THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN CANADA

Abstract

The paper traces modern trends in higher education systems transformation in Europe. All the tendencies might be grouped under the same goal: universities should be the basis not only for making students well-educated. The main priorities have been shifted towards enhancing applied professionally oriented knowledge and skills and equipping students with the methodology for continuing professional development. The latter implies lots of self-study. The way to make these ideas come to fruition is to delegate the duties of establishing education standards and qualification requirements from national governmental structures to professional bodies at least to some extent. Professional organizations are obviously much more aware of what an aspiring worker has to be capable of in order to be a good representative of the profession. Despite such experience being new to the vast majority of specializations in most countries, the approach of academic programs being the subject to accreditation by professional bodies and the expansion of degree granting authority to professional institutions is well-established in Canada. Quality assurance procedures and standards here are multilayered. Apart from professional bodies, the system is also comprised of membership in Universities Canada, provincial governments and organizations, internal policies of universities. The hard evidence of effectiveness of combining academic and professional environment into a single whole is the fact that Canadian academic credentials are recognized internationally as the ones certifying quality. Besides, the approach to higher education quality assurance based on professional bodies acting as the main regulator that performs standard setting and approval function is considered to be the one contributing to equipment students with applied knowledge and skills fulfilling the real needs of the chosen occupation. Consequently, partnership between higher education institutions and professional bodies fully corresponds to the modern trends that are currently dominating in future specialists` professional training.