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Support or Control -- or Both? The Role of a National Agency

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Abstract

The article aims at critically discussing the role and position of a buffer agency from the point of view of some of its different tasks, viz. accreditation, quality audit, support of academic leadership and internal quality enhancement. The contribution seeks to illuminate the conflicting roles of a buffer organisation in the light of these tasks and pressures from the government and higher education institutions. It concludes that the different roles can support and complement each other, and that change is best accomplished by emphasising support in the early stages of the establishment of a national quality assurance system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Agency for Higher Education, P.O. Box 7851, S-103 99, Stockholm, Sweden

    Claes Elmgren, Ola Rom´n, Maivor Sjölund, Staffan Wahlén & Malin Östling

Authors
  1. Claes Elmgren
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  2. Ola Rom´n
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  3. Maivor Sjölund
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  4. Staffan Wahlén
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  5. Malin Östling
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Elmgren, C., Rom´n, O., Sjölund, M. et al. Support or Control -- or Both? The Role of a National Agency. Tertiary Education and Management 5, 245–259 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018736916450

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018736916450

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