The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education HEness

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education HE-ness

Key elements of Higher Education Review • peer review • management of standards, quality, information and enhancement • evidence-based • reference to UK Quality Code for Higher Education • scope and coverage: programmes of study leading to awards at levels 4 -8 of the FHEQ • involvement of students • core and theme

Basic review process

What Higher Education has told us about Colleges.

IQER: 94% success rate

IRENI outcomes compared to RCHE outcomes Institutions Colleges Commended Meets Requires improvement to meet Does not meet

HER: Academic Standards Judgements Meets Requires improvement

HER: Quality of Learning Opportunities Judgements Commended Meets Requires improvement Does not meet

HER: Information Judgements Commended Meets Requires improvement Does not meet

HER: Enhancement Judgements Commended Meets Requires improvement Does not meet

Some common issues in Higher Education Review recommendations

• The potential for confusing Enhancement with Enrichment and the subsequent need to be clear about the definition of Enhancement • The participation of students in contributing to information that informs Enhancement strategy and in directly shaping Enhancement activity • The strategic implementation of Enhancement initiatives as part of an effective and informed overview of HE provision

• The ineffectiveness of the overview of HE programmes • The absence of good information, informed by the Quality code , to facilitate good decision making • The need to acknowledge their particular responsibilities to HE students • A lack of general engagement with the Quality Code

Themes from HER that might contribute to an HE ‘ethos’

• Strong oversight of HE programmes facilitated by good information and informed by the Quality Code • Use of good information to enhance HE provision • An approach to teaching, learning and resourcing that recognises the needs of all HE students

• Effective relationships with Awarding bodies • Mechanisms to engage and respond to student voice and the involvement of students in decision making • Strong support for staff and students to improve teaching, learning and assessment, including the use of the Quality Code 16

• Employability used to contextualise teaching and learning leading to the enhanced engagement of students • Support for staff development for professional updating and scholarly activity which is strengthened by strong relationships with awarding bodies

• HE that is delivered in partnership with all HE staff, all HE students • A clear and accurate overview of HE • The Identification and addressing of HE student needs

• The use of the Quality Code as a tool for management

Task: What are the specific needs of HE students? What can you do to address these needs?

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