QAA works closely with a range of organisations in Wales to ensure that academic quality and standards are maintained in Welsh institutions. Our dedicated Team Wales monitors, evaluates and reports on all of our activities in Wales.
This section provides details about our review activities in Wales, our Welsh communication, and useful links to partner organisations, other relevant areas of our website and Welsh translation services.
Review activities in Wales
- Institutional Review is the review process for higher education institutions in Wales.
- Developmental Review and Summative Review are the review processes for further education institutions delivering directly-funded higher education in Wales.
- Access to Higher Education: QAA licenses Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) to recognise Access to Higher Education programmes, and to award certificates and diplomas to students. QAA reviews the AVA in Wales – Agored Cymru (Open College Network Wales).
Welsh Language Scheme
We adopt the principle that in our work in Wales, we will treat the English and Welsh languages as equal. Take a look at our Welsh Language Scheme for further information.
QAA submits annual monitoring reports of the Welsh Language Scheme to the Welsh Language Commissioner (previously the Welsh Language Board, until March 2012).
Working with students
Information for students about QAA's reviews in Wales, and how they can get involved in the review process, is available in the Students section.
Student membership of Institutional Review teams
Each of our Institutional Review teams in Wales includes a student member, as part of our wider strategic approach to engaging students in the quality assurance and enhancement of their higher education.
Wales Initiative for Student Engagement
The Wales Initiative for Student Engagement (WISE) is an approach which engages students as active participants in the leadership, management, development and delivery of their own educational experience. WISE is a defining feature of further and higher education in Wales, and its aim is to ensure that Wales remains at the forefront of student engagement. WISE is a joint initiative by:
- QAA
- NUS Wales
- the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW)
- the Higher Education Academy (HEA)
- Colleges Wales.
Further information
If you would like to discuss the work of QAA in Wales further, please contact Dr Julian Ellis, Head of QAA Wales, on 01452 557127 or email j.ellis@qaa.ac.uk.
QAA welcomes correspondence in either Welsh or English. To speak to us in Welsh, please call 029 2048 5963.