The role of the Academic Board is to approve academic policies, oversee the academic standards and quality of the academic activity, authorise awards of the institution, appoint external examiners and provide advice to the vice-chancellor on the strategic direction of the institution’s academic activity. This board may have a different name, albeit the same function, in different institutions eg. in further education colleges delivering higher education.
Protected under UK law which means that HEIs have a duty to ensure that academic staff have freedom within the law to question and test received wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing themselves in jeopardy of losing their jobs, or privileges they may have at their institutions.
A database of all higher education courses and providers designed for applicants to help them make their choices. Includes official statistics on course level including student satisfaction, average earnings and employment percentages 15 months after graduation and retention rates.
A ‘franchise course’ is a course subject to an agreement by one institution (usually a provider with degree awarding powers) that another organisation may deliver all or part of a programme approved and owned by the first institution. The franchising institution retains overall and ultimate control of the programme’s content, delivery, assessment and quality assurance arrangements.
This includes fee setting, data collection, quality assurance, and dealing with complaints. Generally, if an awarding provider is in a franchise relationship with a delivery provider, the students’ academic relationship is with the awarding provider, and the same quality assurance arrangements will apply for provision delivered by the awarding provider.
A further education college provides courses to students, which may include provision at higher education level.
A survey undertaken 15 months after graduation in the UK to capture the perspectives and employment metrics of graduates in employment or further study and the outcomes of the qualification they have undertaken with the provider.
Quality reviews are carried out using a variety of methods. The method used depends on several factors, including where a provider is based; whether they are a university, further education college or other type of provider; and the type of higher education qualifications that they offer. The QAA undertakes these in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, whereas in England these are undertaken by the Office for Students.
Implies freedom from direct government control, and the success of UK higher education is often linked to such autonomy. The governing body is the legal personification of a higher education institution and is therefore crucial to autonomy.
Is a set of official statistics on employment and earnings outcomes of higher education graduates by degree subject studied and university attended.
Gathers final-year undergraduate students’ opinions on the quality of their courses. The survey’s purpose is to contribute to public accountability and help inform the choices of prospective students. Other surveys commonly used include the Student Academic Experience Survey (SAES) run by HEPI and Advance HE, as well as the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) and Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) both run by Advance HE.
Was developed with the higher education sector, and is maintained and published on their behalf, by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). It sets out the expectations all providers of UK higher education are required to meet.
Aims to recognise and reward excellence in teaching and learning, and help inform prospective student choices within higher education. The outcomes (gold, silver, bronze) provide information to help prospective students choose where to study. The TEF is currently being revised, led by the Office for Students in England.
Some higher education providers may not have the power to award degrees but may wish to offer a course leading to an award from a provider which does. To do this they can enter into a ‘validation arrangement’ with that provider.
A validated course is described in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education as a module or programme which a degree-awarding body approves to contribute, or lead, to one of their awards. Students on the course normally have a direct relationship with the provider delivering the course.
The course is owned by the institution delivering the course but the degree awarding body is ultimately responsible for the academic standards of any awards granted in its name, and for the quality of the learning programme.
