The UK Quality Code for Higher Education Jenny Beaumont LTC February 2012

The UK Quality Code for Higher Education 3 parts o Part A – Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards o Part B - Assuring and enhancing academic quality o 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 themes to 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 Code Part 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 24 th February

QAA timetable B7External examining – published December 2011 CInformation – consultation Jan./Feb.; publication June 2012 B11PGR programmes – consultation Jan./Feb.; publication June 2012 B5Student engagement – consult n Feb./Mar.; publication June 2012 B3L&T – consultation May-July; publication September 2012 B10Collaborative 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 Expectations HE 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 Code for Higher Education Jenny Beaumont LTC February 2012