The Balearic Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, AQUIB, is the official evaluation agency for higher education of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands.
AQUIB's purpose is the evaluation, accreditation, and quality certification of the higher education system of the Balearic Islands in accordance with European and international academic and social quality standards.
The Balearic Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education was created, under the legal form of a consortium, by means of an Agreement of the Board of Directors on December 13, 2002, achieving the legislative recognition required by the LOU with the Law 2/2003, of March 20, of the Institutional Organization of the University System of the Balearic Islands.
The criteria on which the Agency bases all the activities it carries out are those of transparency, autonomy, independence and impartiality in the procedures, the assessment criteria and, especially, in the decisions that affect the processes evaluation, which are taken through the collaboration of experts from outside the university system of the Balearic Islands.
Likewise, since its creation, AQUIB has managed to provide its services from the point of view of Quality Management, using the UNE ISO 9001:2015 standard as a management tool. The agency passed the certification audit of its system in early 2007 and has passed subsequent follow-up and certificate renewal audits. In February 2022, the last external audit of AENOR (Asociación Española de Normalización y Certificación) was passed.
The Board of Directors expresses its absolute commitment to the quality of the activities, services and operation of the Balearic Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (AQUIB). The Agency is an entity at the service of society which offers an accessible agency, agile and efficient in the services it provides.
MISSION
AQUIB proactively contributes to the improvement of the quality of the Space for Higher Education and Research in the Balearic Islands through evaluation, certification and accreditation in the field of teaching, research, management and knowledge transfer, acting in line with international quality standards.
VISION
AQUIB's vision is to become a referent of quality assurance in the Higher Education and Research Space for its contribution to the permanent improvement and development of society. In order to do so, becoming a full member of ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) and registration in EQAR (European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education) will enable the development and/or strengthening of synergies with other national and international institutions.
The achievement of this vision will be carried out based on the following values, which shall be inherent in the actions of all collaborating members of the Agency:
The Board of Directors entrusts AQUIB's Management the evolution of the quality assurance system, based on the international standard ISO 9001, aligning the Agency's strategy with international standards and guidelines, promoting the continuous improvement of the effectiveness of the system and compliance with legal or regulatory requirements and all commitments made by the organization. This commitment extends to all staff and professionals who act on behalf of AQUIB.
The highest governing body of the Agency is the Board of Directors, with the equal participation of the Universitat de les Illes Balears, the Social Council of the UIB and the Department responsible for universities of the Government of the Balearic Islands (the Ministry of European Funds, University and Culture).
Composition of the Board of Directors
President
Pending
Members appointed by the University of the Balearic Islands
PhD Antoni Bordoy Fernández
PhD Maurici Mus Amézquita
Members appointed by the Social Council of the UIB
PhD Bartomeu Llinàs Ferrà
PhD Joan Lloberas Cànaves
Members appointed by the Government of the Balearic Islands, Ministry of Education and University
PhD Antonio Luis Alcover Casasnovas
Ms. Olga Uría Guerrero
Secretariat
Ms. Paula Ramis de Ayreflor García-Gutiérrez
Law 2/2003 of March 20, 2003, on the institutional organization of the university system of the Balearic Islands, establishes in its article 23 that a technical commission may be created to advise and supervise university quality. This commission was appointed on 19th December 2022 and it was officialy constituted on 6th March 2023.
The Advisory Commission consists of:
The Regulations of the Advisory Commission are available in Spanish and Catalan.
Agreements of the Advisory Commission
On 26th May of 2023, the Board of Directors of AQUIB constituted the Agency's Criteria Commission. Its main function is to review and approve the evaluation criteria and guidelines for the Agency's programmes.
The Director, having heard the Advisory Commission, appointed the members of the Criteria Commission on 3rd July 2023 (appointment of the Criteria Commission). This Commission will be formally constituted on its constitutive meeeting.
The Criteria Commission consists of:
Regulations of the Criteria Commission (will be approved in the constitutive meeting)
Agreements of the Criteria Commission
The AQUIB has the following evaluation commissions:
The Board of Directors of the Balearic Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, on May 26, 2023, creates the Agency’s Guarantee Commission.
The Technical Director, once the Advisory Committee has been heard, appoints the members of the Guarantee Commission (Guarantee Commission appointment). This Commission will be formally constituted at its first meeting, the date of which is still pending.
The Guarantees Commission consists of:
Regulations of the Guarantees Commission (will be approved at its first meeting)
Reports of the Guarantees Commission
Documentation available in spanish and catalan (see the catalan section)