Internal Quality System and Self-Evaluation

Policy of Liberis ehf.: The policy of Liberis ehf. is to adhere to quality-related metrics, ensuring that continuing education aligns with the best practices of the time to guarantee the competitiveness of its operations and compliance with current quality standards.

• Teachers, managers, and other staff are guaranteed access to further education, such as training in teaching techniques and management, during their employment.
• Employees who are hired meet the requirements set for those working in adult and continuing education.
• Efficient, flexible, and transparent administration is promoted. Students and staff have good access to management, either through regular meetings or office hours, and the rights of those using Liberis ehf.’s services are respected.

These goals are ensured through the following actions:

• At the end of each course, participants are asked to complete survey forms where students can evaluate the service. All questions in the survey relate to the students’ experience with the service, the quality of education and materials, teachers, and overall satisfaction with the learning experience. Participants are also given the opportunity to provide comments. The results are used as part of Liberis’ self-evaluation. The questions in the survey form are reviewed once a year as needed, with changes made to the content or operations as necessary.
• Subsequently, a staff meeting is held with the teachers. At these staff meetings, everyone has the opportunity to review and assess the semester.
• Following this, the quality manager prepares a self-evaluation report based on the data collected through the surveys. The self-evaluation report details the results of the previous year’s self-evaluation.
• The annual self-evaluation report and improvement action plan are available on the Liberis website, liberis.is, at the end of December.

Surveys_Summary 2023

• Each semester, teaching materials are reviewed and improved.

The description of the internal quality system and self-evaluation of the educational provider ensures that it meets the requirements of Chapter IV of the Act on Continuing Education regarding the assessment and monitoring of quality.

Rights, Obligations, and Handling Disputes

The aim of these procedures is to establish a formal process for handling disputes and the avenues available to students and staff to seek justice if they believe their rights have been violated due to undesirable conditions or behavior.

Company employees (including contractors) are obliged to show courtesy and respect towards colleagues, students, and others they work with on behalf of the company. Everyone must be fair and honest in their work, show consideration and respect, and exercise caution. Employees are prohibited from bullying, harassing, using violence, or displaying any other undesirable behavior towards students or other staff members.

To ensure that students receive the best possible education, all use of alcohol and other intoxicants is prohibited during classes and/or at the workplace. If an employee, teacher, or student is found to be using or under the influence of intoxicants, they shall be immediately removed, including from the classroom. The individual will then receive a warning. If a student is found again using or under the influence of intoxicants at the workplace or in class, the company reserves the right to expel the student from the course without refund. For employees, the company reserves the right to terminate their employment immediately. The same applies to contractors.

In all work within the company, and in decisions regarding the rights and obligations of students, the principles of good governance and management practices must be followed. Employees are obliged to prevent, obstruct, and intervene in any undesirable conditions they become aware of among staff and/or students. Liberis adheres to Article 3 of Regulation No. 1009/2015 on measures against bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, and violence in the workplace.

Undesirable conditions refer to any form of bullying, violence, sexual or gender-based harassment, or discrimination based on gender, disability, age, religion, beliefs, nationality, race, sexual orientation, or other irrelevant factors. The regulation includes the following definitions:

• Bullying: Repeated behavior that generally causes discomfort for the recipient, such as belittling, insulting, hurting, threatening, or creating fear. Disagreements or conflicts of interest do not fall under this definition.
• Gender-based Harassment: Behavior related to the gender of the recipient, unwanted by the recipient, intended to or resulting in offending the recipient’s dignity and creating intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive conditions.
• Sexual Harassment: Any unwanted sexual behavior that is offensive to the recipient’s dignity, especially when it creates intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive conditions. This behavior can be verbal, symbolic, and/or physical.
• Violence: Any behavior that leads to, or could lead to, physical or psychological harm or suffering for the recipient, including threats, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of freedom.

Procedure for Reporting Undesirable Behavior or Conditions:

• Students, teachers, and other employees (including contractors) who experience inappropriate behavior or undesirable conditions (as defined above) from other students, employees, teachers, or others involved in Liberis activities (including contractors) are encouraged to report it immediately. Witnesses to such behavior or conditions are also encouraged to report. Reports should be made to the CEO of Liberis, but if the complaint is against the CEO, it should be directed to another board member of the company. The CEO/board member must address such reports immediately and aim to resolve the matter as soon as possible, but no later than within four weeks.
• When handling a case, the CEO/board member must act cautiously and considerately, respecting the dignity and privacy of the involved students, teachers, and employees (including contractors). This includes not sharing information with unauthorized persons and ensuring that any external parties involved do the same.
• In processing the case, the CEO should assess the situation and, if necessary, seek assistance from external parties (e.g., specialists in the relevant field or mediators).
• The CEO/board member must document all aspects of the case handling and keep the involved parties informed, considering data protection laws and the handling of personal information.
• If the assessment indicates a justified suspicion of undesirable behavior or conditions, the CEO/board member must take immediate action to stop the behavior/conditions and prevent their recurrence.
• If the assessment concludes that there was no undesirable behavior, the CEO/board member must take action to eliminate the conditions complained about to prevent them from leading to undesirable behavior.
• When the CEO/board member considers the matter resolved, they must inform the involved parties. If requested, the CEO/board member must provide written confirmation if the request is made within six months of the resolution notification.
• If a party is not satisfied with the CEO/board member’s assessment, they can refer the matter to the Reykjavik District Court for resolution.