The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and Subject Review: the viewpoint of the assessor

The programme of Subject Reviews commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and organised by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in 2000-2001, is reviewed in this paper. The Subject Review process, which sought to assess the quality of higher education in England and Northern Ireland in individual subject disciplines, is explained, and evaluated critically from the viewpoint of a subject reviewer. The process enabled a limited sharing of best practice, and compelled institutions to review their approach to the provision of a suitable learning environment for their students. The pros and cons of the approach as a mechanism for ensuring quality are discussed, based on the experiences of the author. Finally, the extent to which such reviews are of long-term benefit is considered.