QAA Scotland Annual Report for 2020-21

QAA Scotland has published the Annual Report of its work during the 2020-21 academic year. The report summarises our activities and achievements in what has continued to be an unprecedented time in higher education, requiring us to adapt to an environment that is more virtual and online than ever before.

Highlights from the report include:

• Successful delivery of the fourth year of the Enhancement-led Institutional Review (ELIR) cycle.
• Continuing to provide guidance and support to the sector across the UK related to responding to challenges arising from the COVID pandemic. This has included publications available on the QAA website, webinars and other events for institutions, and meetings with key stakeholders such as PSRBs and senior university staff from across the UK.
• Proactively engaging with the SFC Review on Coherent Provision and Sustainability, and researching ways that quality enhancement processes in HE and FE can complement each other more in the future.
• First year of the Resilient Learning Communities Enhancement Theme, which included 10 projects. Topics included: supporting student transitions in 2021-22, digital student communities, addressing the digital divide, Scottish sector learning from COVID-19, and decolonising the curriculum in the time of the pandemic.
• Successfully hosting an online International Enhancement Conference, with over 400 delegates from 26 countries participating.

Looking ahead, QAA Scotland will continue to work closely with Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council, Education Scotland and all providers as the new tertiary quality framework is developed. The Resilient Learning Communities Enhancement Theme will be in its third and final year also continue looking at innovative ways to support students as society emerges from the pandemic.