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Photo: University of Dundee
Last week we published our first thematic report on institutional Self-Evaluation and Action Plans (SEAPs).
For anyone not yet familiar with the term, SEAPs are now the main way for colleges and universities to report on the outputs of their annual quality assurance and enhancement activity. Significantly, SEAPs form an integral part of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF).
Last week’s report provides a comprehensive overview of how the SEAP guidance was developed and refined and includes a thematic summary of the first round of submissions for the 2023-24 academic year.
The report follows the SEAP guidance by structuring the themes according to the four headline principles of the TQEF. These are:
- Excellence in learning, teaching, and assessment.
- Supporting student success.
- Enhancement and quality culture.
- Student engagement and partnership.
For each principle, we have provided some general feedback on how effectively the principle was evaluated alongside some suggestions for improvement. We have also focused on examples of good practice and areas for enhancement, which emerged across the submissions. Where relevant, we have embedded feedback and themes arising in relation to the two underpinning principles; data and evidence and externality.
As noted in our earlier feedback about the SEAPs, standout themes are the sector’s commitment to supporting students, and an emerging focus on a holistic approach to student support that brings together teams from across institutions. However, the report goes much further than this and picks out key strengths across several areas. Amongst the examples picked out in the report are fostering strong industry connections and linking regional and industry skills needs to curriculum planning and delivery. The report also highlights staff development and the creation of Student Ambassador roles.
Both the culture of quality assurance and enhancement and the practicalities of our approach in Scotland rely on honest and reflective self-evaluation. Reflecting this, the report also recognises that colleges and universities have acknowledged the challenges they are facing and identified areas where they plan to develop their approach or enhance the student experience. One key area is student retention. We know this is a broader sectoral issue and are pleased to see so many institutions identifying constructive approaches to addressing this within their own contexts.
The report also includes reference to feedback from institutions on the SEAP process itself. The standout theme is a desire for greater clarity and consistency in the SEAP guidance, rather than any fundamental change. Also included in the report is a brief summary of the updates we made to the guidance for this year. The full guidance can be found in Annex B of the SFC Guidance on Quality for Colleges and Universities for 2024-25 to 2030-31.
Looking ahead, we have referenced the resources available to institutions to support their ongoing self-evaluation including the College Development Network-led project to develop a Tertiary Self-Evaluation Toolkit and the refreshed sparqs SEAP (Self-Evaluation and Action Plan) Guidance for students’ associations and student officers for the AY 2025-26. SFC colleagues have also recently updated the TQEF Frequently Asked Questions which will be of particular interest to those new to the framework.
The next SEAP submissions, reflecting on the 2024-25 academic year, are due by 2 December 2025. We look forward to receiving these and analysing the progress made since last year.
We could not have reached this point in the development and implementation of the TQEF without the support of everyone from across our TQEF delivery partners and the staff and students in our colleges and universities. It is fantastic to work in an environment where collaboration and co-creation underpins our collective approach to enhancing the student experience in Scotland.
Karen Gray, Assistant Director for Learning and Quality
