You are in :

16 May 2003

Issued by the Higher Education Funding Council for England on behalf of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, Standing Conference of Principals, Universities UK, Higher Education Staff Development Agency, Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Learning and Teaching Support Network.

Professor Wagner leads the development of new enhancement academy

Professor Leslie Wagner, Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University, has been appointed to lead the development of the new Academy for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.

The academy was proposed by a committee set up to review arrangements to support institutions and staff in promoting the quality of learning and teaching in higher education in the United Kingdom (Note 1).

The Teaching Quality Enhancement Committee (TQEC) recommended bringing together the functions and building on the achievements of the three agencies responsible for quality enhancement. They are:



Professor Wagner's appointment has been unanimously endorsed by the higher education funding bodies, UK higher education representative bodies and the three agencies responsible for quality enhancement.

In consultation with all interested bodies, he will take forward and develop the vision for developing a single academy set out in the TQEC report. He will also oversee the transitional period of development necessary for establishing the new body, including setting up governance and management arrangements.

Sir Ron Cooke, who chaired the TQEC, said:

'I am delighted that Leslie Wagner has accepted the challenge of taking forward the vision of an agency proposed in the TQEC report. The idea of creating a quality enhancement academy has since been endorsed in the Government's White Paper: The future of higher education, through general consultation and in the HEFCE's Strategic Plan.'


Professor Wagner said:

'I am very excited about taking forward the idea of an academy. It will play a major part in enhancing the role of learning and teaching in universities and colleges as they seek to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. I will work closely with the individual agencies and all stakeholders in fulfilling my brief.'


Notes

1.    The final report of the Teaching Quality Enhancement Committee (TQEC) was published on 27 January 2003.

2.    The TQEC was established by HEFCE, Universities UK and SCOP. Its remit was to review the arrangements that support the enhancement of quality in learning and teaching in UK higher education; to identify any gaps or overlaps in the work of the four main agencies in this field (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), ILTHE, LTSN, and HESDA); and to seek ways of improving effectiveness and value for money. The Committee also looked at the induction and support of external examiners.

3.    Professor Leslie Wagner has been Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University since January 1994. He was previously Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of North London. He retires from Leeds Metropolitan University this summer and this is one of his first engagements to use his previous experience in service to the sector.

4.    The three agencies played a full and positive role in the work of the Committee and contributed to the recommendations in its final report.

Notes on HESDA, the ILTHE and the LTSN

Originally established in 1989, the Higher Education Staff Development Agency (HESDA) promotes strategic staff development and training in UK higher education; provides specialist advice, resources and professional services for the development of people working in higher education; and collaborates with partners in strategic human resource development initiatives. Based at the University of Sheffield and with a UK-wide remit, it has 155 institutional members representing over 95 per cent of the higher education workforce. It has been the National Training Organisation for higher education since 1997. Particularly active in leadership and management development at all levels, HESDA manages the Top Management Programme for the sector.

The Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE) is the professional body for all who teach and support learning in higher education in the UK. Launched in 1999 following the Dearing Report (the report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education), it is now a fast-growing membership body which exists to enhance the status of teaching, improve the experience of learning and support innovation. It currently has over 14,500 individual members and has accredited 164 programmes of staff development at 112 HE institutions.

The UK-wide Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) promotes high quality learning and teaching in higher education through the development and transfer of good practices in all subject disciplines. It is funded by the four higher education funding bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The LTSN offers subject-specific expertise through 24 subject centres, and generic expertise on learning and teaching issues that cross subject boundaries through the LTSN Generic Centre.