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Member Stories

Enhancing quality and credibility, and being part of a wider community




Dr Craig Ruddock

Director of Quality and Curriculum, Goldsmiths, University of London



Membership impact highlights


  • Embeds quality in everyday teaching and learning, improving what students experience in the classroom.
  • Provides trusted external validation that builds confidence and helps secure support for quality enhancements.
  • Offers a reliable external benchmark for aligning practice with national expectations and sector standards.
  • Connects staff to a wider peer community, supporting shared problem‑solving and better ideas.
  • Gives quality leads the evidence and reassurance needed to drive change and explain decisions with confidence.
  • Provides practical frameworks and tools that help staff design programmes and learning outcomes that meet students’ needs.
  • Supports continuous improvement, moving the institution beyond basic compliance to everyday enhancement.
  • Reassures students and families that Goldsmiths meets recognised external standards and maintains strong academic credibility.
Learn more about becoming a QAA Member

This case study shows how Goldsmiths is using QAA membership to improve quality processes, build credibility and support a stronger student experience.


Trusted partner

 

To us, QAA is like a team of village elders – offering wisdom, support and advice without being the police. In addition, QAA membership means being part of a community dedicated to continuous improvement in higher education, where we can both learn from best practices and contribute to raising standards across the sector.

 

The biggest benefit of membership we see is access to resources and guidance that support our internal QA work. Beyond that, QAA membership provides a structured framework for quality enhancement that goes beyond simple compliance. It helps us embed a culture of continuous improvement where quality isn’t just checked but actively developed across all our activities.


Added credibility for quality initiatives

 

QAA membership also gives me confidence by providing a different level of credibility in proposals, initiatives, and when making QA-related demands internally, ensuring that our work is both trusted and respected.

 

Direct benefits for students

 

Our students benefit directly because we have clearer structures and processes that make learning, teaching, and assessment more current, flexible, and relevant – particularly through a focus on student-centred learning. In this environment, students can see that quality is embedded in everything we do, from course design to student support services, and that we are accountable for the education we provide and committed to improving it year on year.

 

An independent external perspective that builds trust

 

QAA also helps maintain trust by providing an established and respected independent external perspective, which balances how our initiatives are perceived. By grounding our processes and initiatives in QAA recommendations and frameworks, and drawing on good practice from its networks, we are able to strengthen our credibility both internally and externally.

 

Collaboration across the sector

 

Through QAA, we have also been able to collaborate more widely – for example, colleagues from governance and standards have contributed to Subject Benchmark Statements, and we have participated in Collaborative Enhancement Projects. These opportunities for collaboration reinforce the value of being part of a wider sector network.

 

A community that builds confidence

 

QAA allows us to be at the forefront of quality conversations – participating actively rather than just receiving updates. There is a strong sense of community, with access to a wide and diverse range of resources. Personally, QAA has been a great booster of confidence for me, my team, and colleagues we work with in governance and standards.