Chapter 3 - The Institutional HE Quality Perspective

Qatar has gone through an educational reform in year 2000; its educational and particularly schooling system went through a major overhaul from K-12 reaching higher education providers. The major reasons for the educational reform were to increase the level of student academic achievement. Concomitantly, the rapid growth of Qatar's economy over recent decades has created a situation in which the demand for skilled labor far exceeded the supply of qualified Qatari nationals. The Qatar National Development Plan identified acute needs for highly educated and skilled Qatari nationals in the areas of health and biomedical sciences, engineering, energy and environment, and computer and information technology (Qatar National Development Strategy, 2011). Two significant higher education providers' serve post-secondary students, being Qatar University (QU) and American Branch Universities at the Qatar Foundation have grown tremendously over the years. Understanding the factors that affect Qatari students' post-secondary persistence and achievement is crucial for achieving the country's human capital growth. Tinto (1975) deposited his theory about student integration into the academic and social system of the higher education providers, Tinto suggested a multidimensional component which underlined the higher education community engaging students in all aspects of higher education including academic and non-academic. Tinto's theory basically hypothesizes that persistence is determined by the match between an individual's motivation and academic ability and the institution's academic and social characteristics. A second and major model is Bean's (1986) student's intention to stay or leave into the attrition model, derived from psychological theories and based on attitudinal research of Ajzen and Fishbein (1972) which later developed by Bentler and Speckart (1981). Key ideas from the model suggest that a strong association was related to intentions and behaviors and that an undergraduate student decision to persist or dropout was strongly related to affect. One conclusion about student engagement was students need to be satisfied and academically prepared especially those in the first years to achieve success and maintain continuous enrollment in higher education (Astin, 1985; Tinto, 2005; Kuh, 2001, 2007). Tinto's integration theory has received considerable validation of non-academic factors and impacting student continuation (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1977; Terenzini & Pascarella, 1977; Chapman & Pscarella, 1983; Pascarella & Chapman, 1983). The latter model has received empirical validation and support based on a large number of studies that looked at background information as the socioeconomic levels of students' families and its effect on postsecondary continuation in higher education (Astin & Oseguera, 2004; Sewell & Shah, 1968). With the large number of studies coming from the United States (US) and other western countries (Kenny & Stryker, 1994; Dekker & Fischer, 2008) have underlined the differences on how students develop and internalize beliefs, needs, and wants that in turn impact academic motivation to persist and succeed in higher education. While few studies have emerged from the Middle East, the recent establishment of the Middle East and North Africa Association of Institutional Research has prompted many researchers in this area to seek the understanding and experiences of students in higher education. In Qatar for instance, the first year experience study and National Association of Colleges and Employers Survey have just recently been implemented at Qatar's national public university. Faced with the danger of students dropping out from the university, and a large number of students who are likely to remain in the first years for longer years reflects the dangers of higher education being a bottleneck to economic development and human resource development (Qatar University Fact Book, 2011). One clear indication and dangers of Higher education completion rates as anywhere in the world is disparaging. It has been reported that in the US for instance 55% of undergraduates who begin study at a 4-year institution complete a degree at that same institution within 6 years of their initial enrollment and another 7% completed baccalaureate degrees within six years after attending two or more institutions (Lotkowski, Robbins & Noeth, 2004; Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, & Hayek, 2007). Pascarella (1985) and Adelman (2006) came to the conclusion that continuous enrollment is the most powerful variable in explaining degree completion and time to degree. There are several factors academic and non-academic likely to affect students as they make the transition to post-secondary institutions. Many students may experience stress, anxiety, withdrawal, and even depression (Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, Langley & Carlstrom, 2004; DeStefano, Mellott & Peterson, 2001; Feldt, Graham, & Dew, 2011; Wie, l & Zakalik, 2005). There are also a variety of non-academic challenges that have bearing on the likelihood on academic persistence and success of students. A fairly large body of research undertaken in a number of countries have examined the experiences of international students, and compared their experiences to those students of native to the host country. Academic factors (i.e., secondary preparation) appear to influence postsecondary success (see Robbins, Lauver, Le, Davis, Langley & Carlstrom, 2004). But also a range of non-academic factors, influenced by culture and values, thus may contribute to challenges faced by students in higher education in their local context. This study attempts to address Qatari student challenges in their lives in the higher education in Qatar. The study draws on student, perceptions, beliefs, outlook and context; we approach the study through grounded means by leading interview questions through exploration and probing. The approach is grounded in ways that no specific theory drives the questions rather the responses from the interview often call upon theory to justify the findings. The sample will be made of 35 students who were interviewed through probing and questioning techniques. The questions will probe and guide students with converging responses leading to themes. The long-term goal of this line of research is to provide the Qatari society with mush needed scientific information regarding the challenges that its students face in completing their university education at the competence needed to build Qatar's human capital to support its rapidly expanding economy. Finally, we believe that is a broader regional need for specific and focued information on this topic as the study findings are directly applicable to students from several other countries in the region. Reference Adelman, C. (2006). The Toolbox Revisited: Path to Degree Completion From High School Through College: U.S. Department of Education. Ajzen, L., & Fishbein, M. (1972). Attitudes and normative beliefs as factors influencing behavioral intentions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 21(2), 1–9. Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of college student personnel, 25(4), 297–308. Astin, A., & Oseguera, L. (2004). The declining” equity” of American higher education. The Review of Higher Education, 27, 321–341. Bentler, P., M. & Speckart, G. (1981). Attitudes “cause” behaviors: A structural equation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40(2), 226–238. Chapman, D., W., & Pscarella, E., T. (1983). Predictors of academic and social integration of college students. Research in Higher Education, 19, 295–322. Dekker, S. & Fischer, R. (2008). Cultural differences in academic motivation goals: A meta-analysis across 13 societies. Journal of Educational Research, 102(2), 99–110. DeStefano, T.J., Mellott, R.N., & Peterson, J.D., (2004). A preliminary assessment of the impact of counseling on student adjustment to college. Journal of College Counseling, 4, 113–121. Kenny, M. E. & Stryker, S. (1994). Social Network Characteristics of White, African-American, Asian and Latino/a College Students and College Adjustment: A Longitudinal Study. Kuh, G. (2001). Assessing what really matters to student learning: Inside the national survey of student engagement. Change, 33(3), 10–17. Kuh, G. (2007). What student engagement data tell us about college readiness. Association of American College and Universities (AAC&U).Peer Review, 9(1), 4–8. Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/what-student-engagement-data-tell-us-about-college-readiness . Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J. A., Bridges, B. K., & Hayek, J. C. (2007). Piecing Together the Student Success Puzzle: Research, Propositions, and Recommendations. ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 32, Number 5. ASHE Higher Education Report, 32(5), 1–182. Lotkowski, V.A., Robbins, S. B. & Noeth, R. J. (2004). The role of academic and non-academic factors in improving college retention. ACT Policy Report. Qatar National Development Strategy (2011). Qatar General Secretariat for Development Planning: Doha. Pascarella, E. T. (1985). Racial Differences in Factors Associated with Bachelor's Degree Completion: A Nine-Year Follow-up. Research In Higher Education, 23(4), 351–373. Pascarella, E. & Chapman, D. (1983). A m

