Press release archives

Current | 2005-06 | 2004-05 | 2003-04 | 2002-03 | 2001-02 | 2000-01 | 1999-2000 | 1998-99 | 1997-98

2005-06

20 June 2006
Quality assurance for healthcare education takes centre stage
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education is again organising a national conference focusing on the developments in quality assurance for NHS funded health care education.
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06 June 2006
QAA and HETAC link up
Today, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), UK and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC), Ireland are signing a Memorandum of Understanding.
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25 May 2006
Number of students awarded Access to HE Certificates tops 20,000
For the first time, the number of students receiving the Access to HE Certificate has exceeded 20,000
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25 May 2006
Medical subjects win favour of students seeking second chance
Courses for people who missed out on higher education first time around have increased in popularity.
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24 May 2006
QAA signs HERRG Concordat
QAA has today (24 May) signed the Higher Education Regulation Review Group Concordat.
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15 May 2006
QAA Scotland sets out its future direction
QAA Scotland has today (15 May) launched its strategic outline for the next five years. read more...

07 March 2006
QAA signs Healthcare Commission Concordat
QAA has signed the Healthcare Commission (HC) Concordat as an associate signatory. read more...

01 March 2006
QAA sets out future goals
QAA today (1 March) sets out its goals for 2006-11. read more...

27 January 2006
QAA consults on revisions to the Code of practice
QAA is consulting on revisions to three sections of the Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education. read more...

19 December 2005
Students benefit from success of Foundation Degrees
Students studying for Foundation Degrees are benefiting from the success of the qualification says a report published by QAA. read more...

4 November 2005
Revised audit process for universities
A proposal for the new audit system for higher education in England and Northern Ireland is published for consultation QAA. read more...

27 September 2005
UK President for European university quality association
Peter Williams, Chief Executive of QAA, has been elected president by the 37 members of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. read more...

23 August 2005
QAA and the Institution of Electrical Engineers link up
QAA and the Institution of Electrical Engineers are signing a Memorandum of Understanding. read more...

19 August 2005
QAA holds Engineering benchmark statement consultation
QAA is consulting on a draft revision to the Engineering benchmark statement. read more...

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2004-05

27 July 2005
Report endorses QAA reviews
An independent report has found that our reviews of English universities and HE colleges are fit for purpose and cost effective. Overall there has been a very significant reduction in the costs of external quality assurance since 2000. read more...

24 May 2005
Experts create bespoke guide for applicants
UCAS and QAA have produced an impartial, easy-to-follow and independent guide that goes beyond the remit of higher education league tables. read more...

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2003-04

10 June 2004
A better deal for students in Scotland
Two pioneering initiatives, which are helping to give students in Scotland a greater voice in their higher education choices, have been welcomed by the Deputy First Minister and representatives of Scottish higher education. read more...

20 May 2004
Forty thousand people take up second chance at higher education
More than ten thousand adults who missed out on higher education when they were younger, are being accepted onto undergraduate programmes in England and Wales each year, according to figures released at a London conference today (Thursday 20 May 2004). read more...

5 November 2003
New Chairman of the Board for QAA
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education announces today (Wednesday
5 November) the appointment of Sam Younger as the new Chairman of the QAA Board of Directors. read more...

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2002-03

15 July 2003
QAA celebrates the approval of its Welsh Language Scheme
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education this week celebrates the approval of its Welsh Language Scheme. read more...

4 July 2003
QAA publishes first institutional audit reports
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education publishes the first two institutional audit reports resulting from the new system of external quality assurance for higher education in England. read more...

19 May 2003
Forty thousand take up second chance at higher education
Courses for people who missed out on higher education when they were younger are proving successful and becoming more popular according to figures to be released at a London conference this Wednesday (21 May 2003).
read more...

12 March 2003
Department of Health contracts awarded to QAA
Following an open tender process, substantial contracts for reviews in England and for benchmarking have been awarded...to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

29 January 2003
Bachelors degrees and entry to programmes leading to UK master's degrees
A joint statement from UUK, SCOP, UK-NARIC and QAA read more...

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2001-02

29 July 2002
Largest ever review of UK higher education completed
The final stage of the largest ever review of higher education in England and Northern Ireland is completed today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

20 March 2002
New review system for quality assurance in English higher education
The new review system for quality assurance in higher education in England is published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

13 March 2002
QAA appoints new Chief Executive
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education announces today the appointment of Peter Williams as its new Chief Executive. read more...

01 October 2001
Guidance for Universities on recruitment and admissions
A code of practice covering the ways that universities and colleges in the UK manage recruitment and admissions is published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

22 August 2001
QAA appoints acting chief executive
Following the resignation yesterday of its Chief Executive, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has announced the appointment of Peter Williams as Acting Chief Executive. read more...

