The quality of education at universities in Vietnam is a matter of significant concern to society and the education sector. Currently, the quality assurance (QA) of training programs is a central focus of educational institutions. Can Tho University (CTU) has always adhered to the objective of quality, using the assurance and enhancement of training quality as the guiding principle for all activities. In 2023, the university conducted a self-assessment (SA) and registered for external evaluation of seven training programs, including the Environmental Science Program (ESP). The SA of the ESP was carried out according to Plan No. 1096/KH-CTU dated June 7, 2021, regarding the QA of training programs at CTU during the 2021-2023 period, and Official Letter No. 51/QLCL dated October 7, 2022, approving the list of programs for evaluation during 2023-2024, along with Minutes No. 427/BB-CTU-QLCL dated February 7, 2023, and Plan No. 1123/KH-CTU-QLCL on organizing the SA of education quality of training programs according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) standards in 2023.

The SA report provides the necessary information for external evaluation and quality assurance based on the "Standards for Evaluating the Quality of Training Programs at Higher Education Institutions" issued under Circular No. 04/2016/TT-BGDĐT dated March 14, 2016, by the Minister of Education and Training. The structure of the SA report for the ESP includes four parts:

  • Part I: Overview: A summary of the report; a brief description of the purpose, process, SA methodology, and assessment tools used to provide context for the SA activities, helping readers better understand the content of the SA report; a description of the involvement of stakeholders (SH) including faculties, departments, administrators, lecturers, staff, students, and the organization of SH in SA activities. Additionally, this section provides an overview of CTU, the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Environmental Science Department.

  • Part II: Self-assessment according to standards and criteria: This section includes 11 standards and 50 criteria based on Circular No. 04/2016/TT-BGDĐT dated March 14, 2016, of the MOET. The criteria include: 1) Objectives and learning outcomes of the program; 2) Program description; 3) Curriculum structure and content; 4) Teaching and learning approaches; 5) Assessment of student learning outcomes; 6) Faculty; 7) Staff; 8) Students and student support activities; 9) Facilities and equipment; 10) Quality enhancement; and 11) Outcomes. Each standard in the report includes (i) a description of the current state, an honest and objective assessment of the program's activities; (ii) analysis of strengths; (iii) identification of areas for improvement; and (iv) an action plan to enhance strengths and address weaknesses in the program. The department also (v) evaluates the program's performance and concludes on the standard. Supporting evidence is provided to substantiate the findings and conclusions.

  • Part III: Conclusion: This section summarizes the strengths and areas for improvement of the training unit; the issues needing improvement; and the action plan to enhance the program's quality, along with a summary of the SA results.

  • Part IV: Appendices: This includes decisions on the establishment of the SA Council, the list of members of the Secretariat, the list of members of specialized groups, the SA plan, a summary of the SA results, and a list of evidence for QA of the ESP.

Purpose of the Self-Assessment of the Program

The SA of the ESP helps the university and faculty review, examine, and evaluate the program's current state, develop, and implement action plans to improve and enhance the program's quality. Additionally, the QA results serve as a basis for the ESP to demonstrate its commitment to quality improvement to society, especially after the QA process under the AUN-QA framework in 2019.

Self-Assessment Process of the Program

The SA of the program follows these steps:

  1. Define the purpose and scope of the SA;
  2. Establish the SA Council, Secretariat, and specialized groups;
  3. Develop the SA plan and assign specific responsibilities to each group;
  4. Collect information and evidence;
  5. Process and analyze the collected information and evidence;
  6. Write the SA report;
  7. Finalize the overall SA report;
  8. Publish the SA report within the faculty and university for feedback;
  9. Implement improvement actions after completing the SA.

Assessment Method

The SA report of the ESP was conducted according to Circular No. 04/2016/TT-BGDĐT dated March 14, 2016, of the MOET (including 11 standards and 50 criteria) using the PDCA approach (Plan-Do-Check-Act). Each standard/criterion was analyzed using the 5W-1H method (Why? What? When? Where? Who? and How?) to determine the type of information/evidence needed, the timeline, and the location for collecting information/evidence. Information and evidence were gathered from department, faculty, university, and related agency records. Surveys, investigations, interviews, and observations were also used as sources of evidence for teaching and learning evaluations by SH. This information was collected via Google Forms, email, and direct interviews. Based on the collected information/evidence, the report analyzed, described, compared, and cross-referenced with the suggested evidence sources according to Official Letter No. 1669/QLCL-KĐCLGD dated December 31, 2019, of the Quality Assurance Department. This analysis helped identify strengths and areas needing improvement, leading to action plans aimed at enhancing strengths and addressing weaknesses. Finally, the SA evaluates the program's compliance with each criterion and standard.

The draft SA report was widely disseminated, and feedback was solicited from the SA Council, staff, lecturers, and students before the university completed and published the final SA report.

Assessment Tools

The SA tools primarily consist of legal regulations, including regulations on the process and cycle of QA for training programs at universities, colleges, and professional secondary schools according to Circular No. 38/2013/TT-BGDĐT dated November 29, 2013, of the MOET; regulations on the standards for evaluating the quality of training programs according to Circular No. 04/2016/TT-BGDĐT dated March 14, 2016, of the MOET; general guidelines for using standards for evaluating the quality of training programs according to Official Letter No. 1074/KTKĐCLGD-KĐĐH dated June 28, 2016, and guidelines for SA of training programs according to Official Letter No. 1075/KTKĐCLGD-KĐĐH dated June 28, 2016, guidelines for external evaluation of training programs according to Official Letter No. 1076/KTKĐCLGD-KĐĐH dated June 28, 2016, of the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance; QA of training programs according to Official Letter No. 1669/QLCL12 KĐCLGD dated December 31, 2019, of the Department of Testing and Quality Assurance (replacing Official Letter No. 769/QLCL-KĐCLGD dated April 20, 2018); Official Letter No. 2085/QLCL dated December 31, 2020, of the Department of Quality Management on guidelines for SA and external evaluation of training programs.