News | 20 April, 2021
The most recent Quality Enhancement Review (QER) of Cardiff Metropolitan University has commended the institution for its achievements in many areas, including proactive approaches to increase levels of support to students during the pandemic, and the enhancement of the quality of the student learning experience.
Conducted by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), a team of five independent reviewers undertook a formal review of the institution in January 2021, with the process taking place entirely in an online environment due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, the review team agreed that Cardiff Met meets the requirements of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) on internal quality assurance, and that the institution meets the relevant baseline regulatory requirements of the Quality Assessment Framework for Wales.
The review commended Cardiff Met in several areas including:
• The strong contribution made by the Associate Deans Student Engagement in consolidating student engagement and partnership between students and the University.The particularly proactive approach of the Library and Information Services to further increase the level of support to students, particularly during the pandemic.
• The impact of the Quality Enhancement Directorate initiatives in ensuring the consistent management and enhancement of the quality of the student learning experience.
• The well-embedded and robust oversight of transnational education partnerships which ensures that academic standards and the quality of the student learning experience are not at risk.
• The consistent and highly effective organisation and management of placement activity across the institution.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Student Engagement, Dr Jacqui Boddington, said: “I am delighted with the outcome of the review and particularly pleased that the panel commended our commitment to working in partnership with the student body to ensure quality across the entirety of the student learning journey - both here in Cardiff and internationally.
“It was especially gratifying to note the panel’s recognition of the significant work across our academic, professional services and student communities to support student learning during the Coronavirus pandemic.
“We are extremely grateful to the QAA and to the panel for their approach and diligence within the particular challenges of the pandemic, and the associated delays to the review process.”
Director of Learning Enhancement, Dr Joanna Hendy, said: “The commendations in this report reflect the excellent work that staff, students, the SU and partners across Cardiff Met do to support the student learning journey. Thanks to all staff and students from across Cardiff Met for supporting this process in such a collegiate and positive manner.”
“What the review panel could see is a conscious effort to work collaboratively with the wellbeing of students and staff coming first. These commendations are the culmination of a lot of hard work – particularly during a global pandemic – and I’m proud of the staff and students who’ve worked to maintain our high standards.”
QAA’s report also makes a number of recommendations, asking that:
• Arrangements for supporting student representation in partnership institutions are applied consistently and effectively.
• The University ensures that all postgraduate research students who teach undertake appropriate formal training before taking responsibility for teaching including specific training for online delivery where appropriate.
• The University ensures that its requirements for handling academic complaints and appeals are fully understood by all partners and that these requirements are clearly and consistently communicated to all partner students.
Resources
The Quality Assurance Agency Reports
