Senior University Examination Qualification

The SUEQ trajectory is created in line with the national SKE guidelines in its objectives and intentions, albeit with a specific university focus and set-up. It has its origins in a programme (1) of requirements for a basic and senior qualification (BEK/SKE) for those involved in examinations in higher (vocational) education that was set up in 2013 by an expert group commissioned by the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences. The framework and guidelines that were created by an expert group , have been strongly embraced on national level, especially within higher professional education. In 2020, the original BKE/SKE guidelines were redefined and adjusted by a committee "Je ogen uitkijken" and presented in a new report. This time also in an English  version (2). 

For the UT SUEQ trajectory we have formulated the following leanring goals, based on the national goals. As a SEQ practitioner^:

• You are aware of the assessment framework and different roles, tasks and responsibilities within the assessment organisation. You actively contribute to the reviewing and improvement of the assurance for or safeguarding of the quality of assessment within a programme (or broader) by analysing systematically current practices. You oversee the processes at play within the assessment organisation in their interrelationship and recognise stakes and needs of those involved. You can evaluate the quality of processes within the assessment organization, especially the parts for which you are responsible, and are able to identify problem areas and come up with substantiated ideas for improvement based on acquired expertise and insight into the context.
• You actively contribute to the reviewing and improvement of the assurance for or safeguarding of the quality of assessment within a programme (or broader) by coming up with substantiated advice on a specific problem or improvement area and by communicating this advice, including an implementation plan, convincingly and effectively to a relevant body or functionary and present your ideas to a broader audience within the UT community.
• You support and guide colleagues in the assessment process and evaluate the quality of assessments. You translate the results of evaluations of assessments into concrete recommendations for an examiner, based on acquired and demonstrable assessment expertise. You give advice on design and assessment issues. In doing so, you will constantly evaluate the function of the assessments and the context in which they are used.
• As a critical professional you are able to reflect on your personal functioning and you are focused on the further development of your own competence relating to assuring or safeguarding the quality of assessment on programme level (or higher) in line with your role, tasks and responsibilities. You are able to lead and/or initiate discussions on related topics with relevant stakeholders and colleagues.

(1)  Sluysmans - verantwoord toetsen rapport.pdf  

(2)  Dutch:  Verantwoordingsdocument-Kwaliteiten-van-de-toetsbekwame-hbo-docent.pdf  
      English: Assessment-literacy-Qualities-of-the-assessment-literate-UAS-teachers.pdf 

Since 2017, the UT has offered a Senior University Examination Qualification trajectory (in Dutch: Senior Kwalificatie Examinering; SKE).
While a professionalisation trajectory at senior level was already developed and implemented for some years within universities of applied sciences (Dutch: hbo instellingen) under the name of Senior Kwalificatie Examinering (SKE), a comparable programme tailored to the context of an academic university was lacking. In response to this need, and in close collaboration with the chair of the joint Examination Boards of the Faculty of EEMCS, who felt this need too, CELT, under the coordination of Helma Vlas, designed and implemented in 2017 a SUEQ trajectory for the UT.
Since 2021, this trajectory has been offered in English to accommodate the increasingly international academic community. In September 2025, the SUEQ trajectory was offered for the sixth time. 

The SUEQ trajectory is created in line with the national SKE guidelines as drafted in 2013 by the BKE/SKE expert group on behalf of the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, albeit with a specific university focus and set-up. The national SKE guidelines were updated by a group of experts at a later stage: Verantwoordingsdocument-Kwaliteiten-van-de-toetsbekwame-hbo-docent.pdf / English: Assessment-literacy-Qualities-of-the-assessment-literate-UAS-teachers.pdf. 

The SUEQ trajectory aims to help staff members develop into senior practitioners in assessment and examination. As SUEQ practitioner, you can formulate your vision on assessment, can understand the place and function of assessment within the study programme (faculty, institution), and you can oversee, influence, and improve the care for and/or safeguarding of the quality of assessment at the programme (or higher) level, thereby taking the specific context into account. This not only requires thorough knowledge of the parties involved and their respective roles and responsibilities and of rules and regulations, but also an attitude that can be described as proactive, self-critical, sensitive to the relevant context, and aimed at continuous further development.