Faculty of Humanities
Guajara Campus
Quality Assurance System
Philosophy Section
The Philosophy Section of the Faculty of Humanities at ULL is currently committed to providing teaching where quality is a priority objective; the quality of teaching will be fully oriented towards achieving and maintaining the satisfaction of the needs and expectations of our students.
In order to promote the continuous improvement of the degrees taught in the Section, guaranteeing a level of quality that facilitates their accreditation and maintenance, it is considered necessary to establish an Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIC) of the Faculty.
According to the procedure designed by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA), the accreditation of an official Bachelor's or Master's degree program is based on several quality criteria; one of these is the Internal Quality Assurance System, which also forms a cornerstone upon which the other criteria are based. For accreditation, it must be demonstrated that those responsible for the program of study to be accredited have established an Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS) that allows them to analyze deviations from the planned schedule and identify areas for improvement. This system also makes it possible to define and implement proposals for the continuous improvement of the program of study. Therefore, it is assumed that:
The basic document of the SGIC implemented in the Philosophy Section is the Quality Manual (MC), since it defines the general characteristics of the system, the requirements it addresses, its scope and the references to the generic documentation on which it is based or to the procedures that develop it.
The SGIC documentation is completed with a Procedures Manual (MP) made up of a series of documents that are continuously referenced in the MC and the list of indicators that will allow the measurement of the results of the Center's activity.
Also included in the MC, as an annex, is the definition of the quality policy and objectives, developed and reviewed as indicated in the corresponding procedure.
In the different chapters of the MC or in the procedures that develop it, reference is made to the evidence that originates as a consequence of its application and that constitutes evidence of the same.
The Vice Dean of the Section must ensure that teaching and research staff, administration and services, students and other interest groups have access to the SGIC documents that apply to them, particularly the MC.
See the positive design assessment report
Quality Coordinator: María Rosario Hernández Borges
The Quality Committee is a body that participates in the planning and monitoring of the Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIC), also acting as one of the internal communication channels for the system's policies, objectives, plans, programs, responsibilities, and achievements. A non-exhaustive list of its functions is as follows:
The Section's Quality Committee is composed of:
The Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of La Laguna has as its primary mission to respond to the needs of society in general, and of the Canary Islands in particular, in the areas of education, research, dissemination, knowledge transfer, and innovation in the field of Philosophy. As a University Center, it must lead the way and serve as a model for quality in all its activities, striving for excellence. Likewise, it aims to remain a university benchmark for quality and commitment to the continuous improvement of its education, research, and dissemination activities, adapting to the demands of integration into the European Higher Education Area.
The Dean's Office of the Philosophy Department at the University of La Laguna, aware of the importance of quality processes in the training of its graduates, considers that the implementation of a culture of quality is a strategic factor to ensure that the skills, abilities and aptitudes of its graduates are recognized by employers and society in general.
The Dean's Office focuses its efforts on fully satisfying the reasonable needs and expectations of all its stakeholders. To this end, it is committed to using all available human, technical, and financial resources to implement a culture of quality, adhering to current legislation at the regional, national, and European levels.
Therefore, the Dean's Office of the Philosophy Department at the University of La Laguna establishes the following general guidelines for achieving quality objectives, which constitute the Center's quality policy in relation to the new undergraduate and postgraduate studies:
In accordance with the general guidelines, the Philosophy Section establishes the following general quality objectives, which will be reviewed periodically for the continuous improvement of its training programs:
1. Guarantee the quality of the undergraduate and postgraduate training programs taught in the Section.
2. Disseminate the curriculum among the interest groups (potential students).
3. Establish and document the admissions policy as well as the entry profile and access criteria for newly admitted students.
4. Update the teaching content and adapt the timing of the subjects to the training needs of the students.
5. Establish and document procedures for collecting complaints and suggestions about teaching and assessment.
6. Define and document the center's welcome program for newly admitted students and the orientation program for students.
