Quality Assurance Framework
The University's Quality Assurance Framework sets out the General Board's expectations around quality assurance and outlines roles and responsibilities across the institution.
Purpose of the University's quality assurance procedures
The University's mission is "to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence". This reflects one of its core values, which is to provide quality and depth of provision across all subjects. The University's quality assurance procedures provide a framework within which its institutions can examine and enhance their education to enable them to achieve this aspiration of excellence.
The General Board is responsible to the Council and the Regent House for matters relating to the University's academic and educational activities and policies. The University is accountable for the quality and standards of its provision and is required to comply with Conditions of Registration set out by the Office for Students as well as participating in the activities of various Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (also called accrediting bodies). The University will seek to comply with regulatory requirements and will give due consideration to the expectations of other external sector bodies, whilst ensuring that the University's quality assurance procedures are appropriate primarily for its teaching, learning and assessment activities, rather than being driven by external quality regimes.
The University's procedures for assuring quality in teaching, learning and assessment are designed to reflect:
- the University's mission
- the complexity, diversity and federal structure of the University
- the University's nature as a community of scholars
- the conviction that academic staff and students are most effective in an environment that is supportive and participative rather than directive and managerial
- the collegiate nature of the University
- a proportionate approach to potential risk to learning and teaching provision and to assessment
Disseminating good practice
The dissemination of good practice is important for the enhancement of the University's learning and teaching provision. The General Board aims to facilitate the spread of good practice across teaching institutions, and to identify examples of good practice within the sector which might be useful within the University.
There is much good practice evident in the learning and teaching activities of University institutions. Good practice is disseminated through the Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning (CCTL).
Institutions are also encouraged to be enhancement-orientated, identifying and disseminating their own good practice which might be revealed in responses to course questionnaires, review reports or peer review.