Do you want to inform the future of the student experience here at St Andrews? Or perhaps you want to learn a little more about standards and quality in Scottish universities and colleges? Click here to apply to participate.
The University of St Andrews is happy to announce that it is the first higher education institution in Scotland to participate in the next cyclical external Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).
With a focus on the management of our quality assurance and enhancement activities and standards, the enhancement of the student learning experience and enabling student success, the University is committed to supporting students, staff and the external review team to ensure a smooth, impactful and effective approach.
TQER provides an independent, external account of our quality processes that have a direct impact on the student learning experience at the University of St Andrews. The review will provide the University with a range of feedback against the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF), which is all about excellence in learning and teaching, enabling student success, supporting and institutionalising student engagement and partnership and embedding a culture quality enhancement.
Vice Principal Education (Proctor), Professor Clare Peddie, welcomes the opportunity and highlights the importance of the external review for the University:
“Welcoming this review will give us an opportunity to reflect on how well we, at St Andrews, support our students to achieve positive outcomes in education and student experience. We appreciate the deep exploration of our work by expert peer reviewers which will help to highlight the how we meet the expectations of our students, their future employers and society and where we can further enhance our provision”.
The University of St Andrews Students’ Association’s Director of Education (DoED), Hitanshi Badani, also shares the Proctor’s views, with a focus on highlighting to students why this review is not only a reflection of previous review outcomes which have listened to student feedback, but which takes this a step forward in a new direction:
“The last institutional review of our University flagged an issue that would have been meaningful to every single student on (or off campus): our feedback mechanisms. We heard you. The Students’ Association and the University used that recommendation to pilot several changes. The end of semester MEQ system was reviewed to make it more user-friendly; closing the feedback loop and informing students on how survey data has been actioned and is being written into policy; a new mid-semester survey sent out by class reps is being standardised; better digital platforms to gather feedback are being explored; and our overall approach to surveys is shifting towards low quantity, high quality. This is a great example of the real-time effects that participating in an institutional review might have – it will drive our academic experience towards positive change through data and recommendations.
“This year, a new review method is being introduced which centres the student perspective in evaluating the quality of our academic standards. As your Director of Education, I am tasked with ensuring that the university’s consideration of student experiences is accurate, realistic, and representative. To ensure this, the university, the association, and external bodies will be engaging with representatives and the wider student body in consultations. If this opportunity presents itself, please do participate and take some time to be honest and transparent in your reflections. Though you may not be around to see it, your thoughts might change how future students receive their education. And of course, never hesitate to contact your representatives.”
Once the external review has concluded in April 2025, the University will be issued with a final report which will provide qualitative feedback and will provide any commendations and recommendations that will require further action.
As part of our commitment to being transparent and accountable in providing public confidence in our management of academic standards, the student learning experience and student success, we will, as we have done in previous review methods, publish the outcome report and an action plan in response to review recommendations on our Institutional Review section of our website.
Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) - FAQs
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What is the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) and why is this important to me as a student?
TQER is Scotland’s next cyclical external review method undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency Scotland (QAAS). Examples of previous review activity included the Quality Enhancement Standards Review (QESR) and the Enhancement Led Institutional Review (ELIR). Previous external review method activities can be found here. QAA is an organisation who undertake and provide external review activities on the management of quality assurance and enhancement standards across all universities – and more recently colleges – in Scotland. The University of St Andrews is the first University in Scotland to face the review, taking place between July 2024 – October 2025.
TQER focuses on the quality assurance and enhancement activities of the University, investigating how we manage our quality standards and mechanisms, the student learning experience and student success. At the heart of the review, it is centred around student voice.
TQER provides an independent, external account of our quality processes that have a direct impact on your student learning experience at the University of St Andrews. TQER provides feedback to the University, issuing commendations on areas of good practice and recommendations on areas for further development.
As a student, your time at the University of St Andrews should be the best it can be, particularly when it comes to your student learning experience. TQER allows the University to receive feedback from an external review team – which includes a student member – to let us know what we are doing well and what we need to improve on.
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What are stages of TQER are important to me as a student and how can I get involved in the review?
There are various stages as part of the review process. The main stages where you could be asked to get involved will be determined by the external QAA review team. We highly encourage any students with an interest or who are curious about TQER to get in touch with Connel Greenhorn, Academic Policy Officer (Quality) at [email protected].
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16 December 2024
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Submission of evidence to the QAA.
