Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)

14-15 May 2015: Ministers of the EHEA gathered in Yerevan for the Ministerial Conference and adopted the Yerevan Communiqué, which includes the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The final, adopted version can be downloaded here.

The revised version of the ESG was presented by the seven organisations to the BFUG after several consultation rounds involving both the key stakeholder organisations and ministries. The many comments, proposals and recommendations received have been very useful and of extremely importance for the revision process. They are reflected in the resulting revised version.

As requested by Ministers, the revised version make the ESG clearer, particularly in terms of their structure and in order to avoid potential confusion with their interpretation. The revised ESG also make a more explicit link to the learning and teaching process in the section on internal QA, and defines the relationship of QAwith other Bologna Process developments that have taken place since 2005 (including those relating to Qualifications Frameworks and learning outcomes).

The revised version of the ESG was endorsed by the BFUG on 19 September 2014. It is subject to approval by the EHEA Ministerial Conference on 14/15 May 2015 in Yerevan (Armenia).

Download the agreed proposal for the revised ESG [PDF]

The EQAR Register Committee adopted a Policy on Transition to the Revised ESG, concerning registration and renewal of registration of quality assurance agencies. The policy aims to ensure that by 2020 all agencies on the Register will have been reviewed against the revised ESG.

Initial applications based on the current ESG are only possible until 15 March 2015, i.e. the last application deadline before approval of the revised version. Thereafter, all initial applications need to be based on the revised ESG.

Registered agencies that have their registration expiring between 1/1/2015 and 31/12/2016 have to renew their registration based on the revised ESG. They can have their registration provisionally extended until 31/12/2016, so as to have sufficient time to adjust and prepare for a review against the revised ESG.

Agencies that have their registration expire on 1/1/2017 or later are expected to renew registration based on the revised ESG and following the regular deadlines.

The cooperating stakeholders take the process forward in consensus and as equal partners through a steering group while the technical drafting and preparation is being carried out by a smaller drafting group allowing them to work more efficiently. Further, this structure ensures that knowledge gathered during the MAP-ESG consultations will be fully utilised in drafting the revised ESG.

The Steering Group has one representative from each of the seven organisations involved in the revision process and speaks in the name of the organisation she/he is representing. The Steering Group members may opt for establishing a “revision team” at their own organisations where to carry out preliminary discussions regarding the organisation’s position in advance of meetings.

The drafting group consist of four experts, nominated by the E4 organisations are responsible for drafting revisions to the ESGbased on the direction given by the Steering Group. Drafts are then submitted to the Steering Group for consideration.

For further information about the ESG Revision please visit the official website of the project at: http://revisionesg.wordpress.com as well as the site of the main consultative groups at:

• ENQA http://www.enqa.eu
• ESU http://www.esu-online.org
• EUA http://www.eua.be
• EURASHE http://www.eurashe.eu E
• EI http://www.ei-ie.org
• BUSINESSEUROPE http://www.businesseurope.eu