Chapter 1: Presentation of the Quality Assurance Cell

Article 1: A Quality Assurance Cell is established within the Higher School of Commerce (ESC), Koléa University Campus, designated by the cell in accordance with the decision of the school director No. 52 of June 2, 2021.

Article 2: The cell is directly under the responsibility of the ESC director.

Article 3: In order to conduct its functions and activities properly, the cell operates based on principles of autonomy, impartiality, and objectivity. The cell’s responsible party ensures, with the support of the school director, the smooth functioning of the cell and ensures the availability of necessary resources to fulfill its mission.

Article 4: The cell has an office with a secretariat.

Chapter 2: Composition of the Quality Assurance Cell

Article 5: The cell comprises a responsible party and members appointed by internal decision of the ESC director for a renewable three-year term.

Article 6: Members of the Quality Assurance Cell are as follows:

• Prof. Annabi Bénaissa, Cell President;
• Tari Med El-Arbi;
• Dr. Berriziga Amina;
• Dr. HAMOUCHE Ouahchia;
• Dr. Mahdid Malika;
• Dr. Ouslimane Meriem;
• Mrs. ABBAD Imane;
• Mr. Moussaoui Ali;
• Mr. Bakhti Kamel;
• Mrs. Djeddai Nassima;
• Mrs. Nechaouni Assia;
• Mr. Bouteldji Mohamed.

Article 7: Membership of the cell is lost after three consecutive unexcused absences. A member who is absent for a justified reason may send the work assigned to them to the cell’s responsible party through appropriate means.

Article 8: In case of a member’s resignation or inability to continue their mission adequately, a new member is appointed by the ESC director and serves until the cell’s renewal date.

Article 9: The cell’s responsible party presides over the cell’s meetings. Their tasks include:

• Organizing and determining the agenda of the meetings;
• Ensuring the role of the cell’s facilitator;
• Ensuring the implementation of the articles in this cell statute;
• Ensuring smooth discussions and maintaining discipline during meetings;
• Encouraging actions to improve the ESC’s self-assessment and external evaluation follow-up;
• Assigning specific tasks or work to a cell member;
• Acting as the spokesperson for the cell;
• Providing external evaluators with relevant documentation and information for their mission;
• Participating in drafting evaluation reports, ensuring their validation, dissemination, and archiving.

Article 10: In case of the cell’s responsible party’s absence during a session, the members present elect a session chairperson from among themselves.

Article 11: Depending on the meeting agenda, any relevant person recognized for their expertise may be invited by the cell’s responsible party to participate in the meeting in a consultative capacity.

Chapter 3: Responsibilities and Powers of the Quality Assurance Cell

Article 12: Responsibilities of the Quality Assurance Cell:

In adherence to the principles and objectives of the school’s quality charter, the cell, as an entity and its members, has the following powers:

• Monitoring deficiencies and non-compliance with Quality Assurance within all school structures and presenting them to the Quality Assurance Cell responsible party during cell meetings;
• Submitting reports to the ESC director on all aspects of non-compliance with Quality Assurance;
• Addressing all Quality Assurance-related issues presented to the cell;
• Developing the Quality Assurance action plan at the ESC level and ensuring its implementation and monitoring;
• Issuing recommendations and suggestions during the follow-up and evaluation of the action plan to better guide the actions/programs included in the plan.

Article 13: Missions of the Quality Assurance Cell:

The main missions of the Quality Assurance Cell (QAC) are as follows:

• Overseeing internal quality processes that the school will undertake in the fields of education, research, governance, campus life, relations with the economic environment, and infrastructure;
• Participating in the development of the school project in the field of quality assurance and monitoring its implementation and evaluation;
• Supporting and monitoring administrative and academic leaders responsible for executing the school’s development plans;
• Assisting in the development of a quality “reference framework” and coordinating evaluations that the institution will undertake. The QAC is also responsible for leading the interpretations of the evaluations;
• Managing and coordinating the teaching and evaluations of different subjects taught at the ESC;
• Conducting prospective studies and providing recommendations and suggestions in all areas of the school’s functioning based on higher education quality standards;
• Assisting internal evaluation teams in quality assurance at all ESC structures and helping to ensure and control the performance of quality at the school level;
• Organizing training sessions for internal evaluation team members and administrative staff of the school in the field of quality assurance;
• Planning, monitoring, and improving the tutoring process and assistance for new students;
• Suggesting changes to syllabi;
• Collecting, analyzing, and identifying strengths and weaknesses in quality assurance and suggesting solutions to the school management;
• Using appropriate teaching methods and strategies that actively engage students;
• Drawing inspiration from various experiences of organizations and universities nationally and internationally in the field of quality assurance;
• Elaborating a comprehensive annual report on the Quality Assurance Cell’s activities, presenting it to the school director, and communicating it to teachers and administrative staff.

Chapter 4: The Functioning of the Quality Assurance Cell

Article 14: The cell meets at least five times per academic year. Members are summoned by the ESC director or the cell’s responsible party based on a sufficiently precise agenda, given in writing or electronically, at least fifteen (15) days in advance. The notice period may be reduced to eight (8) days for extraordinary meetings.

Article 15: The cell may meet as many times as necessary, in extraordinary sessions, at the request of the cell’s responsible party or two-thirds of its members. Each meeting is documented by minutes, which will be published and disseminated to all stakeholders and displayed within the institution.

Article 16: The cell’s meetings are valid only if two-thirds (2/3) of its members are present. Any decision made without meeting the required quorum specified in the statutes is subject to nullification. If the quorum is not met, the meeting is postponed for up to forty-eight (48) hours and will proceed with the members present.

Article 17: Decisions made during meetings are valid with an absolute majority (50% + 1 vote) of the cell’s members. Each member has one vote with the option of proxy. Each member can receive only one proxy. Votes are cast by show of hands. In the event of a tie, the cell’s responsible party’s vote is considered decisive.

Article 18: The cell’s secretariat handles the organization of meetings (agenda, invitations, minutes), and the minutes of the meeting are sent by the cell’s responsible party to the school director and all cell members.

Chapter 4: Miscellaneous Provisions

Article 19: The different administrative, academic, and scientific structures must provide the cell with any necessary documents to fulfill its tasks when needed.

Article 20: This statute serves as the reference for the cell’s missions and activities.

Article 21: This statute may be modified if necessary, provided that the proposal is fundamental and accepted by two-thirds (2/3) of the cell’s members.

Article 22: The status of the cell is subject to approval by the school director.