Quality and Standards for Higher Education

The QAA

• Established in 1997, QAA safeguards quality and standards in UK HE.

• Primary responsibility for quality and standards rests with individual HEIs.

• QAA checks how well they meet their responsibilities, identifying good practice and making recommendations for improvement.

• QAA investigates any causes for concern about quality and standards.

• QAA also publishes guidelines to help develop effective systems to ensure students have high quality learning experiences.

The QAA – What is it?

An independent body funded by subscriptions – turnover £11million.

It employs 125 members of staff and uses 550 reviewers.

External Review- Core function to carry out reviews and reports to the public.- Evidence based peer review process.- Team includes student members from 2009-10.- Reports on way in which an HEI exercises its power to grant

degrees.- It aims to ensure that HEIs are providing HE of an acceptable

quality and appropriate academic standard.- It also conducts overseas audits.

•

The Academic InfrastructureA set of agreed reference points for setting and

maintaining quality and standards

Academic Registry

• UWIC has a quality and standards unit which administers our QA framework.

• Systems are centred around the following:

- validation of programmes

- annual programme monitoring

- periodic programme review and modifications

to programme

- UWIC’s committee structure which includes:

programme committees; school committees

- Academic Board and its sub boards

- External Examiner System

- minimum and exceptional

entry system

- student feedback mechanisms

Barriers to Quality

Ownership of systems by staff – A Quality Culture.

Compliance with systems and commitment to continuous quality

improvement.

Levels of bureaucracy.

Closing of loops.

Business v quality.

Balance between autonomy and accountability.

Management Information and its accuracy.