Understanding Quality Culture in Assuring Learning at Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

This paper sought to understand quality culture (QC) as a way of enhancing quality products and services at theUniversity of South Africa (Unisa), one of the leading open distance learning (ODL) Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The paper focused on reviewing literature that explains key dimensions ofQC, namely: culture, quality and the importance of QC in assuring the quality of HEIs’provisions. It is a conceptual paper that outlines the prevailing thoughts on QC as it relates to quality assurance (QA) and organisationalculture (OC).QC as a process operates best not just through evaluation and measurement procedures alone, but is best reflected in the values, practices and procedures shared and nurtured by varying levels of an institutional community. Measuring through predetermined standards is undoubtedly important for accountability but these processes cannot be regarded as quality guarantors. Quality is not a standard to be met but a process that is best achieved when those whose quality products or services are evaluated have willingly expressed aspirations and desire to ensure it.