We are pleased to publish our new Scottish Quality Concerns Scheme in context – student guide, a resource for students, developed to give context to QAA Scotland’s Scottish Quality Concerns Scheme.
The Concerns Scheme provides an opportunity for students, staff and other parties to raise concerns about the quality and standards of Scottish higher education to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Scotland.
QAA Scotland published guidance on the Scheme in July 2022, which is available on their webpage around how to raise concerns in Scotland. The sparqs guide provides some context for students, and sits at the bottom of the QAA webpage, as well as in the sparqs’ Resource Library.
sparqs’ guide gives an overview of the different avenues available to students if something goes wrong during your studies. This includes speaking to your course rep, using your institution’s appeals process, and seeking support from your students’ association. The guide outlines how to proceed if you feel your issue is not being resolved and explains the specific role and purpose of the Concerns Scheme.
The Scheme does not resolve individual complaints and does not provide redress or compensation to any individual submitting a concern. It looks at broader failings in institutional approaches to the management of academic standards and quality of the student experience. The sparqs’ student guide outlines when the Scottish Quality Concerns Scheme should be used, providing examples of issues that would be eligible for consideration under the Scheme.
Queries and further information
As noted in our student guide, if you are considering utilising the Concerns Scheme, contact your students’ association, who can support you with this process. The QAA Scotland website contains more information, including the full guidance on the Scheme and how to submit concerns.
For any queries on the sparqs student guide, please contact Megan Brown, Development Consultant – megan.brown@sparqs.ac.uk.