The background of this study is a well-established 21 st century trend, leading education institutions towards diversifying their offer with e-learning. While top engineering institutions worldwide have developed e-learning, many others were still focusing on limited traditional offers until the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 which has brought unprecedented upheaval and drastic change even for small local colleges. The aim of this study is to analyse the dimensions of this change and evaluate the change management processes across engineering departments in local UK colleges that have had to shift their teaching, learning and assessment from face-to-face delivery to an e-environment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are considering moving onto e-learning wherever possible. The initial research for this study has been collected across 77 further education colleges in the North West of the UK that also have a higher education offer and that teach engineering at various levels. Key aspects of the move to e-learning as well as the wider context will be presented, followed by a contextualised literature review where examples of challenges from analysed institutions will be presented in relation to key concepts of change management. Some critical aspects of higher education across colleges are considered along with their challenges in the present COVID-19 context. This will be followed by recommendations. The basis for the recommendations is an extended market and change management analysis available in the appendices to this work. SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces as well as stakeholder analyses are complemented by Culture Web and McKinsey’s 7S models which have been used to analyse the current state of operations and present strategic positioning of UK colleges with an engineering further and higher education provision in order to identify which of these may need reinforcement and propose recommendations. Keywords : e-learning, higher education, strategy, colleges, engineering education DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-36-01 Publication date: December 31 st 2020

