FORMATION OF THE TERMINOLOGY SYSTEM OF THE NEW PARADIGM FOR HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY ASSURANCE: EUROINTEGRATION DIMENSION

Abstract

The importance of ordering the terminology system of the higher education quality assurance is proved in this article. It also demonstrates the urgent need in formation of the internal and internal quality assurance concepts. Actual factors impacting the formation of the terminology system identified. The key of them is the legally determined alignment of the Ukrainian higher education quality assurance system with the requirements of the European Higher Education Area. The authors emphasize the dynamism and flexibility of the terminology system, its predesposition to potential development, while monitoring its appearance in Ukrainian regulatory documentation, primarily in the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education” (2014). Accordingly, the following groups of definitions formulated by the authors: 1) words/phrases mentioned in Ukrainian legislation, but not defined in the regulatory documents; 2) words/ phrases naming the elements/components of the processes and procedures, such as self-assessment report (mainly used abbreviation SAR); 3) words/ phrases recorded as lexemes/phrases with English origin in the organizational and management documents of the Higher Education Institution. The article covers few dozen of terms which are important for the Ukrainian higher education quality assurance. In particular, the proposed definitions of such debatable concepts as the guarantor of the study program (programme leader), syllabus, re-accreditation examination, self-assessment report, expert panel, return of the accreditation case to the subject area expert council, exemplary study program, best practices, educational audit, expert panel. The groups of definitions are differentiated according to their usability, legal consolidation and practical application. It is stressed that the new Regulation on Accreditation of Study Programs, which came into effect on August 1, 2024, became another important step towards the European integration of Ukrainian higher education, in particular in the field of its quality assurance.