The University of the West of Scotland commended by QAA review

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has published the latest Enhancement-Led Institutional Review (ELIR) report for the University of the West of Scotland (UWS).

The UK's independent higher education quality body has commended UWS for its good practice in six key areas, including its 'genuinely student-centred culture' and its 'strategic approach' to widening access.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) appointed a team of five independent experts to review UWS. The team visited in October and November 2019, and its commendations focused on the following areas:

• Student-centred culture
  This is reflected in the approach of staff at all levels, and in the institution's focus on learning, teaching and assessment activities which are designed to promote student success.
• Widening access
  The University demonstrates a strategic approach to recruiting and supporting a diverse range of students, and has made significant progress in improving the retention of students who enter from underrepresented groups.
• Transformation of learning and teaching
  In particular, the Lanarkshire Campus, which was designed to act as a catalyst for pedagogic transformation and has inspired the widespread adoption of student-centred learning and teaching across the University. The campus has especially prompted reflection in the use of learning spaces and technologies.
• Quality assurance and enhancement processes
  There are well-designed, effective and flexible quality processes in place at the University.
• Use of quantitative and qualitative data
  There is an increasingly sophisticated, integrated, transparent and widely understood approach to using an extensive range of internal and external data to promote enhancement and inform decision-making and evaluation.
• Collaborative provision
  The University has a strategic and focused approach to managing its collaborative provision which includes targeting a smaller number of core partners and strengthening its processes for approving, monitoring and reviewing the provision to ensure partnerships align with institutional priorities and business processes.

Established in 2007 following the merger of two previous institutions, UWS comprises five campuses - four situated in the west and southwest of Scotland: Ayr, Dumfries, Lanarkshire and Paisley; and one in London. The University's vision is to be a transformational influence on economic, social and cultural development in Scotland and beyond by providing student-centred, personalised and distinctive learning experiences underpinned by innovative and relevant research.

Professor Craig Mahoney, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said: 'I'm delighted the reviewers recognised the excellent work going on across a range of areas of our University.

'I'm particularly pleased the review highlighted our student-centred culture, commitment to widening access to educational opportunities for all, and sector-leading learning and teaching innovations.

'The review - which also commended our processes, data use and strategic vision - comes at an exciting time for UWS, with us having recently unveiled our new Strategy 2025. This lays the foundations for us to continue to achieve even greater excellence on the world stage, in partnership with global business, industry and the public and voluntary sectors.

'We welcome the review's endorsement of our strategic commitment to working in partnership with our students so that we can deliver world-ready graduates who will design, shape and build a new future.

'We couldn't have achieved these results without the commitment of our staff and students and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the part they have played in us achieving this great review.'

QAA's report also makes a number of recommendations, asking UWS to:

• improve the effectiveness of two-way communication between students and staff, in particular relating to institution-wide changes and initiatives
• ensure there is consistent support in place for all students irrespective of the host School or students' location and mode of study
• introduce a process to review the contribution of student-facing professional services to the quality of the student experience
• continue with its plans to change the collaborative partnership model, taking full responsibility for all aspects of the student experience at the London Campus.