The Assurance & Enhancement of Teaching Quality

The Vice Principal (Educational Development), Professor James Calderhead, has primary responsibility for the development of University policy on quality assurance and for enhancing teaching quality at the institutional level. This policy forms an integral part of the University's learning & teaching strategy. The Vice Principal (Educational Development) convenes the Learning & Teaching Committee which has responsibility for reviewing the implementation of that strategy with guidance from its Academic Quality Sub-Committee. College Learning & Teaching Development Plans (CLTPDPs) are the means by which the Learning & Teaching strategy is implemented at the College and School level.

The Vice Principal is supported by:

• the Academic Secretary [Dr Ian Francis];
• the Director of Quality Assurance [Dr Jonathan D B Weyers] who has responsibility for developing and administering the University's quality assurance procedures standards;
• the Director of Academic & Professional Development [Dr Lorraine Walsh] who is responsible for academic staff development, the University's engagement with the QAA's quality enhancement themes and the University's awards for teaching excellence; and
• the University's Legal Counsellor [Mrs Fiona O'Donnell] for advice on legal issues related to the above areas.

Given the diversity of the academic programmes delivered by the University's four Colleges, responsibility for the implementation of academic standards policy and the operation of the related procedures is largely devolved to the colleges. The University has a regulatory framework for the assurance of teaching quality and this is described in detail in the quality assurance website.

The University's approach to the enhancement of teaching quality including its engagement with the Enhancement Themes initiative [external website], is presented on the quality enhancement website maintained by the Director of Academic Professional Development.

The University also engages actively with external bodies with an interest in the assurance and enhancement of teaching quality including the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the relevant accreditating agencies and the Higher Education Academy. The University also participates in the annual National Students' Survey and the resulting information will be presented on the Unistats website [external website].