QAA Institutional Audit 2008

Why are we here? provide and gather information ask and answer questions; discuss issues reassurance - we're confident reassurance - this shouldn't affect you very much nice cup of tea and a biscuit

Who are QAA? Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)'s mission: to safeguard the public interest in sound standards of HE qualifications and to inform and encourage continuous improvement in the management of the quality of HE

What is Institutional Audit? an evidence-based process carried out through peer review ... with an emphasis on students and their learning publicly credible, independent and rigorous scrutiny of institutions encourages institutions to be self-evaluative

Audit focuses everything! – at the institutional management level PGR collaborative courses published information; Europe enhancement: deliberate steps at institutional level to improve the quality of learning opportunities

What is Institutional Audit? an evidence-based process carried out through peer review ... with an emphasis on students and their learning publicly credible, independent and rigorous scrutiny of institutions encourages institutions to be self-evaluative

What evidence? Institutional Briefing Paper (IBP) Student Written Submission (SWS) strategies, policies, reviews, minutes... meetings with staff and students

Institutional Briefing Paper (IBP) key document 30 pages description, self-aware reflection and analysis

Student Written Submission (SWS) prepared by Students' Union piece of evidence for audit team TQ and SU talking frequently

What is Institutional Audit? an evidence-based process carried out through peer review ... with an emphasis on students and their learning publicly credible, independent and rigorous scrutiny of institutions encourages institutions to be self-evaluative

Who are our peers? 4 people, plus Audit secretary Julia Clarke, Leeds Richard Gadsden, Loughborough Richard Tong, UWIC Denis Wright, Imperial Louise Walmsley, Manchester (Audit secretary) Clarke Gadsden Tong

Audit timeline 1 Sept: IBP and SWS to QAA 7-9 October: Briefing Visit 10 Oct-9 Nov: busy, busy, busy 10-14 Nov: Audit visit

After the Audit by end Nov: key findings letter 16 January: draft report 13 March: final report 10 April: report published

Findings Judgement on standards Judgement on quality "present and likely future management" confidence limited confidence no confidence Judgement on quality

Report 2-page summary main report technical annex

Briefing Visit 7-9 October Audit team learns more about university meets the VC meets key TQ people (academic & admin) meets student reps

Audit Visit audit trails 10-14 November likely to be based on recent SDRs 10-14 November Audit team tests evidence, makes judgements 4/5 meetings, 8 people in each, 1 with students "high-value" people - range of roles

Preparations Departmental healthcheck drafting IBP now QAA Code of Practice check

Key issues course specs enhancement assessment conventions information flows

TQ website www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/quality warwick.ac.uk/go/quality .../categories/institutionalaudit/

Questions? Karen O’Brien: 23342, k.e.o-brien@warwick.ac.uk Julian Moss: 22707, julian.moss@warwick.ac.uk Jenny Bradfield: 74464, j.bradfield@warwick.ac.uk Helen Hutchings, 50239, h.hutchings@warwick.ac.uk