BOLOGNA PROCESS - UK England, Wales & Northern Ireland

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flows of graduates.Quality assurance(Scorecard and Eurydice)National implementation of the Standards and Guidelines for QA in the EHEA 312. To what extent is your national system of QA already in line with the Standards andGuidelines for QA in the EHEA?Please include:• the stage of implementation of the national quality assurance system in line with theStandards and Guidelines for QA in the EHEA• any action that has been taken to ensure that the national quality assurance system is in linewith the Standards and Guidelines for QA in the EHEA• any deadlines set for taking action to ensure that the national quality assurance system is inline with the Standards and Guidelines for QA in the EHEA• any action planned to ensure that the national quality assurance system is in line with thestandards and guidelines for QA in the EHEA.A description of the quality assurance system in the UK and the activities of the QualityAssurance Agency (QAA) was set out in the previous report. QAA has carried out an extensivemapping exercise on the relationship of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) to theAcademic Infrastructure for quality and standards, comprising the FHEQ, subject benchmarkstatements, the Code of Practice, QAA principles, policies and audit and review processes. Alldemonstrate broad alignment with the ESG for internal and external QA. As elements of theAcademic Infrastructure are reviewed and revised (normally on a five year basis), explicitreference is made as appropriate to the ESG and other Bologna instruments such as the frameworkfor qualifications. For example, Section 7 of the Code of Practice – Programme design, approval,monitoring and review was reviewed in 2006 and the revised version (September 2006) includesreferences to European developments. The Handbook for the revised institutional audit process inEngland and Northern Ireland (2006) also makes explicit reference to the ESG as one of theexternal reference points for quality of provision and academic standards of awards. The UK HEEurope Unit will produce a note on ESG once the QAA mapping process is complete.(Scorecard and Eurydice)Stage of development of external quality assurance system13. Describe the quality assurance system operating in your country.Please include:• the stage of implementation of your external quality assurance system• the scope of your external quality assurance system: does it operate at a national level;does it cover all higher education 43 http://www.enqa.net/files/BergenReport210205.pdf
• which of the following elements are included in your external quality assurancesystem:o internal assessmento external reviewo publication of results• whether procedures have been established for the peer review of the nationalagency(ies) according to the Standards and Guidelines for QA in the EHEA.In addition to the activities mentioned in the previous report, QAA reviews also cover UK highereducation provision delivered outside the UK. QAA institutional audit and review processesinvolve the use of materials prepared by institutions, including the outcomes of internal reviews,visits by external reviewers and the publication of (full) reports. QAA’s institutional audit processwas reviewed as part of the review of the Quality Assurance Framework for higher education inEngland in 2005. QAA will ensure that a peer review according to the ESG will take place before2010, most probably during the 2008/2009 academic year.(Scorecard and Eurydice)Level of student participation14. Describe the level of student participation in your national quality assurance system.Please include:• whether students are included in the following aspects of quality assurance:o the governance of national agencies for QAo as full members or observers in external review teamso as part of the decision making process for external reviewso in the consultation process during external reviews (eg arrangements forexternal reviewers to consult with students)o in internal evaluations.Currently the QAA Board of Directors has a student observer member nominated by the NationalUnion of Students (NUS) or the National Postgraduate Committee (NPC) on an alternating basis.Students play an important part in the institutional audit process (England and Northern Ireland)by submitting a written submission (the SWS – student written submission) to brief the externalaudit team. Guidance to student representatives in respect of audit and in addition to the auditHandbook (2006) is provided by a separate publication “Institutional audit – a guide for studentrepresentatives” and through events run in conjunction with the NUS in the Quality Takes Timeproject (www.officeronline.co.uk/stadia/externalpartners/270162.aspx). Student representativesare invited to meetings at all stages of the audit process. The Quality Takes Time project alsotrains student representatives to be effective in internal review processes as this is where mostprogramme evaluation and review takes place in the UK.QAA also has dedicated student liaison officers who meet regularly with NUS and NPC. Thisyear an overview report on the findings from institutional audits on the experience of internationalstudents was published in the QAA’s Outcomes publications series.4 higher education: all types of courses of study or sets of courses of study, training ortraining for research at the post secondary level which are recognised by the relevantauthorities as belonging to a country’s higher education system.
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BOLOGNA PROCESS - UK England, Wales & Northern Ireland

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