Quality Assurance System
The Internal Quality Assurance Unit at the School of Computer Sciences (SGIC-FIUPM), responsible for quality assurance at all the academic degrees at the School of Computer Sciences of the UPM (levels of Bachelor, Master and Doctorate). La Academic Board for the MSc program in Artificial Intelligence (CAMIA) is la responsable ensuring the quality at the Programme, implementing the identified processes related to the framework of the Quality Internal Assurance System of the School of Computer Science (SGIC-FIUPM).
The SGIC-FIUPM - from which the Technical Quality Unit of the School of Computer Science, chaired by the Associate Dean for Quality and Strategic Planning (v.calidad@fi.upm.es) - has participated in the first call for AUDIT of the ANECA receiving the POSITIVE report in February 2009.
It is composed of:
- President: Associate Dean responsible for the SIGCT.
- Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Research and Postgraduate Programmes and Associate Dean for Quality and Strategic Planning.
- School Administrator.
- Quality assurance unit technician, appointed by the Associate Dean responsible for the SIGCT, that shall act as the Secretary.
- 1 Department Director, elected annually from among the Department Directors on a rotational basis, or a elected Department member delegate.
- 1 administration and service staff representative.
- Students representative.
- External agent.
The Academic Board for the MSc Programme in Artificial Intelligence (CAMIA) is responsible for ensuring the quality of the Programme, implementing the identified processes related to the framework of the Quality Internal Assurance System of the School of Computer Science (SGIC-FIUPM), the scope of which covers all the degrees offered in this School, in the levels of Bachelor, Master and Doctorate.
For the correct development of all quality assurance processes defined in the SGIC-FIUPM about the Master Programme, a number of committees under the control of CAMIA has been created to develop the following functions:
The Committee for Mobility of the Artificial Intelligence Department (DIA), established on January 12 2009 and composed of five members, is responsible to promote, facilitate and record the mobility associated with postgraduate studies in AI (including the MSc in AI) coordinated by the Department in three aspects:
- Mobility for Master and Ph.D. students, mainly oriented, in the case of Doctoral students, to obtain the European Mention from the largest number of Doctoral Theses.
- "Mobility process of the students who study at other universities” (PR/CL/004).
- “Mobility process of the students from other universities that study in the School of Computer Science” (PR/CL/005).
- Visiting professors at Master and Ph.D. Degree in Artificial Intelligence level. The Committee has participated, and raised funds, in calls for visiting professors’ mobility associated with Master and Ph.D. Programmes.
- Stays abroad of the DIA teaching staff.
The Broadcasting Committee of the DIA, established on January 12 2009 and composed of six members, was created to promote the MSc and Ph.D. Programmes of DIA. Among the activities assigned to this Committee (Framed within the “Publishing Process of Information”, PR/ES/004) are:
- the maintenance of web pages (Master and Ph.D.),
- electronic broadcasting of the Programmes,
- creation of posters and brochures,
- video recording and editing of the Programmes and research groups...
The Committee for the Quality of the Postgraduate Studies DIA was established on January 12 2009 and composed of 16 members. Among the activities assigned are: tracking of the enrolled students’ progress, interpretation of the survey results, tracking of the scientific contributions of the teaching staff and the Doctoral Theses defended on the Programme. All these activities are under the ”Process of the measurement results and improvement of the programmes”, PR/ES/003), which aims to ensure the quality of the programme in each of its designed components, including the title objectives, the competences developed, maintaining and renovating appropiately its educational offer, as well as approving, monitoring and reviewing these programmes and their results.
The interpretation of the survey results is based on the "Process of studies and satisfaction surveys" (PR/SO/005), which, through the Vice-Rector’s Office for Quality and Strategic Planning, measure and analyse the results of the learning outcomes of the students, the impact of the teaching methodologies, and the overall satisfaction.
The results and conclusions obtained through existing different mechanisms by both the Technical Unit of Quality and the Committees of Mobility, Broadcasting and Quality of the Programme are communicated to CAMIA in order to take the appropriate decisions and implement the necessary actions and improvements within the Programme.
Other relevant processes affecting the MSc Programme in Artificial Intelligence and executed by CAMIA are the following: the “Process of selection and admission of students” (PR/CL/007) and the “Process of host-driven actions” (PR/CL/002).
The SGIC-FI includes the “Process of the ceasing of curricula leading to official degrees” (PR/ES/2/006), which includes the procedure to follow and the definition of criteria about the extinction of curricula in the UPM approved by the Governing Council and would be implemented when the time of the ceasing of the MSc Programme in Artificial Intelligence comes.