Embedding quality enhancement

Anthony McClaran

Chief Executive

Presentation overview

• QAA: strategic direction

• Private providers in the higher education sector

• The Quality Code

• Enhancement within review

• Questions

QAA: strategic direction

QAA STRATEGY 2014-17

Aim 1: enhance the quality and secure the academic standards of UK higher education, wherever delivered, in order to maintain public confidence

Aim 2: provide leadership, through knowledge and resources, in assuring and enhancing the quality of higher education within the UK and internationally

Aim 3: extend and enhance the value and reach of QAA’s services, within and beyond UK higher education

UK Quality Code for Higher Education

Evidence-based external reviews of higher education providers and reporting our findings publicly

System-wide analysis and dissemination of good practice to improve quality

Student engagement in reviews and governance

Working internationally with other agencies on common criteria for standards and quality

Providing training and events to help higher education providers develop and improve their own quality assurance processes

Advising government on applications for degree-awarding powers and university title

Regulating the Access to Higher Education Diploma which provides an alternative route into higher education for adults

QAA subscriber profile today

Subscriber type Number of subscribers

Higher education institutions/ universities 168

Further education colleges/ colleges 207

Alternative/ private providers 5

Other 1

Total 381

QAA governance

New QAA Chair: Christopher Banks CBE

Governance review

Possible subscription structure review

The changing sector landscape

Removal of student number controls

2015 General Election and future HE Bill

Growth in diversity of the sector: broader reputational range 

Continual innovation (for example, massive open online courses)

Continued budgetary pressure

Quality assessment review and procurement exercise in England, Northern Ireland & Wales

Key principles for any future system:

Autonomy and independence of the sector

Co-regulation

Operationally independent quality assurance

Common UK quality assurance framework and the UK Quality Code

Peer review, with students as reviewers on an equal basis

Full engagement with students and their representatives

Involvement of employers and others

Operating internationally and complying with the UK’s Bologna commitments

System-wide analysis to inform policy development

Private providers in the sector

Scope: Educational Oversight

Introduced in 2011

Applications and reviews began in 2012

Review for Educational Oversight

Recognition Scheme for Educational Oversight

Embedded College Review for Educational Oversight

Size and impact

Educational Oversight

Around 347 reviews for 307 private providers and constituent colleges

Of those, 177 still in the system undergoing annual monitoring

Number of full reviews has decreased year on year (loss of Tier 4 licences)

Good practice and commendations

Higher Education Review Plus

7 private providers in 2013-14

6 in 2014-15

The Quality Code

Enhancement within review

‘Taking deliberate steps at institutional level to improve the quality of learning opportunities.’

© The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2014

Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786

qaa.ac.uk

enquiries@qaa.ac.uk

+44 (0) 1452 557000

Thank you