The UK Quality CodeThe UK Quality Codefor Higher Educationfor Higher Education

Jenny BeaumontLTC February 2012

The UK Quality Code for Higher Education

• 3 partso Part A – Setting and maintaining threshold academic standardso Part B - Assuring and enhancing academic qualityo Part C - Information about higher education provision

• Replacing the Academic Infrastructure• Chapter B7 is new; so far all others are imported

from the AI• Launched in December 2011

Overarching themesto be considered in all chapters

• communication of information• employability• equality and diversity• the diverse needs of students, in particular:

• non-traditional learners• work-based learners• part-time students• international students• postgraduate taught students• disabled students

• the responsibilities of awarding bodies• European and international HE reference points• good practice and enhancement

Chapters of the Quality Code

Part A – Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards

New chapter• A1: National level• A2: Subject and qualification level• A3: Programme level• A4: Approval and review• A5: Externality• A6: Assessing achievement of learning outcomes

replaces / incorporates

- FHEQ and FQHEIS

- Subject benchmarks inc. FD

- Programme specifications

- Parts of CoP 7

- Parts of CoP 7 and 4

- Parts of CoP 6

New chapter

• B1: Programme design and approval

• B2: Admissions

• B3: Learning and teaching

• B4: Student support

• B5: Student engagement

• B6: Assessment and APL

• B7: External examining

• B8: Programme monitoring and review

• B9: Complaints and appeals

• B10: Collaborative arrangements

• B11: Postgraduate research programmes

Chapters of the Quality CodePart B – Assuring and enhancing academic quality

replaces / incorporates

- Parts of CoP 7

- CoP 10

- CoP 2b and 9 and new material

- CoP 8 and 3

- Nothing – this will be new

- Parts of CoP 6

- CoP 4

- Parts of CoP 7

- CoP 5

- CoP 2a

- CoP 1

Chapters of the Quality Code

Part C – Providing information about higher education

• Not divided into chapters

• New – not replacing a discrete section of the Code of Practice

• Structured around the purposes of information and the need to serve a range of audiences

• Draft currently out for consultation – closes 24th February

QAA timetable

B7 External examining – published December 2011C Information – consultation Jan./Feb.; publication June 2012B11 PGR programmes – consultation Jan./Feb.; publication June 2012B5 Student engagement – consultn Feb./Mar.; publication June 2012B3 L&T – consultation May-July; publication September 2012B10 Collaborative provision – consultation ?; publication December 2012

QAA target for completion of the whole Quality Code: Summer 2013

The Quality Code will inform institutional reviews from

September 2012

The UK Quality Code for Higher Education• Expectations - we are required to meet these

“express key matters of principle that the higher education community has identified as important for the assurance of quality and academic standards”

e.g. Higher education providers make scrupulous use of external examiners.

• Indicators (fka precepts) – show how we meet ExpectationsHE providers have “agreed that these reflect sound practice”

e.g. Institutions include the name, position and institution of their external examiners in module or programme information provided to students.

18 expectations; 171 indicators

The UK Quality CodeThe UK Quality Codefor Higher Educationfor Higher Education

Jenny BeaumontLTC February 2012