sparqs conducted a series of institutional visits with 36 colleges and universities between October 2024 and February 2025. The purpose of these visits was:
- To discuss sparqs’ two key sector resources, the Student Learning Experience model and Scotland’s Ambition for Student Partnership, and to capture the ways in which these resources are being used in the sector.
- To gather information on the key topics institutions and students’ associations are working on this year.
- To shape sparqs’ ongoing support for institutions and students’ associations.
Following the visits, sparqs identified key themes related to learning and teaching; the students’ association; and uses of the models. An initial draft of the reports related to uses of the models and key learning and teaching themes were brought to two sparqs groups: the Joint Advisory Group (comprised of students and staff from across the Scottish tertiary sector) and the Tertiary Quality Student Expert Group (comprised of students and students’ association staff across the Scottish tertiary sector). These groups commented on the drafts, following which sparqs made some small additions and added some further context to the themes identified from the visits.
The finalised Institutional Visits paper shares:
- The key themes of the visits which relate to the student learning experience (organised under the headings of the Student Learning Experience (SLE) model).
- The key themes of the visits which relate to the internal activities of students’ associations.
- A summary of the ways in which institutions and students’ associations are currently using the SLE model and the Partnership Ambition.
Based on these themes identified in the institutional visits, as well as sector needs related to student engagement in the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review, sparqs has identified a set of new project areas, which we plan to work with the sector to design and deliver over 2025 and 2026. A summary of these project areas is included in the paper and sparqs will provide further information on the ways in which students and staff can be involved in these projects over the coming weeks.
If you have any queries, please contact Megan Brown, Senior Development Consultant – megan.brown@sparqs.ac.uk.
