courses approved by CUCE as undergraduate courses; and receives annual report from CUCE on the progress of the Common Core Program.
The CTLQ advises and makes recommendations to the Senate on policies, regulations and guidelines relating to quality assurance of teaching, learning and assessment by taking into account the University's overall interest, to promote the quality of teaching and learning and to monitor the operation of related quality assurance processes of HKUST and HKUST (Guangzhou) in light of the "Unified HKUST, Complementary Campuses" umbrella. Being part of the university education, the Common Core Program submits annual reports to the CTLQ on its QA and improvement work through the Undergraduate Core Education Team.
The ABCCP comprises external experts from the academic sector and the community, and provides support and counsel to CUCE on issues central to the Program, including its academic content, strategy for future development and quality related issues. The Advisory Board members are appointed by the Provost.
The external review aims to ensure that the Common Core Program attains a high academic standard when compared to similar top-ranked programs locally and internationally. An ERP will be set up to perform a holistic review of the Program focusing on the design, content, pedagogy and assessment of common core courses, as well as other teaching and learning related issues as reflected from the performance of students.
The UCE Team is administratively structured under the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS), and is headed by the Academic Director. The UCE Team supports and coordinates the quality assurance activities of the Common Core Program, and provides administrative and executive support to CUCE in the areas of course administration, quality assurance and promotion of University Core education.