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w/c 10 February 2025
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Participant requests received by the University of St Andrews for initial review visit.
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w/c 24 February 2025
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University of St Andrews confirms participants to the QAA.
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10 & 11 March 2025
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Initial review visits to establish key lines of enquiry.
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w/c 07 April 2025
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Participant requests received by the University of St Andrews for main review visit.
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w/c 14 April 2025
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University of St Andrews confirm participants to QAA.
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22 – 24 April 2025
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Main review visit to establish key lines of enquiry.
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w/c 05 May 2025
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QAA inform the University of St Andrews with their provisional judgement and findings.
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14 July 2025
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Publication of report.
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06 October 2025
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Deadline for submission of our action plan.
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Where will I be able to find out more to keep on top of the progress of the review?
To keep up to date with the Education and Student Experience team on the progress of our TQER preparations, including when we begin requesting the participation of students in the review, you can keep an eye out for key information on the Students’ Association website. You can also find there, under ‘Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review’, a series of FAQs and reviewer biographies of the team who will be visiting the University.
As the initial review visit approaches, the University will organise a series of briefings for students who are participating in the review. This will cover in more detail the purpose of TQER, how to engage as a participant the review method and what support is available for you throughout the process. The dates of the briefings (TBC) will be announced in due course, with diary holds for students requested by the review team released once confirmation has been received. Students who are participating in the review will be contacted on an individual basis.
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How important is the outcome of TQER and what impact could this have on my student experience at the University?
The outcome of TQER – which determines whether we are effective, partially effective or not effective with our quality assurance and enhancement mechanisms – will be communicated amongst a series of formal commendations and/or recommendations. This is known to be findings of good practice or areas identified for development. We would then be expected to produce an action plan to demonstrate how we achieve the proposed recommendation(s). The final report which is produced by QAA will outline publicly what areas we have been identified to be doing well in and where improvement is required. Given that TQER is focussed on the student learning experience and student success, the Students’ Association are involved and a key stakeholder in the process. The Director of Education in the Students’ Association is the Lead Student Representative.
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Why can external review be an effective mechanism for improving our quality assurance and enhancement practices and provision?
The role of external reviewers on our management of academic standards, the student learning experience and student success is an important process when providing confidence and accountability to our students, staff, our wider community and the public. Not only does external review identify good practice and produce recommendations independent of internal bias, perspective or input, it allows for further enhancement and improvements which support the development of essential changes and revisions. It also forms part of the expectations and requirements outlined in the UK Quality Code and the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF), with externality being a key principle to institutional expectations and practice.
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Want to get in touch with a member of the Education and Student Experience team?
We would be more than happy to answer any questions, queries or concerns that you might have.
Please get in touch with Nicola Milton, Ros Campbell or Connel Greenhorn at [email protected].
Review Team Biographies
Alison Blackburn, University of Leeds: Reviewer
Higher Education consultant, currently Special Advisor at University of Leeds.
Alison has 40 years of experience in Higher Education, and was previously Registrar and Secretary at the University of Salford, before retiring in 2020, with particular experience in governance and quality assurance. As Registrar, Helen was responsible for student administration, student experience and support, quality and enhancement , and the legal and compliance team. She has a particular interest in quality and regulatory reviews and in corporate and academic governance.
Alison is also a long standing QAA reviewer.
Liam Brady, University of Aberdeen: Student Reviewer
Liam is a first year PhD student, where he is researching assessment and feedback practices in the digital age. He graduated from University of Glasgow, where he was Vice President Education and subsequently President of Glasgow University Students’ Representative Council.
Liam was a member of the Office for Students’ Teaching Excellence Framework panel, 2022-2023. He was also part of the University of Aberdeen’s Enhancement Theme team (Resilient Learning Communities), as their PGR representative in 2022-23
Dr Claire Carney, City of Glasgow College: Reviewer
Currently Vice Principal at City of Glasgow College, Student Experience, since 2020, Claire was Head of Enhancement at the QAA from 2006-2014.
Claire was Associate Vice-Principal Education at University of the West of Scotland, where she played a key role in ensuring that UWS is the go-to university for learning innovation, and was responsible for the Education Enabling Plan.
Is keen to evolve learning pathways, limiting ‘transition’ issues and providing a true tertiary blended system.
Professor Gillian Thomson, Heriot-Watt University: Reviewer
Associate Principal (Access and Inclusion), supporting the delivery of the University’s widening participation strategy. Gillian is also Directo of Learning and Teaching in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
