Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln has passed a rigorous review of its teaching and learning with flying colours.

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) visited the university in January and today (Thursday) published its review, which found that BGU meets its expectations in all areas – academic standards, learning opportunities, information and enhancement.

The QAA Higher Education Review (HER) is the third external assessment that BGU has undergone recently: the university also received glowing reports from the British Psychological Society when it approved BGU’s psychology courses and from Ofsted when it inspected the university’s teacher training.

The QAA’s review highlighted several areas in which BGU excelled – employability, rigorous monitoring of standards, student support and a student-centred approach to learning and teaching – and identified the following features of good practice:

• the comprehensive academic and pastoral support available to students to enable them to reach their academic, personal and professional potential
• the Students Creating Change scheme which engages students in the quality assurance and enhancement of learning opportunities
• the rigorous monitoring of standards and quality, that involves students, and is designed to find ways to continuously enhance their learning opportunities
• the extensive, systematic university-wide support for employability available to students and alumni

The Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, said: “This is a wonderful outcome for the university. The QAA Higher Education Review measures universities against the most rigorous benchmarks and we have been found to meet all the standards and to have demonstrated good practice in key areas.

“I am very privileged to work at an institution which sets the student experience at its heart and to find that the hard work of staff and the Students’ Union working together has been recognised as good practice.

“I am delighted at this outcome, not just because it confirms that BGU meets all standards expected of UK universities, but because it also recognises that we are constantly striving to improve the quality of the student experience.”

Becca Smith, President of the Bishop Grosseteste University Students’ Union, added: “The Higher Education Review by QAA has identified a number of practices at BGU as being exceptional, and we feel there’s lots to shout about.

“The highlights of the review for us were the praise for the amazing pastoral care and support that is available for students here, the huge progress that has been made with student representation, and the recognition of the positive relationship the Students’ Union has with the university, which enables us to always ensure that the needs of students are at the heart of all decisions made here at BGU.”

Professor Jayne Mitchell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Bishop Grosseteste University, who was the Institutional Facilitator during the review in January 2016, concluded: “The outcome of the any HER is extremely important for universities in general but specifically at a time when students, parents and employers are looking for assurances about the quality of teaching and learning which take place at universities and students’ future prospects of employment. This report should provide readers with the confidence that BGU is preparing is students well for the future.”

The preparations for the review were overseen by Dr Anne Craven, Registrar and University Secretary.

To find and more about the report visit www.bishopg.ac.uk/qualityreview.

Ends

Notes to Editors

• Bishop Grosseteste University was established in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012.
• It is an independent higher education institution based in Lincoln which awards its own degrees at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level.
• It changed its name from Bishop Grosseteste University College to Bishop Grosseteste University in November 2012.
• BGU has over 2,300 students, including undergraduate, postgraduate and research, with over 280 students at collaborative partners across Lincolnshire.
• In 2015 BGU was the second highest ranked university in the UK for employability with almost 99% of leavers in work or study six months after graduating (2013/14 DLHE).
• To learn more about Bishop Grosseteste University visit www.bishopg.ac.uk
• To learn more about the QAA visit www.qaa.ac.uk/about-us
• To find out more about the QAA’s Higher Education Review process visit www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews-and-reports/how-we-review-higher-education/higher-education-review

For media information please contact:
Jez Ashberry
Shooting Star
01522 528540
07780 735071
jez@weareshootingstar.co.uk
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