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Future arrangements for quality assurance

A consultation sets out proposals for revisions to the current system.

Assuring quality

We are legally responsible under the terms of the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act for ensuring that the quality of education is assessed in the universities and colleges we fund.

Quality Assurance Agency

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for higher education provides an integrated quality assurance service for higher education institutions in the UK. We have a contract with the QAA to conduct quality assessments on our behalf.

Quality assurance framework

HEIs are subject to quality assurance processes carried out under the quality assurance framework. This is a process developed jointly by HEFCE, the Quality Assurance Agency and the sector, which includes a system of institutional audit.

The framework covers indirectly funded provision in further education colleges (FECs). Directly funded HE in FECs is quality assured through Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review. Providers of HE run their own internal systems of regular quality assurance activity.

Teaching Quality Information

Higher and further education institutions also produce a set of Teaching Quality Information (TQI) as part of their quality-assurance processes. Some TQI is published on the Unistats web-site, including the results of the National Student Survey and the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey.

The HEFCE Teaching, Quality, and the Student Experience Committee advises the Board on the quality of education provided in institutions we fund. A sub-committee of the TQSE Committee was established in November 2008 to investigate specific concerns into quality and standards and to advise HEFCE on how this affected its statutory duty.

Future of quality assurance

We are working together with other stakeholders to discuss the future development of the quality assurance system. Together we have produced a joint statement setting out the shape of this work.

Last updated 1 December 2009