Staff commitment praised in Quality Audit

Quality watchdogs have congratulated the University of Teesside for the sensitive way it is managing the balance between creating opportunities for more people to go into higher education while maintaining academic standards.

The Middlesbrough-based university - which since 1993 has proclaimed itself as The Opportunity University - was subject to a four-day review by a team from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education earlier this year.

The report focused on whether the institution was effectively discharging its responsibilities as regards academic standards and the quality of its courses and academic awards. The inspectors held 16 meetings with groups of staff and students and examined the University’s own Analytical Account - a self-appraisal of its policies and procedures for maintaining academic quality.

A report of the visit has now been published. The QAA team said they were impressed by: the enthusiasm of staff at all levels they met and singled out the loyalty and support of staff for the institution’s mission of widening participation in a region characterised by low participation rates in higher education.

The report commended the University for ‘its sensitivity to, and arrangements for, managing the balance between creating opportunity and maintaining academic standards’ and agreed that individual quality assurance processes were ‘applied rigorously and efficiently.’ Amongst other things, the University was commended for the strength of its commitment in meeting regional needs; its work in partnership with other education providers; and its strategic approach to learning, teaching and assessment.

The report featured a number of recommendations, which the University was asked to consider further and welcomed plans to publish committee business on the Intranet, saying this could be a useful way to improve information and communication to staff.

Professor Derek Fraser, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “I am particularly pleased that the Quality Assurance Agency commended the commitment of staff at all levels. The recommendations that we are asked to consider are most useful, and confirm our own internal assessment.”

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