Students are actively involved in the quality process, whether at institutional level or national level. A few of the ways in which this is achieved are:

• Providing training for student course representatives, which is complemented by national training and information events run jointly by QAA (opens in new window) and the National Union of Students (opens in new window) (NUS).

• Participation in the National Student Survey (opens in new window), which gathers feedback from all final year students about their perceptions of their course. The results of this survey are published on the Unistats (opens in new window) website, which is very significant, as prospective students can access this in order to make an informed choice about which institution they choose to study at.

• Encouraging student representatives to produce a written submission (opens in new window) for the QAA.

In September 2011, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) will implement Institutional review: a new process for reviewing academic standards and quality in higher education in England and Northern Ireland.
Summary of Institutional review in England and Northern Ireland (opens in new window).

The QAA have added new ways for students to take part in the assessment of their university or college, engaging students in more ways than ever before.

• Review teams will meet and gather information from more students and in more depth. A greater emphasis is now being placed on evidence from the institution's students.

• Institutions are expected to prepare and publish a post-review action plan that fully engages its students.

• Students will continue to be members of review teams. Each institution will also appoint a lead student representative to help coordinate review visits.

Universities UK has been actively involved in work to support institutions and student unions develop joint approaches to enhancing the teaching and learning experience.