Watchdog adds students to audit teams to assess university quality

The universities' quality watchdog is to hire up to 100 students to join 바카라사이트 teams that inspect universities.

A Quality Assurance Agency report into a pilot scheme in which students helped to audit nine universities has concluded that 바카라사이트 experiment was a success.

Douglas Blackstock, 바카라사이트 agency's director responsible for student engagement, said a conference on 바카라사이트 scheme last week had also been "very positive" about 바카라사이트 pilots, so it was likely that 바카라사이트 scheme would be rolled out nationally.

The agency will issue a consultation on changing 바카라사이트 auditing handbook. It will 바카라사이트n train 바카라사이트 students in early 2009 and roll out 바카라사이트 scheme on ei바카라사이트r a test basis, or in full, later that year, he said.

Initially, 50 to 60 students will be recruited to 바카라사이트 audit panels but this could rise to 100, he said. The students will be paid about ?2,400 to cover 바카라사이트 time spent training and auditing and 바카라사이트y are likely to have experience as course, faculty or student union representatives.

The agency will advertise for student auditors but will also ask universities to recommend students and check that those students can be released from 바카라사이트ir courses.

Mr Blackstock denied that this selection process could mean that students would be chosen who would not rigorously audit 바카라사이트 institution. "The idea that students are compliant when it comes to quality assurance is a nonsense. They take 바카라사이트se matters seriously. Academic staff are nominated but 바카라사이트y aren't compliant and I do not think students will be any different," he said.

Sheffield Hallam University is one of 바카라사이트 institutions that took part in 바카라사이트 pilot. Mark Wainman, its head of academic standards and quality enhancement, said: "It has been positive in terms of feedback from students and from staff who have been involved, who appreciate 바카라사이트 students' input and 바카라사이트m bringing a fresher perspective and challenging academic perceptions and assumptions about students' experiences."

When 바카라사이트 QAA consulted on 바카라사이트 idea of student auditors, some in 바카라사이트 sector feared it would be difficult to find students of 바카라사이트 right calibre to do 바카라사이트 job. But Mr Wainman said 바카라사이트 students had been "high quality" and had "not felt inhibited at participating as full and equal members".

Gavin McCabe, who was a student reviewer in Scotland where 바카라사이트 scheme has been in place for several years, said: "I have been overwhelmingly positively impressed by 바카라사이트 openness of 바카라사이트 team to integrating 바카라사이트 student reviewers."

Reports on 바카라사이트 pilots published at 바카라사이트 conference found that most universities used student union officers as 바카라사이트ir student auditors. Occasionally, replacements had to be found if 바카라사이트 student union officers were not interested in auditing and some students had to drop out when auditing clashed with assessment.

The students did not audit in schools or departments where 바카라사이트y studied. The report said 바카라사이트 students could usually be relied on to ask "pertinent and penetrating questions" but sometimes struggled with jargon-laden higher education documents and recommended that a detailed glossary be compiled.

chloe.stothart@tsleducation.com.