21 August 2001
Chief executive of higher education quality agency to resign
John Randall, the Chief Executive of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, has announced his resignation. read more...

20 August 2001
Benchmarking standards in health care subjects
Benchmark statements for the health care professions are published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

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2000-01

7 March 2001
UK leads Europe in developing a framework for HE qualifications
The UK is ahead of the rest of Europe in clarifying what skills and levels of achievement can be expected of university and college graduates, said John Randall, Chief Executive of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, when he launched the Agency's third annual report today. read more...

23 January 2001
Guidance on preparing students for careers
A code of practice covering the ways that universities and colleges in the UK prepare students for their future careers is published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

11 August 2000
Report of enquiry into allegations concerning overseas link
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education publishes today the report of an Enquiry into allegations by NATFHE concerning aspects of the management of University of Derby degree programmes delivered through INTER College, Israel. read more...

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1999-2000

4 July 2000
Degrees for inclusion
The new qualifications framework for Scotland – the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) – was launched on the 28 June at the first meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee. read more...

4 July 2000
Degrees for confusion
Currently, 8 out of 10 employers in the UK do not understand higher education qualifications. That is the conclusion of independent research released today by the QAA. read more...

5 June 2000
Guidance on student assessment
A code of practice covering the ways that universities and colleges in the UK assess their students is published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

15 May 2000
Guidance on handling student complaints
The body that carries out reviews of universities and higher education colleges has called on the Government to consider reforming the system in which student complaints are referred to a Visitor as the last court of appeal. read more...

28 April 2000
Launch of the Handbook for Academic Review
Today the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education publishes its Handbook for academic review, which describes a new, integrated method of review of quality and standards in universities and colleges of higher education. read more...

14 March 2000
Launch of the Agency's second annual report
On launching the Agency's second annual report today, Mr Randall emphasises the need for accessible and useful public information. read more...

9 February 2000
Guidance on best use of external examiners
A code of practice covering the ways that universities and colleges in the UK use external examiners to help them monitor the standards of their awards is published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

5 January 2000
Reporting judgements on the quality of learning opportunities
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education publishes today its proposals for reporting judgements on the quality of learning opportunities. read more...

29 November 1999
Guidance to help raise standards of provision for students with disabilities
A code of practice covering the ways that UK universities and colleges make their courses and premises available to students with disabilities is published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

18 October 1999
Higher standards for UK degrees (National Qualifications Frameworks)
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has today published proposals that will ensure that students and employers understand the purpose of qualifications and the level of the achievement of those who gain them. read more...

9 August 1999
Guidance on partnership arrangements in higher education
A code of practice covering the partnerships that many UK universities and colleges enter into with other institutions is published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

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1998-99

19 April 1999
New guidelines for distance learning in higher education
Guidelines on standards for distance learning in higher education, where the teaching materials are supplied to the student, are published for the first time today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. read more...

17 March 99
Agency publishes first Annual Report
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education publishes its first Annual Report today. read more...

11 March 1999
Quality Assurance Agency launches new scheme to widen access to higher education
National statistics about the progression of students from Access to Higher Education courses to university-level education will be released this week at the London launch of a new recognition scheme for Access to HE. read more...

17 February 1999
Higher education is addressing employer needs says Agency
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education publishes today overview reports on the quality of teaching and learning in 16 subject areas. read more...

15 February 1999
Single code for universities and students
The first part of a new universal code of practice which sets out systematic guidance for the ways universities and colleges manage academic quality and standards is published today. read more...

4 January 1999
Education for all. The new Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
Plans to widen access to Scottish education will be unveiled at a conference to be held in Glasgow on Friday 8 January. read more...

12 November 1998
Thames Valley University: 'Standards at risk' says Agency
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education releases today a report of a special review of Thames Valley University. read more...

24 September 1998
New safeguards for UK degree standards
Plans to ensure that degree standards in UK universities remain among the highest in the world have been agreed in outline this week by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and the funding councils for England, Scotland and Wales. read more...

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1997-98

4 June 1998
Students and employers welcome proposals for ensuring quality in higher education
Over 300 organisations have responded to a consultation document issued in March this year by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Universities, colleges, students, employers and professional bodies have taken the opportunity to have their say in how quality and standards should be maintained in the future. read more...

15 April 1998
Secretary of State speaks on the quality framework for higher education
The agenda for developing the quality assurance and standards framework for higher education will be discussed at a major conference to be held in Glasgow next Monday (20 April). read more...