Quality assurance
‘Quality Assurance and Enhancement’ (commonly abbreviated as QA) refers to a collection of processes each School in the University is responsible for carrying out.
What is quality assurance?
Quality assurance and enhancement (commonly abbreviated as QA) refers to a collection of processes that are part of the University’s obligatory compliance with requirements set out by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Scottish Credits and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). These public bodies are charged with implementing UK and Scottish Government policy concerning standards in higher education.
Full details of the University's quality assurance procedures can be found on the Quality Framework webpages.
QA reporting and enhancement annual schedule
The Director of Quality, in consultation with the Curriculum and QA officer, the Undergraduate Director and the Graduate Director, produces, annually, a timetable for all QA procedures. The current 2021-22 schedule is available as a PDF below:
Responsibilities of staff
The QA responsibilities of individual members of the School’s teaching staff are:
- gathering student comment on their courses via a feedback questionnaire (and sometimes via additional means) each time a course runs
- analysing student performance data in writing, each time a course runs, via the completion of a Course Monitoring Form
- analysing student and external comment on their courses in writing, each time a course runs, via the completion of a Course Monitoring Form
- adjusting their teaching methods and/or courses in the light of these and other sources of information relating to learning and teaching quality.
- participating in 'peer observation of teaching'.
Find out about our peer obsergvation processes: Peer observation of teaching
The QA responsibilities of the Director of Quality are:
- sitting on and liaising with College Quality Assurance Committee (CQAC) on behalf of the School Management Committee
- overseeing the implementation of CQAC directives and decisions in the Subject Areas and Graduate School
- sitting on the Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Committees and the Boards of Studies
- chairing the Curriculum and QA committee
- advising management and staff on QA compliance
- supplying CQAC with any required information, especially an annual report outlining the School's QA activities.