Academic Quality at Herts

The Academic Quality Assurance and Enhancement strategy of the University of Hertfordshire aims to ensure that the student experience is underpinned by effective and robust quality assurance processes, and processes to facilitate the enhancement of that experience. It derives from the University's Strategic Plan which makes explicit the commitment of the institution to excellence in teaching and learning.

The internal quality assurance processes of the University are supported by the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance (CAQA).

The key features of the University's academic quality assurance system can be found here:

The Herts Quality Assurance system (PDF - 0.31 Mb)

Academic Quality policies and procedures are set out in UPR AS17.

Please note that some of the links on the Academic Quality web pages take you to HertsHub, the University of Hertfordshire staff intranet, and these for are only accessible to University staff.

In talking about our Herts processes staff use a wide range of acronyms and abbreviations. A list of these can be found on HertsHub:

List of acronyms and abbreviations

About the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance

The purpose of the Centre for Academic Quality Assurance (CAQA) is to safeguard the academic standards of the University's taught provision, achieve outstanding academic quality and promote quality enhancement activity to enrich the student learning experience.

Central to this purpose is a commitment to support the development and implementation of effective and robust policies, regulations and practices on quality assurance and enhancement, and to support staff in delivering successful outcomes for all our students.

CAQA works with others across the University, by:

Guiding: developing, implementing and monitoring policies, regulations and practices, which satisfy national and international expectations for quality assurance and enhancement in higher education.
Supporting: providing expert advice and support in the management of academic standards and quality processes, promoting a culture of quality enhancement.
Connecting: engaging with others and facilitating a shared understanding of all matters relating to academic quality assurance and enhancement; contributing to national and international quality assurance agendas.

Each School in the University is supported by a designated Associate Director of Academic Quality Assurance (ADAQA) or the Deputy Director of Academic Quality Assurance (DDAQA). University staff can find the member of the CAQA team working with their School on the CAQA page on the Staff Intranet HertsHub.

We offer a programme of workshops open to all University staff and specific workshops for Programme Leaders, including a dedicated Programme Leader Development programme. We also provide bespoke sessions for Schools. The programmes for the current academic year can be found here:

CAQA Workshops

Development Opportunities for Programme Leaders

To get in touch with us, please email the CAQA team

Our key achievements in 2022-23
- Managing over 40 validation events for new programmes and periodic review events for existing programmes, both UH-delivered and partner-delivered;
- Re-approval of another 64 University-delivered programmes as part of the Herts Learning initiative;
- Development of the Continuous Enhancement Planning (CEP) process, and overseeing around 280 CEP action plans for University-delivered and partner-delivered programmes;
- Re-development of processes for exceptional circumstances and academic integrity, in response to the developing digital and post-Covid environment;
- Overseeing 8 audits on behalf of ASAC, to audit compliance with our UPRs and procedures, evaluate their effectiveness and disseminate good practice (with a focus in 2022/23 on the OfS ‘B’ Conditions of Registration on Quality and Standards);
- Lead role in the development of the Programme and Curriculum Management System for the management of Programme Specification and DMD data;
- Lead role in planning for, and responding to, the Ofsted inspection of the University’s Apprenticeship provision in October 2022;
- Programme Leader development through an annual development programme, the online programme leader support forums, the annual symposium and an evolving programme leader toolkit;
- Collaborative Partnership Leader (CPL) development, through the CPL forum;
- School Academic Integrity Officer (SAIO) support and development through SAIO forums;
- Facilitating over 40 development sessions for UH and partner staff, as well as a range of bespoke sessions tailored to the needs of individual Schools.
Our key priorities for 2023-24
- In light of the expectations of the OfS Ongoing Conditions of Registration in regulating quality and standards (the B Conditions), to adapt UH policies, regulations and practices on quality assurance and enhancement;
- Take an active role in the Herts Learning initiative, leading the re-approval of University-delivered programmes;
- The launch of the Programme and Curriculum Management System for the management of Programme Specification and DMD data;
- Full roll-out of the Continuous Enhancement Planning (CEP) approach to programme monitoring & evaluation to partner-delivered provision;
- Embed a more data driven, risk-based approach to the periodic review of the University’s programmes;
- Lead the University’s response to Ofsted inspection and any OfS external assessment as part of the External Quality Assurance of the University as an End-Point Assessment Organisation;
- Building on recent experience and technology developments, embed virtual processes for the approval, monitoring, review and management of UK and International collaborative provision (in particular for exam boards, validation and revalidation);
- Design and development of a revised public website to promote quality assurance and enhancement at UH;
- Delivery and further development of the programme leader programme;
- Support Schools and their staff in their interpretation of student data, and in developing effective and holistic actions to enhance the student experience;
- Develop and deliver CPD tailored to the needs of Schools, with a focus on student data, academic integrity and the emerging influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
CAQA Good Practice Principles
Please find here a series of good practice principles: