QUALITY ASSURANCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Overview

The Quality Assurance and Professional Development Directorate (QAPD) is one of the strategic components of MUAST administration in driving its unique mandate: Agricultural Sciences and Technology. The directorate strives to maintain high standards in MUAST education and administration in both short-term and long-term perspectives. This is enhanced through fostering a culture of quality, entailing setting up and maintaining benchmarks, ensuring compliance with national and international standards, and implementing recommended quality assurance processes across the University.

Vision

To be a leading force in promoting and maintaining MUAST’s high standards of higher education in agricultural sciences and technology, thereby enhancing its reputation and contributing to the overall success and growth of its students, staff, and stakeholders.

Mission

To ensure the highest standards of quality in all aspects of MUAST's academic programmes, administrative processes, and professional development initiatives. This is achieved by fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence, ensuring that the university meets and exceeds national and international benchmarks in line with the ever-dynamic preferences of its valued clientele.

Core Values

The Directorate’s operations are underpinned by:

• Excellence
• Integrity
• Innovation
• Collaboration
• Ubuntu
• Sustainability

Key Functions

The directorate’s main duties and functions include:

• Ensuring a conducive environment for students’ quality teaching and learning, coordinating the accreditation process of academic programmes in liaison with the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE).
• Overseeing the activities of the university's affiliates and associate institutions and monitoring compliance with quality assurance protocols in both academic and non-academic processes and systems.
• Contributes to the development and continuous review of the curriculum to ensure that it meets the institutional quality standards and remains relevant to the university’s valued clients.
• The directorate also plays a significant role in professional development by organising capacity-building workshops and providing support for staff development and performance management.
• This ensures that both teaching and non-teaching staff are well-equipped with the necessary skills, competencies, and knowledge to excel in their diverse roles in driving the university’s unique mandate.
• Developing collaborations and strategic partnerships with alumni, institutions, corporations, and government agencies in liaison with university administration.
• Overall, the QAPD is dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence within the university to remain aloft in this ever-dynamic global world characterised by the rapid Information and Communications Technology (ICT) revolution.