PurposeVietnam is experiencing rapid expansion in the provision of higher education that requires quality assurance appropriate for the Vietnamese-centralised Confucian cultural context. This paper aims to examine the concept of quality from the perspectives of academic leaders, quality assurance members and academics at three higher education institutions in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachBased on an interpretative study, semi-structured interviews were used as a major research instrument augmented with document analysis across three case studies. Interviews were conducted with 35 participants from three groups of stakeholders.FindingsThe concept of quality was found to be under-conceptualised in this Vietnamese context. Quality was conceptualised as meeting societal needs across the case studies underpinned by the belief that the purpose of higher education is to prepare graduates for employment.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted in similar disciplines at three state-owned universities in Vietnam in 2011. This provides insight within this context and timeframe that may not be generalised. It is suggested to extend this research to other disciplines, the private sector and other groups of stakeholders.Practical implicationsThe paper discusses the necessity of revisiting the philosophy of higher education and re-conceptualising quality in Vietnam that informs quality assurance processes that are relevant to the cultural context.Originality/valueThis paper provides a centralised Confucian perspective to the literature on quality assurance in higher education. How quality is perceived by academic leaders, quality assurance members and, in particular, academic staff can be used to inform policy. In a centralised country such as Vietnam, academic leaders and quality assurance members may indicate their “obedient” attitudes to policies, leading to the same view with what is centrally enacted, while the academic staff have a different perception of quality.

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a mechanism for measuring the quality of teaching in higher education institutions in England, although institutions in other part of the UK can also opt into the TEF if they choose. All higher education providers, including further education colleges and private institutions, can take part in the TEF. This entry discusses why the TEF was introduced, how it has been implemented, how the TEF assesses teaching excellence, and criticisms of the TEF.

At a time of complex change in the provision of higher education by Institutes of Technology (IOTs) in Ireland, this qualitative study provides significant insights into the factors which have impact on academic creativity and innovation inside higher education institutions (HEIs). Curriculum development processes were examined in four Irish IOTs and one university, employing a constructivist grounded theory case study methodology. Interviews were conducted to gather experiences of 20 Irish academics. Five rounds of data analysis were processed with QSR NVivo software.A creativity paradox was uncovered: contemporary Higher Education (HE) policies promote cultures of creativity and innovation, yet, in practice, academics feel restricted in New Programme Development and Validation (NPDV) by greater regulatory compliance and sector rationalisation. However, despite increasingly complex HE controls, study findings show the significant impact of leadership within the HEI, and that a climate for academic creativity and innovation can exist, if the organisational climate conditions of effective leadership; trust; transparency; managerial and innovation process support are in place. Where present, these conditions have a positive impact on progress in the development of creative new programmes of learning and on the wider climate for creativity and innovation in the IOT. The in-depth interrogation of curriculum development and validation processes in Irish HEIs is the first of two primary contributions to knowledge of this research.Though state level regulatory compliance legacies represent a significant bureaucratic load on the IOTs, the impetus for HEI regulatory policies in Ireland increasingly originates from European Union (EU) HE agendas. Within the literature, there are criticisms of an EU creativity and innovation agenda for HE which is not sufficiently broad based and is heavily focused on servicing industry interests (Duff, 2011; MacLaren, 2012; Moutsios, 2013). Benefits of this creativity agenda are acknowledged, but a counterbalanced, more holistic approach to creativity development in HE, represented by the Humboldtian higher education ideal is advocated.A synthesis of findings led to the development of the three-level model for organisational creativity and innovation in higher education, the second primary contribution to knowledge of this research. The model illustrates the HEI climate factors, experienced by academics to have impact on creativity and innovation in Irish HEIs. Factors emerged at three levels: individual/team; organisational and meta-organisational. The findings of this study were found to align at individual/team and organisational levels, with Amabile’s (1988) componential model for organisational creativity and innovation.The development of this three-level model is timely, given the change impetus in the IOT sector towards the development of technological universities in Ireland, in addition to the financial, technological and global competitiveness challenges currently facing the institutes. The model will serve as a comprehensive tool, informing HEI senior management and policy developers of the factors which must be addressed, to develop an authentic HE climate conducive to creativity and innovation. To this end, HEI policymakers are encouraged to think creativity first when considering implementation of new HE regulatory policies and practices. The findings in this study will contribute to the ongoing policy discourse about the future of the IOTs during a period of significant change in the sector.

