Quality Assurance, Quality Enhancement and Scottish HEIs
QMU’s quality framework is informed by external reference points and updated regularly to ensure alignment with sector best practice. This page includes information on the new (2024) Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework and a link to QMU’s most recent external quality review report.
Scottish HEIs are expected to have in place systems and processes for the quality assurance and quality enhancement of academic provision and the student learning experience.
Quality assurance (QA) is concerned with the establishment and maintenance of conditions that serve as the basis for monitoring provision and intervention, where necessary.
Quality enhancement (QE) is concerned with the strategic and deliberate process of taking steps to bring about continuous improvement.
Quality assurance and quality enhancement are closely related. QMU policies, procedures and regulations have been designed and are kept under review to maintain a strong enhancement focus, whilst also providing assurance.
The arrangements for quality assurance and enhancement in the Scottish tertiary education sector were updated and relaunched in 2024, following a review of coherence and sustainability in tertiary education undertaken by the Scottish Funding Council.
The Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF) is the new approach to quality assurance and enhancement for colleges and universities. As set out further on the Scottish Funding Council website, it is built on the legacy of the last 20 years of Scotland’s leading approach to quality assurance and enhancement.
The TQEF comprises a shared set of principles, delivery mechanisms and outputs that can be applied to the different contexts of our colleges and universities to give assurance on academic standards, the quality of the student experience and ensure accountability for public investment in learning and teaching.
There are five interconnected delivery mechanisms within the TQEF that, taken together, will provide the assurance on quality and support institutional and sector wide enhancement. These are listed below:
Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER): The TQER is the external peer-led and enhancement focused review method for Scotland’s tertiary sector and is a single method for colleges and universities. QMU will participate in TQER in academic year 2026-27.
Annual Quality Engagement (AQE): The AQE has two aspects:
- Institution Liaison Meetings (ILMs) which are led by the Quality Assurance Agency as part of the TQER process.
- SFC Outcome Managers will continue to lead discussions around “high-quality learning and teaching” and the outcomes of the SEAP, which is part of the SFC Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model (OFAM).
Institution-led quality activity: Colleges and universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility and ownership of the quality of their provision. This is done through institution-led quality assurance and enhancement activities. SFC expects all institutions to put in place arrangements and operate systems of annual monitoring and periodic review which are necessary for evaluating their provision.
SFC’s Guidance on Quality for Colleges and Universities AY 2024-25 to AY 2030-31 informs institutions of the arrangements for quality assurance and enhancement and includes specific Guidance on Institution Led Quality Review which outlines SFC’s expectations and a framework for meeting them.
Scotland's Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP): STEP is Scotland's national programme of co-ordinated enhancement activity that enables Scotland’s colleges and universities to work together to deliver innovation, improvement and enhancement of learning, teaching, student experience and staff development.
Use of data and evidence for reporting: Data and Evidence is a key principle within the TQEF and runs through all aspects of quality assurance and enhancement as identified within the framework.
QMU participated in the Quality Enhancement and Standards Review (QESR) in November 2022. QESR was an interim review method, between the former Enhancement-led Institutional Review, and the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) introduced in 2024. Our QESR report was published on the Quality Assurance Agency's (QAA) website in February 2023. The overarching judgement within the report is a judgement of confidence that Queen Margaret University is making effective progress in continuing to monitor, review and enhance its higher education provision to enable effective arrangements to be in place for managing academic standards and the quality of the student experience.
The report identifies five areas of good practice and three recommendations for action. The Student Experience Committee (SEC) has agreed an action plan for responding to the recommendations. As can be seen in the action plan, the majority of actions have been completed and/or built into 'business as usual'. There will be opportunity for us to discuss progress against the plan at our annual Institutional Liaison Meetings with QAA Scotland. The action plan will also form part of the evidence base for QMU's Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER), which is scheduled for 2026-27.
