1. QAA Institutional Audit 2008

2. Why are we here? provide and gather information
ask and answer questions; discuss issues
reassurance - we're confident
reassurance - this shouldn't affect you very much
nice cup of tea and a biscuit

3. Who are QAA?
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)'s mission: to safeguard the public interest in sound standards of HE qualifications and to inform and encourage continuous improvement in the management of the quality of HE

4. What is Institutional Audit?
an evidence-based process carried out through peer review ... with an emphasis on students and their learning
publicly credible, independent and rigorous scrutiny of institutions
encourages institutions to be self-evaluative

5. Audit focuses everything! – at the institutional management level PGR
collaborative courses
published information; Europe
enhancement: deliberate steps at institutional level to improve the quality of learning opportunities

6. What is Institutional Audit?
an evidence-based process carried out through peer review ... with an emphasis on students and their learning
publicly credible, independent and rigorous scrutiny of institutions
encourages institutions to be self-evaluative

7. What evidence? Institutional Briefing Paper (IBP)
Student Written Submission (SWS)
strategies, policies, reviews, minutes...
meetings with staff and students

8. Institutional Briefing Paper (IBP)
key document
30 pages
description, self-aware reflection and analysis

9. Student Written Submission (SWS)
prepared by Students' Union
piece of evidence for audit team
TQ and SU talking frequently

10. What is Institutional Audit?
an evidence-based process carried out through peer review ... with an emphasis on students and their learning
publicly credible, independent and rigorous scrutiny of institutions
encourages institutions to be self-evaluative

11. Who are our peers? 4 people, plus Audit secretary Julia Clarke, Leeds
Richard Gadsden, Loughborough
Richard Tong, UWIC
Denis Wright, Imperial
Louise Walmsley, Manchester (Audit secretary)
Clarke
Gadsden
Tong

12. Audit timeline 1 Sept: IBP and SWS to QAA 7-9 October: Briefing Visit
10 Oct-9 Nov: busy, busy, busy
10-14 Nov: Audit visit

13. After the Audit by end Nov: key findings letter
16 January: draft report
13 March: final report
10 April: report published

14. Findings Judgement on standards Judgement on quality
"present and likely future management"
confidence
limited confidence
no confidence
Judgement on quality

15. Report
2-page summary
main report
technical annex

16. Briefing Visit 7-9 October Audit team learns more about university
meets the VC
meets key TQ people
(academic & admin)
meets student reps

17. Audit Visit audit trails 10-14 November
likely to be based on recent SDRs
10-14 November
Audit team tests evidence, makes judgements
4/5 meetings, 8 people in each, 1 with students
"high-value" people - range of roles

18. Preparations Departmental healthcheck drafting IBP now
QAA Code of Practice check

19. Key issues course specs enhancement assessment conventions
information flows

20. TQ website www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/quality
warwick.ac.uk/go/quality
.../categories/institutionalaudit/

21. Questions? Karen O’Brien: 23342, k.e.o-brien@warwick.ac.uk
Julian Moss: 22707,
Jenny Bradfield: 74464,
Helen Hutchings, 50239,