The Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) method has been commissioned by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) as part of developing the new Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF) for provision delivered by colleges and universities in Scotland. The purpose of this consultation is to seek your views on the proposals contained in the review Guide. 

The TQEF vision is for a more coherent and streamlined tertiary education system that supports institutions in delivering the best learning experience for students. Our approach to quality is at the heart of shaping and delivering that vision. TQER is developed to enable parity across our quality arrangements for different provision and learner pathways in Scotland’s tertiary system.

Led by QAA Scotland, TQER has been co-created with staff, students, stakeholders and quality agencies from across the tertiary sector over academic year 2023-24. Guided by a sector Advisory Group, extensive work has been carried out over this period with colleges, universities and students to design and develop the Guide presented here for consultation. It takes account of, and builds on, the strengths and good practice across previous quality arrangements for both the Scottish college and university sectors, and evolving a new method for a tertiary context.

TQER is a peer-led, enhancement-focused approach to review. It contains the flexibility to support different institutional contexts, modes of delivery and levels of learning. Taken together with the wider framework, TQER is intended to support assurance and enhancement of academic standards and the quality of student learning experience.

This consultation is asking for comments on the proposal for a new external review method (TQER) and cycle to be delivered across Scotland’s colleges and universities. The effect of the proposals would be a peer-led review delivery model, and a single approach – with appropriate flexibility – to quality review arrangements supporting assurance and enhancement of further and higher education provision.

This consultation will be of interest to Scotland's colleges and universities, their staff and students, and their representative bodies. It will also be of interest to other tertiary sector stakeholders and organisations, and quality agencies, in Scotland.

The consultation questions should be read alongside the proposed Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review: Guide for Institutions, which gives detailed information and explanation regarding TQER. Your comments on the proposed TQER guidance documents will help us to ensure that the method reflects the needs of the Scottish tertiary sector and will help drive enhancement across Scotland's colleges and universities.

We strongly recommend that before answering the questions respondents read the proposed guidance documentation.

The consultation runs from Monday 8 July 2024 and will close on Monday 2 September 2024 at 5pm (BST).

We recognise that institutions across the Scottish tertiary sector have different absence points and different pressure points. An extended consultation period gives all institutions an opportunity to respond and enables QAAS to capture as many views as possible. QAAS is working with sparqs to enable additional opportunity for student voice to be included in the consultation.

All answers provided will be completely confidential and anonymous unless you choose to provide identifiable personal data in response to any of the questions. No personal data will be shared with third parties. Any results reported following our analysis of the responses to the survey will only be in aggregate form, and individual responses will not be identifiable.

Further details about how QAA deals with your personal data is available in our Privacy notice