Academic Policy & Governance

The SFSR covers the following aspects:

• Enhancing and supporting the student learning experience
• Enhancement in service provision
• Approaches to identifying and sharing good practice
• The contribution of professional services to the ‘quality culture’ within the institution

The aims of the SFSR are to provide support to the Service by enhancing its provision through:

• Evaluation
• Discussion
• Reporting

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Evaluation

• How well the service meets standards as specified by the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF)
• The effectiveness of the measures in place to assure the quality of provision and maintain standards
• Recent and proposed enhancements to service provision

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Discussion with the Subject/School, its staff, students and stakeholders on 

• The quality of service provision
• The Service’s approach to the enhancement of provision, including recent developments and future plans
• The quality of the student learning experience, and ways in which it might be enhanced
• Ways of promoting student motivation and effective learning. 

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Reporting the outcome of the SFSR review covering 

• An evaluation of the quality of the provision under review
• An evaluation of the Service’s procedures for assuring the quality of provision
• An evaluation of the Service’s approach to the enhancement of the student learning experience
• An evaluation of how effectively the Service engages with students in service design 
• An evaluation of collaborative provision (if appropriate)
• The identification of good practices for dissemination across the University, as appropriate
• Recommendations for action to address any identified weaknesses and to further strengthen provision and thereby further enhance the service provision

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The University of Glasgow SFSR has been designed to ensure that the principles of the TQEF are addressed. The reviews will all include the following:

• The preparation and submission of a Self Evaluation Form by the Service.
• Supporting documentation and data.
• Review of the documentation by a Review Panel, including an external specialist and senior member of Professional Services.
• Student participation in all stages of the review process, including a Student Panel member.
• Student feedback gathered in the most appropriate way for the specific review. This may include surveys, interviews, focus groups.
• A Review Panel with a thematic agenda.
• An outcome report which highlights commendations, best practices and enhancement recommendations.
• Provision of a progress report (by those named in the report) to Student Experience Committee at six months from the receipt of the finalised report.

The duration of the review visit is between one and two days depending on the size and complexity of the Subject(s) and the provision. All reviews involve a private, pre-visit meeting of internal members of the Review Panel. 

The pilot SFSR ran in 2024-25. A rolling schedule of reviews is being created with the aim that student-facing Services will be reviewed every six years. The schedule will be approved by the Vice Principal (Learning & Teaching) and Heads of Service.

Reviews are not normally held at the beginning or end of the academic session or during examination periods. For this reason, the reviews are expected to be held in the period December to March when students are available to meet with the Review Panel. Academic Policy & Governance will work with the Service to find a suitable date.

The pilot SFSR review took place in 2024/25 and looked at Careers, Employability and Opportunity. The final report is due to be published in October 2025.

For further information please contact Rhona.Gordon@glasgow.ac.uk.