The Education and Training Protocol of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its implications for regional cooperation in the provision of higher education in South Africa are discussed. The article firstly deals with trends in regional cooperation in the provision of higher education as these are evident from developments in Europe, South East Asia, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Some pertinent preconditions for the regionalisation of higher education (RHE) are stated. The SADC Protocol on Education and Training is subsequently discussed by giving attention to its principles and objectives, and its organisational arrangements regarding tuition and research. Pertinent strengths and weaknesses of the Protocol are identified. The article closes with some guidelines on the regionalisation vis-à-vis globalisation of higher education in the Southern African region. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.16(1) 2002:53-59

On December 9, 2020, we continued the discussion on the future of higher education during the virtual open symposium “Higher Education 2030”. The focus was on drivers and effects of longer-term change with respect to (1) teaching and didactics, (2) institutions in the higher education value creation network as well as (3) national education systems and international schemes (including the interrelations of these three levels). In the resulting publication, we highlight the results of this discussion of distinguished guests from industry and academia from Europe and beyond. One of the key questions for incumbent as well as new institutions in higher education – whether private or public – is, how to prepare for the dynamically evolving times ahead. The symposium concluded that managing higher education cannot continue unchanged. Therefore, we embarked next on the topic of “From Future Skills in Higher Education to the Future Skills of Higher Education Managers.” For an initial workshop on May 14, 2021, we reached out to experts from different world regions as well as higher education providers. The aim was to outline the challenges and the necessary competencies as well as the knowledge and methodologies needed to succeed in the changing context of higher education. The results will address an urgent and important need of preparing for a future – even more uncertain in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, that was also touched upon as a driver itself and an accelerator to other trends respectively. Based on the ideas collected in the workshop, the initiative “Higher Education 2030” shall continue working on further publications. In addition, it shall also inform the preparation of master level certificates that eventually lead to an International Higher Education MBA. “Higher education” will henceforth also be abbreviated as “HE”.

This chapter is concerned with the topic of student choice in higher education. In particular it focuses on ways of strengthening students’ market power and giving more scope for students to have their interests served by the providers of higher education. This topic receives a lot of attention in many societies these days because it is felt that a system that relies heavily on central planning is unable to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse student clientele. It is generally believed that consumers are better equipped than ever to make their own choices; increasingly consumers possess the wealth, means and skills to make choices that affect their personal wellbeing. To this end many governments have in fact liberalised a large number of the markets that were previously regulated and protected by government. Examples are public utility sectors, telecommunication, electricity, etc. However, the higher education market in many mature economies is still characterised by a great deal of regulation. The question is whether the kind of liberalisation we see in other quasi-public good sectors can be extended to the higher education sector. To what degree does allowing student choice to be accommodated lead to improved educational outcomes? As will be argued in this chapter, the answer to this question will depend heavily on how rational students are, the degree of transparency that exists in the higher education market and the way the government has shaped the funding and framework conditions for this market. Before addressing the effects of various initiatives to strengthen student choice in higher education we will present a model that incorporates the various factors that shape student choice. This is done in the next section. Of these factors the ones of concern will be those relating to government policy – the institutional factors that shape student choice. After presenting the broader concepts and the theoretical model that ties them together, a number of specific issues that relate to student choice will be addressed, namely:

