A Culture of Quality in Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract..- In Ecuador, the discussion on the quality of higher education has taken place in the last fifteen years, although the initial motivation is present in the times of application of evaluation processes for the purpose of university accreditation, these events have been carried out on a mandatory basis on three occasions. Higher education institutions try to obtain the best results and thus institutional accreditation; however, in the intervening times efforts are dissipated or forgotten. For this reason, universities must reorient their teaching, research, networking and management activities so that they are carried out with quality on a permanent basis. The responsibility for good management is fundamentally in the hands of the authorities; however, the participation of the entire educational community is also necessary in order to promote what is called "quality culture". For the concretion of this culture of quality, a system of quality management is required as a tool that offers the possibility of evaluating oneself, having timely and precise information for university planning and action. The system itself does not constitute the exercise of quality for higher education, but is the tool that allows actors to focus with quality in the practice of their daily functions and thus create a quality culture that allows the university to achieve high standards of compliance in their substantive functions. One way to do this is to validate a system of indicators in various dimensions as a valid, living and dynamic proposal, which demands the participation of all sectors involved while giving them feedback, in favor of strengthening the culture of quality in universities