Glasgow Caledonian University commended by QAA review

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has published the latest Enhancement-led Institutional Review (ELIR) report for Glasgow Caledonian University. The UK's independent higher education quality body has commended Glasgow Caledonian University for its achievements in many areas including widening participation and the effective use of Student Experience Action Plans.

QAA appointed a team of five independent experts to review the University, with a Planning Visit taking place in February 2020 and a Review Visit in November 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Review Visit was postponed from March 2020.

Its commendations included the following areas:

• The University has a clearly articulated strategy and vision, which is effectively embedded as part of its culture which puts its ‘Common Good’ mission at the heart of its goals.
• The University and the GCU Students’ Association have a long-standing, embedded, and collaborative relationship which is based on genuine and effective partnership working across all aspects of university life. The University makes effective use of Student Experience Action Plans which ensure that activities that drive enhancement to the student experience are coherent, consistent and well-focused across the University's schools and professional services areas.
• The University has shown a long-standing commitment to widening participation and has made significant progress in embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life, demonstrated by its approach of genuine and respectful appreciation of the diverse needs of its students.

Professor Valerie Webster, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University said:

‘We are delighted with the outcome of the University’s review and are particularly pleased that the panel has commended the University for its ongoing commitment to widening participation, diversity and inclusion, and our embedded approach to partnership working across all aspects of the student experience.

“We would like to thank the panel for the thorough and inclusive approach they took to conducting the review. Our staff, students and Students’ Association will continue to work together to take forward the recommendations as we seek to further enhance learning, teaching and the student experience at Glasgow Caledonian University.’

QAA's report also makes a number of recommendations, asking Glasgow Caledonian University to:

• continue to work with students, across all modes of study, to address the improvements in policy and practice they would like to see around consistency in both the quality and timeliness of assessment feedback
• further reflect on ways the University can streamline its quality assurance and enhancement processes, which while ensuring these continue to maintain academic standards and assure the quality of the student learning experience, also provide greater discipline focus and deliver more effective ways of promoting enhancement.