Quality enhancement & assurance

The University's arrangements for quality assurance and enhancement are set out in the Academic Quality Enhancement Framework Guide.

• Academic quality framework - a guide
• Quality Enhancement Framework - overview diagram 
• Good practice resources 

Quality enhancement & assurance processes

Links to the University's key QE & A processes are provided below.

• Annual monitoring
• Periodic Subject Review (formerly DPTLA)
• External examiners
• Programme design & approval
• Student feedback
• Student representation

School and College Quality Officers

Each College and School appoints at least one 'Quality Officer' to oversee and support the range of quality enhancement and assurance processes. More information can be found here.

Enhancement Monitoring

The Learning and Teaching Strategy constitutes the University’s strategy for quality enhancement and, in order to enable its objectives to be taken forward, a Learning and Teaching Action Plan has been compiled. The Plan incorporates projects arising from the strategic objectives together with those arising from Enhancement-led Institutional Review (ELIR), Internal Audit, the Enhancement Themes, and other initiatives.

• Learning and Teaching Action Plan

The Senate Office's Role...

The Senate Office manages the centralised arrangements for the enhancement and assurance of the quality and standards of the University's degree programmes. The University has to work within the Scottish Quality Enhancement Framework.  The University's own Framework is set out in the Academic Quality Framework Guide.

Scottish Quality Enhancement Framework (QEF)

In 2003, following collaboration between the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), Universities Scotland, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), and representatives of the student body, a new strategic approach to quality in the Scottish Higher Education sector was introduced, with a focus on enhancement.

The QEF strategy has five main elements:

• a comprehensive programme of institutional quality reviews that are run by institutions themselves
• institution-level review, which involves all Scottish higher education institutions over a four-year cycle
• improved forms of public information about quality, based on addressing the different needs of a range of stakeholders including students and employers
• a greater voice for student representatives in institutional quality systems, supported by a new national development service
• a national programme of enhancement themes, aimed at developing and sharing good practice in learning and teaching in higher education

This approach was implemented in 2003-04 and remains in force.