7. To promote the ongoing training of Teaching and Research Staff and Administrative and Service Staff.
8. Improve the services that the Section provides to the university community and society.
9. Identify and analyze the reasons why there are subjects with discrepant academic results.
10. Establish procedures to ensure that the results (of learning, employment integration and the satisfaction of the different stakeholder groups) are measured, analyzed and used for decision-making and the improvement of the quality of teaching.
11. Establish mechanisms to ensure the periodic publication of updated information on training programs.
The Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS) in university institutions is one of the fundamental elements upon which the construction of the European Higher Education Area is based. The IQAS for the Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy has taken as its reference the criteria and guidelines proposed by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA) for the establishment of an IQAS.
In accordance with Royal Decree 1393/2007 and the process designed by ANECA for the VERIFICA Program, the following criteria will be addressed in this SGIC: structure for the development of the SGIC and quality objectives, planning, development and results of teaching, academic staff, results of the training program and dissemination of results.
Internal Quality Assurance System Manual
1. Those responsible for the Internal Quality Assurance System
This section outlines the structure established for the development of the SGIC of the degree, which is organized into two levels: the institutional level of the ULL and the Center level.
Given that every QMS must be based on previously established quality objectives, this section includes the procedure by which the Center will establish its quality objectives.
1.1. Organizational Structure for the development of the Internal Quality Assurance System
Quality Council. The University of La Laguna (ULL) will establish a Quality Council responsible for proposing, promoting, coordinating, evaluating, and updating the assessment and training processes necessary to ensure the optimal development of teaching, research, and administrative and service activities leading to the achievement of its objectives. Among the functions assigned to this body, the following stand out in relation to Quality Assurance Systems:
Vice-Rectorate for Faculty and Teaching Quality. The Vice-Rectorate for Faculty and Teaching Quality strongly supports the implementation and development of Quality Assurance Systems, as they reinforce the quality assurance and continuous improvement of its degree programs, facilitating their accreditation process. The Rector's Team provides support through the Quality Assessment and Improvement Unit (UEMC) of the University of La Laguna, which supplies the generic documentation, collaborates in the review and planning of implementation, and monitors the Quality Assurance Systems. It will also provide the necessary information (reports, surveys, etc.) for the ongoing analysis of results.
Center Management Team. The Center Management Team, and in particular its Dean/Director, assumes responsibility for establishing the Center's quality policy and objectives, will appoint a Quality Coordinator to represent it in all matters relating to the monitoring of the SGIC, and will propose to the Center Board the review of the composition and functions of the Center Quality Committee (CCC).
Quality Coordinator. To assist the Dean/Director in the design, implementation, maintenance, and improvement of the Quality Management System, a Quality Coordinator will be appointed. Regardless of the responsibilities specified in the appointment or assigned to them, the Quality Coordinator has sufficient responsibility and authority to:
Center Quality Committee (CCC). The CCC is a body that participates in the planning and monitoring of the SGIC (Integrated Quality Management System), also acting as one of the internal communication channels for the policies, objectives, plans, programs, responsibilities, and achievements of this system. The functions of the CCC are:
The Quality Committee is composed of the Dean/Director, who will act as Chair, the Quality Coordinator, one representative from each degree program (undergraduate and postgraduate), one representative from each department with at least 7% of teaching load or from the departments with the highest teaching load in the Center's degree programs, two representatives from the Administrative and Service Staff (an administrator and another), and one student representative (preferably a graduate or doctoral student). The Center's Secretary will act as Secretary of the Quality Committee.
The CCC will meet at least quarterly, upon the Secretary's call. The Secretary will prepare minutes for each meeting, which will be sent to all CCC members, who will have one week to propose corrections. If no corrections are made, the minutes will be considered approved, and they will be published on the Center's website so that they are available to the entire university community.
Evaluation and/or improvement committees. There may be different committees related to the review and improvement of other bodies and/or organizational units, services, etc.