The governance of higher education at system and institutional level across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has been changing, notably in response to ‘higher education reform’ agendas at European, national and provincial levels over several decades (Haug and Kirstein, Trends 1: trends in learning structures in higher education. European University Association. http://www.eua.be/eua/en/publications.jspx, 1999). However, the pace of change differs across countries and the exact forms of ‘modernisation’ in governance arrangements have distinctive features in different parts of the region and in different institutions (Eurydice, Higher education governance in Europe: policies, structures, funding and academic staff. Education and Culture DG, Brussels, 2008; CHEPS, The extent and impact of higher education governance reform across Europe: final report to the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission, EC, Brussels, 2009; Paradeise et al., Reform policies and change processes in Europe. In: Huisman J (ed) International Perspectives on the Governance of Higher Education: Alternative Frameworks for Coordination. Routledge, London, pp 88–106, 2009). While the general direction of travel in many countries is towards more autonomy for institutions with less direct state control, not all institutions relish the opportunity to exercise more autonomy or have the capacity to do so, and not all governments are willing to relinquish their levers of control as fully as they might. Indeed, under the rubric of ‘more autonomy but with accountability,’ different forms of control and steerage are emerging at system and institutional levels, both through government mechanisms and via new governance roles exercised by a wider range of interests. As the missions and diversity of higher education providers have expanded – and their contributions to national and regional economic and social development have become more central and significant – a wider range of ‘stakeholders’ has been brought into the governance domain. These include employers, industrialists, other professionals, entrepreneurs, students and alumni. Accountability as well as steerage of institutions has thus moved beyond governments and their agents to embrace these groups of stakeholders (Stensaker and Harvey (eds), Accountability in higher education: global perspectives on trust and power, London, Routledge, 2011). In addition, within institutions, expectations of accountability linked to the responsibilities of autonomy have had an impact on traditional forms of academic governance. New roles and structures have developed alongside shifts in authority between academic governance and managerial or corporate governance. Finally – and in parallel with government ‘de-regulation’ and ‘re-regulation’ – the higher education environment itself is becoming increasingly diverse, competitive, more market-driven and subject to the volatility of shifting global markets for higher education services. The overall context for governance in the EHEA therefore remains fluid, dynamic and also contested. In this paper, we offer an overview of developments in governance, beginning with conceptual and definitional issues and examining some of the drivers for changes in governance arrangements. We make comparisons with wider global patterns of governance and look briefly at some current developments and themes that are emerging; these are picked up in greater depth and detail in the accompanying chapters within the governance theme. In the last section, we look ahead to some of the challenges and issues arising for governments, agencies and higher education providers as they try to ensure that governance systems remain responsive, appropriate and effective for changing environmental conditions in Europe and in the wider world.

This guidance has been prepared by representatives of the higher education community with expertise in education and sustainable development. It has been produced via collaboration between the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA). The guidance is intended to be of practical help to higher education providers working with students to foster their knowledge, understanding and skills in the area of sustainable development. The guidance recognises that there are many ways in which this may be achieved and is not prescriptive about delivery. Instead it offers an outcomes-based framework for use in curriculum design, and general guidance on approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. The guidance is intended to be relevant to educators in all disciplines wishing to embed or include learning about sustainable development within their curricula. This guidance is intended to complement Chapter B3 of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (Quality Code) dedicated to learning and teaching, but it does not form an explicit part of it. The Quality Code sets out the expectations that all providers of UK higher education are required to meet and is used in QAA review processes. The guidance is intended to apply to all parts of the UK.

The financing of higher education today is broadly divided into two groups of countries. Countries in Western Europe maintain a near public monopoly in the provision of higher education (with certain key exceptions), and countries in North America, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, and Africa maintain public and private sectors in higher education. The key difference between these two systems is that in the former category of countries, the efficiency is thought to be accomplished by instilling competition within the public system and in the latter category of countries, efficiency is thought to be accomplished by an open competition between public and private institutions. It is increasingly realised that there is room for reforms to improve efficiency of the system irrespective of the ownership and management of the institutions. The system of salary and other incentives need to be competitive; the system of accreditation needs to be separated from public authorities; and the system of curriculum and authority and the setting of standards need to be developed to meet the international standards. The private higher education institutions in many parts of the world focus on vocational specialisations and employment-oriented study programmes mostly in the areas of business and economics. In some cases, the private higher education institutions make efforts to attract students from religious groups which see their higher education experience as part of the religious and social upbringing.KeywordsPublic goodPrivate goodPublic subsidyEnterprise universityParallel programmesGovernment behaviour

