Review outcomes

The key findings of the QAA institutional review held in spring 2012 are summarised.

The full report can be downloaded from the QAA website. 

Judgements

The QAA review team formed the following judgements about the higher education provision at the University of Leeds:

• The academic standards of the University's awards meet UK expectations for threshold standards.
• The quality of student learning opportunities at the University meets UK expectations.
• The enhancement of student learning opportunities at the University is commended.

Good practice

The QAA review team identified the following features of good practice:

• The University's comprehensive and detailed policies and procedures for the admission of students to the University (paragraph 2.5.1).
• The extensive development and success of initiatives which contribute to the University's widening participation strategy (paragraph 2.5.2).
• The University's deliberate and coordinated approach to the enhancement of its provision, in line with its aspiration to create a distinctive Leeds graduate (paragraph 4.1).
• The strategy to develop students' employability and career options through LeedsforLife and its implementation (paragraph 4.3).

Recommendations

The QAA review team recommends that the University of Leeds should:

• review its nomination and appointment procedures for external subject specialists by January 2013 to ensure objectivity in the course approval process (paragraph 1.4.2)
• enhance its guidance to external subject specialists by January 2013, in order that the reports from external subject specialists assure the University of the academic standards of new programmes (paragraph 1.4.3)
• ensure that continuity of supervision arrangements is provided to postgraduate research students working under the single supervisor model by January 2013 (paragraph 2.10.5)
• develop a more systematic and transparent approach to implementing its stated intention to provide postgraduate research students with opportunities and training to teach, by January 2013 (paragraph 2.10.6).

Affirmation of action being taken

The QAA review team affirms the actions already being taken by the University of Leeds to make academic standards secure and/or improve the educational provision offered to its students. These actions are listed below.

• The action being taken by the University to address variability in the promptness and usefulness of feedback provided to students on their assessed work (paragraph 1.3.5).
• The action the University is taking to address variability in the quality of teaching by postgraduate teaching assistants (paragraph 2.1.1).
• The introduction of the Postgraduate Development Record (PDR) system as a way of bringing improved consistency to the supervision of postgraduate research students (paragraph 2.10.4).
• The University's holistic approach to partnership as a joint enterprise that recognises the mutual obligations of staff and students (paragraph 2.14.2).