QAA review finds systemic risks to quality and standards at University of Glasgow

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has published the report of its Targeted Peer Review of the University of Glasgow in response to a Concern raised to the Scottish Quality Concerns Scheme by the Scottish Funding Council.

The Concern was submitted on the basis of maintenance of academic standards and the potential for systemic failure in following the university’s assessment regulations. Although the Concern was submitted after an internal investigation by the University following the death of a student, the review did not cover the individual circumstances of the tragic incident, but focused on the broader potential for systemic issues at the university. The Concerns process identified that a Targeted Peer Review was the most appropriate course of action to address the issues identified.

The review process took place from 4 September to 13 November 2025. A two-day on-site visit took place from 28 to 29 October 2025 and included eight meetings with staff (senior, academic, and professional services) and students as well as a presentation delivered by the university. The University of Glasgow cooperated fully with the process.

The Targeted Peer Review was undertaken by a team of four reviewers, including a student reviewer, from across the UK tertiary education sector, and set out to answer 20 lines of enquiry across the topics of assessment regulations and award of credit, extension request processes, communication with students, mitigation of risk and institutional oversight, and student engagement in institutional change.

After thorough investigation, the Targeted Peer Review team has identified areas for development and weaknesses in the areas reviewed, which indicate systemic risks to academic standards and the quality of the student experience at the University of Glasgow. The report makes 21 recommendations for the University of Glasgow to address under the areas reviewed. A full list of recommendations can be found on pages 25-27 of the report.

The report makes two overarching recommendations. Firstly, the report recommends that the university is subject to additional institutional liaison meetings in academic years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to monitor and report regularly on progress against all the recommendations within the report.

Secondly, the report recommends that the university’s next regular external peer review takes place in academic year 2027-28, one year sooner than planned, and considers progress against all the recommendations contained within this report.

The University of Glasgow will be required to submit an action plan within four weeks that covers all recommendations and proposed implementation timelines, which will be agreed by QAA.

QAA has provided a copy of the Targeted Peer Review report to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for its consideration within the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit’s enquiries.

The Scottish Funding Council has said that it will be working closely with QAA Scotland and the University of Glasgow to ensure that the recommendations outlined in this report are implemented as a matter of urgency. The SFC has also announced that, given the serious nature of these findings, it is commissioning QAA to conduct a national review of the assessment and associated policies and procedures across the sector.

Vicki Stott, QAA’s Chief Executive, said:

“I am grateful to the Targeted Peer Review team for conducting such a thorough and robust review of the University of Glasgow. The findings are of serious concern. We are committed to working closely with the university and the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that the University of Glasgow implements the recommendations in this report in a timely manner so that academic standards are protected, and the quality of student experience at the university is safeguarded. We look forward to completing the wider work that the Scottish Funding Council has announced today related to these topics, with the Scottish sector.”