ABSTRACT
The introduction of quality assurance will have a greater impact on quality than the operation of the existing university committee system. The quality assurance programme should have less ambitious missions for universities, different emphases on university functions and their objectives, simpler quality management plans and systems and simpler internal and external audit systems. Quality assurance requires the systematic setting out of the university's mission, objectives for teaching, research, direct community services and support services, management plans to achieve the objectives, and a management structure to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the plans. Like their counterparts in developed countries, universities in developing countries aspire to serve their countries and the geo-political regions. However, apart from elite universities, this mission is far too ambitious with the resources at their disposal. The pressure on the local university sector to do well has been increased even more with the entry of foreign universities on their own or in partnership with local private providers.
