The QAA IQER (Integrated quality and enhancement review) consultation

The QAA has recently put out a consultation on the above. It can be found at: www.qaa.ac.uk/news/circularLetters/CL0406.asp

Context to the consultation

HEFCE has commissioned the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to develop a quality assurance review method designed specifically for further education colleges (colleges) which provide higher education funded by HEFCE.

The new method will run over the period 2007-12 and will be appropriate for HEFCE directly, indirectly and consortium-funded provision which varies in size from over 2,000 full-time equivalent higher education students to fewer than 10.

QAA intends to run a number of pilot reviews in 2006-07. Briefing and training events for the pilots will take place in autumn 2006. Any amendments to the method will then be made and the full implementation will take place from autumn 2007.

For student union officers: how to get into the document

1. General information on IQER.
   To access the consultation quickly, read through page 11 which includes the:
   • IQER description and the idea of development and summative reviews.

   • IQER five-year cycle planning flow chart

   • the calculation of the number of development reviews and

   • the criteria for identifying the number of development reviews

2. Student participation
   

   To access information in the consultation on student participation, you could start by reading the section on student participation (page 21) and move onto Annex F: students’ written submission.

Deadline for comments is Friday the 26th of May and should be sent to Gillian Hayes at iqerconsultation@qaa.ac.uk