Information on quality and standards of teaching and learning

Proposals for consultation

Outcomes of consultation (March 2002)

To:	Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions in England Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges in England Recipients of HEFCE publication 01/45
Of interest to those responsible for:	Quality assurance, Information management
Reference:	01/66
Publication date:	November 2001
Enquiries to:	At HEFCE: Emma Creasey tel 0117 931 7225, e-mail e.creasey@hefce.ac.uk At QAA: Mia Coke tel 01452 557047, e-mail m.coke@qaa.ac.uk At SCOP: Greg Wade tel 0207 387 7711, e-mail greg.wade@scop.ac.uk At Universities UK: David Young tel 0207 419 5484, e-mail david.young@UniversitiesUK.ac.uk

Executive summary (read on-line)

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Executive summary

Purpose

1. This consultation document sets out proposals on what information on the quality and standards of learning and teaching should be available in each higher education institution (HEI), and which elements should be published.

Key points

2. The joint HEFCE/QAA/SCOP/UUK [note 1] consultation document 'Quality assurance in higher education' (HEFCE 01/45) set out proposals for a revised method for quality assurance in higher education in England. As part of the proposed approach, the document also announced the setting up of a Task Group to identify the categories of data, information and judgements that should be available, and which should be published. The Task Group is chaired by Professor Ron Cooke, Vice-Chancellor of the University of York.

3. The Task Group's proposals set out in this document cover:

the characteristics of the data to be assembled and published by HEIs
levels of disaggregation that should be used in relation to subject groupings
main headings for collecting information about quality and standards
the quantitative and qualitative information which should be published.

4. By way of a summary, Annex C lists all the information which the Group proposes should be available, and those elements which should be published.

5. This document is being sent to all HEFCE-funded HEIs and further education colleges, and a range of other interested parties. It is also being issued for information to all higher education institutions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where separate discussions about quality assessment arrangements are under way.

Action requested

6. Comments should be sent to Emma Creasey at the HEFCE by Friday 21 December 2001.

7. The HEFCE will circulate all responses to the QAA, UUK and SCOP. The responses will be analysed and presented to the Task Group in January for further discussion before final decisions are taken.

Note

1. The Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the Standing Conference of Principals and Universities UK.