1. Quality and Standards for Higher Education

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. The Academic Infrastructure A set of agreed reference points for setting and maintaining quality and standards Frameworks for higher education qualifications Code of practice Academic Infrastructure Subject benchmark statements Programme specifications

5. 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

6. 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.