QAA publishes new edition of the UK Quality Code

QAA has published the new edition of the UK Quality Code. The previous iteration was published in 2018.

The 2024 edition is the product of an extensive process of engagement and consultation with stakeholders across the sector.

In response to sector feedback, this new edition is more detailed than its predecessor in its articulation of the sector's shared understanding of the key practices and principles underpinning the management of quality and standards. It nevertheless remains a concise and accessible guide to those principles and practices.

Its articulation of 12 Sector-Agreed Principles offers a renewed focus on areas and themes including student engagement, sustainability, partnerships, self-monitoring and inclusivity.

It is also notable for having been designed both to reflect the perspectives and values of the sector and to align with the internationally recognised criteria of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area, and therefore to promote the recognition of the value of UK higher education both at home and overseas.

‘The new edition of the Quality Code reflects significant developments in the higher education environment and encompasses the perspectives of stakeholders from across the sector and the four nations of the UK,’ says Vicki Stott, Chief Executive of QAA.

‘It articulates our shared principles, emphasises the proactive role of students at the heart of our practices, asserts the alignment of our processes with international standards, and highlights for all the world to see our sector's understanding of the value which education brings to our society, culture and economy and its power to transform people's lives.’