Quality at Queen Margaret University

Quality Assurance Overview

The University’s policies and procedures for the management of academic quality are designed to ensure a consistent and rigorous approach. They provide a framework for ensuring that decisions about taught programmes are made carefully and with due regard to the interests of students and the maintenance of academic quality.

The University is responsible for developing its own quality assurance framework, taking account of relevant external benchmarks, such as the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Through the agreed arrangements for quality management, which are approved by Senate, the University demonstrates to bodies such as the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) that it has procedures in place to allow it to discharge its responsibility effectively.

The University employs the following quality assurance mechanisms to all taught programmes:

• Peer-based validation and review (with input from academic staff external to the programme and University and student reviewers);
• Annual programme monitoring (internal to the programme);
• External Examiners to monitor academic standards;
• Programme and institutional committees to allow scrutiny and consistency of decision-making with input from key stakeholders, most importantly, academic staff teaching on the programme and student representatives;
• Module evaluation and Staff-Student Consultative Committees to provide formal channels for students to give feedback and raise issues about the operation of the programme.

A summary of how these procedures work is provided here.

Further information can be found in this section and under Programme Management.

• Section 1 details the principles and procedures for the development, modification, monitoring and review of a programme;
• Section 2 discusses how University procedures are modified and expanded for collaborative programmes;
• Section 3 provides guidelines for the appointment, role and remuneration of External Examiners;
• Section 4 gives detailed information about various documents referred to in the other Sections, including guidance on completion;
• Section 5 summarises the decision-making routes and timelines required for various processes.
• Pro formae and templates can be found under Forms.

General notes

• Typically decisions about quality management of taught programmes, for example, in relation to programme approval and appointment of External Examiners, are agreed through the University's ccommittee structure.
• When a matter needs to be dealt with urgently, Convener’s Action may be taken on behalf of the relevant committee.
• The University will try to be flexible, where possible, to support programme teams. This is especially true where the word ‘normally’ appears in the regulations.
• Deviation from the procedures set out in the Sections above typically requires approval from the relevant committee.
• All regulations and procedures apply to both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and students, unless specifically stated otherwise.
• All regulations and procedures apply to both in-house programmes and collaborative programmes, unless specifically stated otherwise.
• Staff of the Quality Enhancement Unit are pleased to offer advice on all aspects of quality assurance.