QAA publishes TQER report for Dumfries and Galloway College

The Quality Assurance Agency has published the report of its Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) of Dumfries and Galloway College.

TQER is the method by which QAA reviews Scottish tertiary education providers as part of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework.

Dumfries and Galloway College is based in the south-west of Scotland, serving a rurally dispersed community through the delivery of further and higher education programmes at campuses in Dumfries and Stranraer. Serving 96 per cent of its students in academic year 2024-25, its Dumfries campus is its primary delivery hub, while its Stranraer campus delivers targeted, community-focused provision. The College also delivers some provision fully online.

Dumfries and Galloway College's review visits took place on 10-11 February and 24-26 March 2026. The review was conducted by a team of four independent reviewers, including a student reviewer.

The TQER team makes a judgement as to whether an institution meets sector expectations in managing academic standards, enhancing the quality of the learning experience and enabling student success, and has the quality assurance and enhancement arrangements in place to enable this to continue into the future. 

The team judged that Dumfries and Galloway College is effective in managing academic standards, enhancing the quality of the learning experience and enabling student success. 

The review report lists eight areas of good practice and four recommendations for action.

The TQER team identified the following features of good practice:

• The College’s robust and consistently applied SCQF credit rating system that supports the development of responsive and high-quality provision, strengthening learner progression opportunities and ensuring alignment with learner needs and wider sector expectations. 
• The College’s transformational approach to establishing strategic partnerships with regional employers and the local authority, which leads to an enhanced student experience, improved employability outcomes and alignment with local skills needs. 
• The College's use of peer observation combined with the use of the online learning platform and critical reflection effectively identify and address staff development needs and opportunities to innovatively enhance the learning experience. 
• The College's agility in responding to changing learner needs that supports students to succeed. 
• The College's approach to digital services transformation that enables student success through a personalised learning experience. 
• Student involvement in the peer observation process, which allows students to have a voice in the enhancement of their learning and teaching experience. 
• The College's clear strategic vision which encourages a shared ethos leading to a college-wide culture of continuous assurance and enhancement and drives student success. 
• The College's systematic approach to continuous self-evaluation and enhancement across curriculum and support areas that leads to sustained improvement in student outcomes. 
  

The TQER team made the following recommendations for action:

• The College should review the visibility of online student support, information and services to raise awareness and equity of access among all students.
• The College, in collaboration with the Students' Association, should work to develop more opportunities for meaningful student partnership in college-wide activities to foster a more strategic approach to working with students as partners.
• The College, in collaboration with the Students' Association, should work to increase student voice and student representation opportunities, particularly among student groups where engagement is low, to ensure that all student voices are heard and represented.
• The College should continue to develop and implement its approach to Institution-Led Quality Review in line with the requirements set out in the Scottish Funding Council's guidance.
  

Douglas Dickson, Principal and Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway College, said:

"I am delighted that the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review has identified Dumfries and Galloway College as Effective. This outcome reflects the dedication, professionalism and commitment of our staff, who work to provide high quality learning and teaching and work with our professional services staff to support our students.  This positive review of the College demonstrates confidence in our high-quality provision and reinforces our commitment demonstrated by our embedded culture of continuous improvement. 

"The review recognises the positive impact of our work and the achievements of our students who are the focus of everything we do. Their feedback and engagement continue to shape and strengthen the positive student experience across the College. I would like to thank our students who participated in the TQER review and who continue to strongly engage with our quality processes.

"I also acknowledge the contributions of our stakeholders, partners and employers for their ongoing collaboration and support. Their involvement in the work of the College helps ensure that our curriculum remains relevant, responsive and aligned to the needs of our regional economy.

"I thank the QAA team for the key strengths identified in the review findings at Dumfries and Galloway College and we have plans to implement their recommendations to continue to enhance the experience and outcomes for all those who learn and work with us."

The full report can be read on our website.