The quantitative growth in Ugandan higher education subsector has created many challenges including a drop in quality in education delivery. Today, there are 34 universities in Uganda (up from 26 in 2006) with over 185,000 students (up from 137,190), representing an overall growth rate of more than 15% in the last 5 years. Given this rapid expansion of higher education, some form of regulation is necessary to assure quality. Ugandan government established the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) as a regulatory agency to set standards and regulations to ensure that all public and private tertiary education institutions in Uganda create, sustain and improve the relevance and quality of higher education for all qualified Ugandans and to meet the local, national and global higher education challenges of the 21st century. In addition to sustaining and improving the relevance and quality of higher education, these religious based universities have a special mission of evangelism and discipleship and view all admissions and appointments as opportunities for ministry and service. This however, may not go well with the peer assessors and the Accrediting Agencies. Currently there are more than six recognised faith based universities in Uganda. Out of the seven fully accredited universities in Uganda, five are faith based and only two are secular. There are different views about the philosophies of these faith-based universities. Some people seem to suggest that they pay more attention to evangelism and discipleship than in provision of higher education. While others view this type of institutions as a very good model to provide good morals and education that can transform the society in a positive way. At the same time, the regulatory framework in the country must provide for an all- inclusive environment for all to participate in higher education which may pose a big challenge to these faith based institutions. This article therefore, discusses the accreditation process in Uganda and challenges of private religious based Universities in Uganda in regards to accreditation.

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the most important information and communication technologies (ICT) that should be provided to students with hearing disabilities in higher education institutions by reviewing the most important research, studies, and recent literature in several countries at the present time and comparing them. The primary goal is to communicate the importance of ICT and highlight how they benefit students with hearing disabilities in colleges and universities. This chapter gives examples of ICT being offered across several countries. The result of the present review shows that there are a few successful experiences regarding the provision of ICT in higher education. Showcasing the significance and usefulness of ICT use for students with hearing disabilities in obtaining information and communicating in the classroom. Additionally, ICT availability in higher education institutions differs from country to country. ICT in higher education should be prioritized by governments since they enable students with hearing disabilities to overcome barriers present in conventional higher education programs.

British higher education may be presented from a number of angles: its institutional structure, its patterns of governance, its relation to the central government or, as a further possibility, its financial patterns. Since recent developments in the United Kingdom have tended to dwell largely on the latter, it is here that we will start. The financial system of what is technically termed 'advanced further education' [1] broadly speaking divides into two sectors the universities and what is often alluded to as the 'public sector'. The latter comprises such institutions as the polytechnics in England and Wales, the central institutions in Scotland, colleges of education, institutes of higher education and, finally, the so-called colleges of further education which cover the age range from 16 to 21, providing courses that are broadly vocational in content. Universities are financed from central government by a series of annual recurrent 'block grants' and also from student fees [2]. The 'public sector' establishments, by contrast, are funded by the Local Education Authority (LEA) in which they are located, and the local authority owns the buildings as well. Fees for students on degree-level courses are paid in the same way

Topicality of the research subject. The government authorities are concerned about higher education as human capital is being formed in this area.This concern is lessening as macroeconomic indicators show a lack of economic opportunities. Statement of the problem. Limited state funding for higher education requires improved spending of budget funds. Analysis of the recent research and publications. The state funding of higher education is considered at the macro- and micro levels from different angles. Selection of the unresearched parts of the general problem. There is no link between state funding of higher education at the macro level and the use of government funds at the micro level. Statement of the task and the purpose of the research. The method for the assessment of the finance provision of higher education has been improved, which makes it possible to achieve congruence between the mechanism of state order and the choice of educational services by consumers. Method or methodology of the research. A method for assessing the effectiveness of the financial provision of higher education in the space that has the parameters of “educational degree” and “field of knowledge” has been proposed. Statement of the basic material (results of the work). The low effectiveness of the use of state financial resources in relation to specialties and institutions of higher education of Poltava region has been determined. In the segment of “junior specialists” 113 places of the state order were not selected, and in the segment of “bachelors” – 98 places of state order. For most specialties in the segments the license amount did not correspond to the amount of state orders. The segments of the market of educational services differed significantly as to the state order. In the segment of “junior specialists” the share of the state budget places in the amount of demand was 85.16%, the share in the segment of “bachelors” – 60.24%, and in the segment of “masters” – 36.17%. The state stimulated potential consumers with the help of the state order to buy educational services. The state did not fund the realization of the HEI potential, encouraging them to commercialize educational programs. Field of application of results. The field of higher education. Conclusions. The proposed assessment methodology enables determining the effectiveness of the use of the state financial resources for specialties and institutions of higher education and the selection of possible alternative models for the distribution of the state order for their further financing.