Collaborative Provision Audit

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)

Student Briefing

• What is the QAA?

The Quality Assurance Agency is a government agency responsible for maintaining and auditing Quality in the Higher Education sector.They look at the academic standards of all Universities and Higher Education institutes. They audit subject areas and Institutions as a whole, and report publicly on their findings.

They also audit courses run at Partner Colleges and centres.

Find out more at visit QAA

• What is the Audit?

The Collaborative Provision Audit is carried out by a team of academics who review the University's quality and standards, to see if they are managing the quality and standards of the courses run at your college or centre. They use their expertise and knowledge of higher education to do this.

• The University Self Evaluation Document (SED)

The University has produced a document on a set number of criteria these will be examined by the QAA. The document explains how the University ensures quality on your course.

• Outcomes from the Audit

The judgements will be based upon:

the confidence that can reasonably be placed in the soundness of the institution's present and likely future management of the quality of the academic standards of its awards made through collaborative arrangements

the confidence that can reasonably be placed in the present and likely future capacity of the awarding institution to satisfy itself that the learning opportunities offered to students through its collaborative arrangements are managed effectively and meet its requirements; and

the reliance that can reasonably be placed on the accuracy, integrity, completeness and frankness of the information that the institution publishes, (or authorises to be published) about the quality of its programmes offered through collaborative provision that lead to its awards and the standards of those awards.

These judgements are expressed as either broad confidence, limited confidence or no confidence and are accompanied by examples of good practice and recommendations for improvement.

• The Survey

The Students' Union and the University posted out a survey, the results of this survey formed the bulk of the Students Written Submission.The Students' Written Submission (SWS)The Students' Union produced a SWS document it covers many aspects of course provision and student experience a copy is attached.

• How the QAA use the SWS

The QAA already have in mind how they will hope to use information in the student submission to help them. Auditors will look for main thrusts to use as a foundation to ask questions direct to the University. For example feedback on published information is one such thrust, leading to how the University can be asked about how they use student views in producing documentation.

• What are you expected to do? (chosen reps)

The QAA audit team will ask you questions relating to how your course is run, what you think about your studies and what resources and support is available to you. This will be done in private with the audit team. You can be as honest and open as you want and think about positive as well as negative comments.Please feel free to contact the Students' Union. (When you register on a University of Bolton course you are automatically a member of the Students' Union). You can also purchase a NUS Extra Card for £10 from the Students' Union.

Contacts for Student Representation

Keir Stitt - Students' Union President

email Keir

Helen Grailey - Student Representation Co-ordinator
email Helen - Staff Member

www.ubsu.org.uk - for info and NUS Extra Cards
Tel: 01204 900850