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SPICE - Survey for Quality Assurance Agencies

Introduction
  • collect data on the state of play of external quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA),
  • explore how quality assurance agencies are addressing recent and emerging developments in higher education including use innovative approaches,
  • explore in more detail such topics as quality assurance and international cooperation, and use of data in quality assurance.
This survey is aimed specifically at quality assurance agencies operating within the EHEA. It includes a number of questions from the QA-FIT project survey, thereby providing a basis for longitudinal analysis. A similar survey is being conducted with higher education institutions. The data collected will be anonymised and presented in a paper in early 2027.

In addition to the quality assurance mapping, the SPICE project will carry out further comprehensive surveys and analyses to produce the Bologna With Students’ Eyes and Trends publications. Together, these outputs will reflect the current state of the Bologna Process and offer insights from the perspectives of students, higher education institutions, and quality assurance agencies.

Please forward the survey to the appropriate colleague or consult internally before submitting the answer. To support this process, here you can download a PDF version of the survey, which includes the glossary of terms. Please note that you can fill in the survey in several steps, provided that all answers on one page of the form are answered and saved by clicking the button ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page and that the same internet browser is used. Only one complete answer from each agency will be considered.

The deadline for submission is 10 July 2026.

Should you have further questions about the project or the survey, please contact Milja Homan at milja.homan@enqa.eu.
Glossary
Academic freedom – freedom of academic staff and students to engage in research, teaching, learning and communication in and with society without interference nor fear of reprisal (EUA).

Accountability – provision of information to assure the higher education institution and the public of the quality of the higher education institution’s activities (ESG 2015, p.7).

Alternative/other providers of higher education – in the context of this survey, this refers to providers of higher education programmes other than higher education institutions (the exact definition or relevance of alternative providers varies between systems/countries).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools – are software applications or systems that use AI techniques to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as analysing data, recognising patterns, understanding language, generating content, or making decisions automatically.

Cross-border quality assurance (CBQA) – external QA activities of a QA agency carried out in a country other than the one in which it is based or primarily operates. For higher education institutions, this may be a voluntary process or part of the national mandatory external QA (ENQA, 2017).

Enhancement – provision of support, training, advice and recommendations on how higher education institutions might improve their activities (ESG 2015, p. 7).

Environmental sustainability – responsible interaction with the planet to maintain natural resources and ensure the ability for future generations to meet their needs (UN).

EUniQ framework – is a pilot quality assurance framework developed for the evaluation of European Universities Alliances. It was developed as part of the EU‑funded EUniQ project.

European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes – is a framework developed within the EHEA for the quality assurance of joint programmes. It provides a common procedure and set of criteria for external evaluation, allowing a single evaluation of a joint programme to be recognised across all participating countries, reducing duplication of national quality assurance requirements.

European Universities alliances – are transnational alliances of higher education institutions that share a long-term vision of universities that promote common European values and strengthen the European identity (European Commission). Reference to Universities alliances specifically refers to those created and funded under the European Commission’s Erasmus+ Programme.

Fundamental values of higher education – include academic freedom and integrity, institutional autonomy, student and staff participation in higher education governance and public responsibility for and of higher education (EHEA).
Further education – includes any study after secondary education that is not part of higher education.

Joint European degree label – is a label awarded to joint programmes that meet the set of programme organisation and European criteria set out in the Council Recommendation on a European quality assurance and recognition system in higher education.

Joint external review - in the context of cross-border quality assurance, a joint review is a collaborative process where multiple quality assurance agencies (e.g. from different countries), or a single foreign agency together with the local agency, jointly evaluate a programme (in most cases a joint programme) or an institution. In a joint review, there is one single review process, with one report and a mutually recognised decision.

Joint programmes – an integrated curriculum coordinated and offered jointly by two or more higher education institutions from EHEA countries, and leading to double/multiple degrees or a joint degree (EHEA).

Learning analytics – measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which it occurs (EDUCAUSE, 2011).

Lifelong learning – the provision or use of both formal and informal learning opportunities throughout people's lives in order to foster the continuous development and improvement of the knowledge and skills needed for employment and personal fulfilment.

Micro-credential – the record of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a small volume of learning. These learning outcomes will have been assessed against transparent and clearly defined criteria. Learning experiences leading to micro-credentials are designed to provide the learner with specific knowledge, skills and competences that respond to societal, personal, cultural or labour market needs. Micro-credentials are owned by the learner, can be shared and are portable. They may be stand-alone or combined into larger credentials. They are underpinned by quality assurance following agreed standards in the relevant sector or area of activity (European Commission, 2022).

Service to society/Third mission – refers to higher education institutions’ work to engage with industry and society. The activities often include technology transfer and innovation, continuing education and social engagement (OECD).
Social dimension – encompasses the creation of an inclusive environment in higher education that fosters equity, diversity, and is responsive to the needs of local communities (EHEA).

Transnational education – is education delivered in a country other than the country in which the awarding institution is based (also known as cross-border higher education) (UNESCO/Council of Europe 2001).