10th December 2001

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The University of Ulster has been given a ringing endorsement for its Quality Assurance processes at all levels of its work by the Quality Assurance Agency, the UK’s higher education quality watchdog.

Their rigorous audit addressed all aspects of the University’s teaching and learning work across each of its four campuses.

Following their recent visit to the University, the national team of auditors singled out the University’s arrangements for quality and its mechanisms to ensure that the academic standards of teaching, courses and qualifications were maintained through benchmarking; a clear qualifications framework and by its performance in national subject reviews. The independent Auditors also examined in detail the University’s learning support systems and services.

The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerry McKenna said: “This audit represents a vote of confidence in the University and the quality of our work at all levels. This is an extremely important achievement for the University and it underlines the quality of the teaching and the courses we offer, as well as the supporting arrangements that we have put in place to ensure our students receive the highest possible standard of education.

“Our student support arrangements are vital, as are our mechanisms to benchmark our work against the highest possible standards nationally and internationally. This positive commendation from the Auditors shows that this work is recognised at the highest possible level nationally.”

The QAA team also praised the University’s work to provide relevant staff development programmes and the wide range of processes that have been established to deliver these.

Professor McKenna added: “It is our well declared ambition to be a leading regional university with a national and international reputation for quality. This endorsement, along with the excellent subject review scores for Irish and Education we recorded in the last week, demonstrate the significant strides we’ve made towards achieving that ambition.”

The University was recently nominated for University of the Year by the Sunday Times.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk