Assuring academic quality

Assuring academic quality

The University has well-established processes for assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. We involve students in these processes wherever possible.

These processes for assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning include:

  • Appropriate use of nationally agreed guidelines and reference points for academic quality and standards, including the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, Subject Benchmark Statements, Programme Specifications and the ‘UK Quality Code for Higher Education' published by the Quality Assurance Agency.
  • Alignment of the University's use of academic credit with the Higher Education Credit Framework for England.
  • The use of external examiners to help monitor the academic standards of our awards.
  • Annual monitoring of all taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
  • Independent periodic programme review for all departments on a five-year cycle, with external and student participation in review panels.
  • Student feedback through questionnaires at module level.
  • Active staff-student committees in all departments.
  • Structured professional development for new lecturers accredited by the Higher Education Academy.
  • Assessment of the teaching of all academic staff promotion candidates.
  • Specific provision for the promotion of staff substantially on the grounds of teaching excellence.
  • Input from employers to the content and design of our programmes.

The University’s comprehensive quality assurance procedures are closely monitored and regularly updated through the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee and its Sub-Committees, each chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching). There are student representatives on both the Committee and Sub-Committees.

More information on academic quality

The Academic Quality Procedures Handbook

The Academic Quality Procedures Handbook (AQPH) acts as a central source of information for policies and procedures which support the University in its aim to assure the quality and standards of its learning, teaching and supervision.

To the AQPH »

External assessment

All universities in England are subject to audit by the Quality Assurance Agency. The most recent Institutional Audit of Loughborough University was carried out in 2012 and the report can be found on the QAA website.

To the QAA page for Loughborough University »

National Student Survey

The results of the National Student Survey (NSS) confirm the University's exceptional record for quality in learning and teaching. These can be found on the Discover Uni (formerly Unistats) website.

The NSS involves all final year undergraduate students and has taken place each year since 2005. NSS and other statistical data is presented on the Unistats website in such a way to allow users to make comparisons between institutions and subjects.

To the DiscoverUni site on gov.uk »