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We are a sector-leading quality agency with unmatched experience of providing impartial regulatory and collaborative quality assurance and enhancement in Scotland. We work in partnership with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), other sector quality agencies, students, and Scotland’s colleges and universities to ensure that learners experience the highest quality of education.
QAA was delighted to have been commissioned by SFC to lead key areas of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Project (TQP). The TQP involved the development and delivery of the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework, which articulates a common approach to assuring and enhancing quality in Scotland’s tertiary sector.
Our activity in 2025-26
Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP)
QAA will continue to partner with College Development Network (CDN) to deliver Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP), the national enhancement programme of activity for Scotland’s colleges and universities. The focus of the second year of ‘Supporting diverse Learner Journeys’ will be on implementing the collaborative projects designed in the Discovery Phase. QAA and CDN will support project teams to deliver impactful activity that improves and enhances the learner experience in Scotland’s colleges and universities.
Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER)
In 2025-26, QAA Scotland will deliver the second year of the current external institutional review method, TQER. TQER is a peer-led, enhancement-focused approach to review. It contains the flexibility to support different institutional contexts, modes of delivery and levels of learning. Taken together with the wider TQEF, TQER is intended to support assurance and enhancement of academic standards and the quality of the student learning experience for Scotland’s colleges and universities.
Latest news
QAA and CDN announce new College Student Topic Lead for STEP
| Date: | October 1 - 2025 |
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Emma MacIsaac, President of North East Scotland College Students’ Association, has been appointed as the new College Student Topic Lead for Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP).
STEP is the national programme for colleges and universities managed jointly by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and College Development Network (CDN) and commissioned by the Scottish Funding Council as a delivery mechanism of Scotland's Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework.
Emma will join a core team of four STEP Topic Leads – two members of staff and two students, representing both colleges and universities – who act as sector-level champions of enhancement across Scotland. Together, they provide leadership, insights, and expertise to drive improvement and innovation in learning and teaching.
Along with our University Student Topic Lead, Adelayo Adebayo (University of Stirling), Emma will represent students in STEP’s various governance groups, highlight student-led perspectives at STEP events, and contribute to the ongoing evaluation of the programme.
Emma said: I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as College Sector Student STEP Topic Lead. I look forward to representing students at a national level and helping to drive positive change within Scotland’s tertiary education sector.'
Alison Eales, Quality Enhancement Manager at QAA Scotland, said: 'We're very happy to welcome Emma to this key role and look forward to working with her in supporting and guiding the suite of new collaborative projects that we're launching this autumn to promote the enhancement of the student experience across Scotland's tertiary sector.'
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Find out about Scotland's Tertiary Enhancement Programme (STEP)
Discover more about the Scottish Tertiary Enhancement Programme.
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