Quality Office
About
Mary Immaculate College is committed to ensuring the very highest standards of excellence in its teaching, learning and research activities. The Quality Office endeavours to promote and facilitate continuous quality improvement across all the College’s Academic and Professional Service units.
The Quality Office has responsibility for the establishment and implementation of procedures directed at maintaining and improving quality. To achieve this, the Quality Office will:
- Support the development of College policy and procedures in relation to quality assurance and improvement in line with best international practice
- Develop, maintain and evaluate the College’s Academic and Professional Service review processes while promoting a sense of ownership by the individual department
- Provide the necessary help and support to all departments within the College in implementing the quality review process.
- Assist Professional Services in the development of Quality Management Systems.
- Gather stakeholder feedback through surveys, focus groups etc.
- Facilitate MIC’s participation in national and international student and graduate surveys and ensure that stakeholder feedback is included in MIC’s quality assurance processes by collecting stakeholder feedback through surveys and focus groups.
- Provide timely analysis of data for internal and external stakeholders.
The work of the Quality Office is guided by the Strategic Plan, the Quality Policy and statutory quality requirements enshrined in the 2012 Education & Training Act.
Staff
Quality Assurance
Background & Statutory Context
MIC is a linked provider of the University of Limerick as defined in the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012. The University of Limerick (UL) is the designated awarding body (DAB) for all higher education programmes (NFQ Levels 6-10) at MIC, save where other arrangements are jointly agreed by UL and MIC. The terms of the linkage are set out in the Memorandum of Agreement between UL and MIC. As a linked provider of UL, MIC is subject to review and external quality assurance by UL or, if requested, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). MIC Quality Assurance Policies and Procedures as outlined in the MIC Quality Manual are underpinned by the following statutory guidelines:
- Core Statutory Quality Assurance (QA) Guidelines
- Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (2015)
- Statutory Quality Guidelines for Designated Awarding Bodies
- Topic Specific Quality Assurance Guidelines for providers of Research Degree Programmes
- Topic Specific Quality Assurance Guidelines for Blended Learning
- Code of Practice for Provision of Programmes of Higher Education to International Learners
Linked Provider Reporting
Annual Reporting
Each year MIC submits to the University of Limerick an Annual Quality Report (AQR). This report forms the basis of the Annual Dialogue Meeting (ADM) between MIC and UL. The AQR is subsequently published on both UL and MIC's website.
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2017-2018
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2018-2019
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2019-2020
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2020-2021
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2021-2022
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2022-2023
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2023-2024
- Annual Quality Report (AQR) 2024-2025
Cyclical Reporting
Every seven years, the University of Limerick conducts an Institutional Review to evaluate both the adequacy of MIC’s quality assurance procedures and the extent to which MIC is implementing the procedures effectively. The review panel reports of the 2016 and 2024 Institutional Reviews are available here:
Institutional Review 2016 Panel Report
Institutional Review 2024 Panel Report
TrustEd
MIC has been authorised by QQI to use the TrustEd Ireland mark, a new statutory quality mark that is part of a suite of legislative measures designed to protect international learners. It is awarded to higher education and English language education providers who have demonstrated that they meet national standards to ensure a quality experience for international learners from pre-enrolment through to the completion of their programme of education and training.
Quality Reviews
Internal Quality Reviews
The schedule for the current academic quality review cycle which runs from academic year (AY) 2019/20 until AY 2028/29, is presented below. The schedule was approved by the MIC Quality Committee and by the University of Limerick.
| Academic Department Quality Review Schedule 2019-2029 |
|---|
| Revised Schedule - January 2026 |
| 2019 |
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2022 |
|
| 2023 |
| Roinn na Gaeilge |
| 2025 |
|
| 2026 |
|
| 2027 |
|
| 2028 |
|
| Notes: The dates in this schedule indicate the year in which the quality process will commence. |
Academic reviews will be conducted in accordance with the MIC Academic Quality Review Guidelines.
Déanfar athbhreithnithe acadúla de réir Threoirlínte CMgS um Athbhreithniú Cháilíocht Acadúla (leagan Gaeilge).MIC_Academic_QR_Guidelines.pdf
The schedule for the current professional service quality review cycle which runs from 2020 to 2028, is presented below. The schedule was approved by the MIC Quality Committee and by the University of Limerick.
| Professional Services Quality Review Schedule 2020-2028 |
|---|
| Revised Schedule - May 2026 |
| 2020 |
|
| 2022 |
|
| 2023 |
|
| 2024 |
|
| 2025 |
|
| 2026 |
|
| 2027 |
|
| 2028 |
Student Academic Administration (SAA) incl. Admissions & Exams functions Thurles Campus Office |
| 2029 |
Library Careers Service |
| Notes: The dates in this schedule indicate the year in which the quality process will commence. |
Professional Service reviews will be conducted in accordance with the MIC Professional Service Quality Review Guidelines.
The quality review process consists of three phases:
- Self-Assessment
- Peer Review
- Quality Improvement
Academic Department Peer Review Reports
- Department of Psychology Peer Review Report 2020
- Department of English Language and Literature Peer Review Report 2021
- Department of Educational Psychology, Inclusive & Special Education Peer Review Report 2021
- Department of History Peer Review Report 2021
- Department of Arts Education and Physical Education Peer Review Report 2023
- Department of Music Peer Review Report 2023
- Department of Media and Communication Studies Peer Review Report 2023
- Roinn na Gaeilge Peer Review Report 2023 Leagan Gaeilge (English Translation)
Academic Department Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) Summary Reports
- Department of English Language and Literature Quality Improvement Plan Final Report
- Department of History Quality Improvement Plan Final Implementation Report
- Department of Arts Education and Physical Education QIP Summary Report
Professional Service Peer Review Reports
- President's Office Peer Review Report 2021
- Information Compliance and Records Management Office Peer Review Report 2022
- Academic Learning Centre Peer Review Report 2023
- Learning Enhancement and Academic Development Centre (LEAD) Peer Review Report 2023
- MISU 2025
- Strategic Communications & Marketing 2025
Professional Service QIP Final Implementation Reports
Surveys
HEA Graduate Outcomes Survey
The HEA Graduate Outcomes Survey is a national survey of graduates approximately nine months after completion of study.
The survey instrument is defined centrally by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and is administered locally by Higher Education Institutions to their graduates. The MIC graduate outcomes survey is administered by the MIC Quality Office.
The 2026 survey will be administered to 2025 MIC graduates from April to August 2026.
StudentSurvey.ie
StudentSurvey.ie is a biennial national student engagement survey that is open to First Year and Final Year Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate students in all Irish Higher Level Institutions.
PGRStudentSurvey.ie is a biennial national student engagement survey that is open to Research Postgraduate students in all Irish Higher Level Institutions.
The surveys asks students about their experiences of higher education. It is designed to inform developments within institutions while also providing a national set of data.
Further information is available at www.studentsurvey.ie.
Enquiries about these surveys should be sent to: Quality@mic.ul.ie.
- About
- Staff
- Quality Assurance
- Quality Reviews
- Surveys
