Quality Takes Time

NUS has successfully project managed four national events since the 30th of October 2003 around institutional audit - including the one proposed on the 25th of January 2005. Two of these have been held in London, the remainder in Birmingham. The events were branded under the title Quality Takes Time. NUS project manages with the support of the following partners: QAA, AMSU, UUK, and SCOP and NPC who provide speakers.

Both NUS and QAA - who provide funding for the venue - have been pleased with the event feedback, which suggests that students' unions are taking something beneficial from the day.

QAA resource launch on NUS' officeronline

In early November student unions were sent information about the launch of a new QAA resource section on NUS' officeronline. This will include NUS handouts on how the process works and how to get effectively involved. Information will also be available from past Quality Takes Time events.

In addition, examples of institutional audit student questionnaires and submissions, development plans and good practice case studies will be available on the following:

• using your students' union representative structures
• using your university committee representative structures
• how to write questionnaires
• how to get high response rates
• running effective focus groups
• getting institutional funding
• writing development plans
• running effective campaigns and
• using staff support

NUS also asked for help from you: to send through to us your Top Tips and action plans as well as student submissions, questionnaires and Good Practice Case Studies. So if you have any you would like to share, please be good enough to pass your ideas through to Sofija Opacic.

QAA Steering Group

To help steer the QAA work in NUS a working group was set up to include NUS staff from the training unit, the regional team and policy and research. External speakers are invited to help enhance the usefulness of the events. For instance, NUS is aware that collaborative provision will have to be a key part of the summer 2005 Quality Takes Time event and has invited a variety of QAA staff with that responsibility/remit to the November QAA Steering Group meeting. Key issues from the group form a standing agenda at QAA liaison meetings.

If you want to find out more about the full remit please find contact details below.

NUS National Training Programme

In addition to the specific QAA National Events (as noted above), we also work with the QAA on new sabbatical officer training. This was represented within both National Convention and the make the difference... support & represent courses run in summer 2004.

At National Convention 2004 we ran a joint session with QAA on the Institutional Audit process and a number of key skills needed for the audit process were also incorporated into Support and Represent.

As part of the review of the current national training programme, we will continue the partnership with the QAA to ensure that officers are not only informed but also equipped with the necessary skills to be able to undertake an effective role in the QAA process.

Contacts for further information:

NEC: Wes Streeting, NUS Vice-President Education Wes Steeting

Staff: Sofija Opacic, NUS HE Policy & Research Analyst, Sofija Opacic