This week, the Cabinet Secretary for Education Jenny Gilruth, the Commissioner for Fair Access and representatives from across higher education came together at a special event to celebrate Universities Scotland’s “40 Faces” campaign. Universities Scotland’s Senior Public Affairs and Communications Officer Lauren Wards explains why progress towards Scotland’s ambitious widening access target cannot be made…
News
September
12
2024
Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review method: QAA consultation
Universities Scotland’s Learning & Teaching Committee wrote a letter to QAA relating to QAA Scotland’s consultation on the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER) method. This letter is a collective high-level response has been shared with QAA. Many institutions will also be responding directly with more detailed responses to the questions. The LTC response covers a…
September
05
2024
New report shows the extent of universities’ role in driving economic growth in Scotland
New data reveals the economic impact delivered by Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions at £17.1 billion and highlights that Scotland’s higher education sector offers a better economic return on public investment made in research and innovation than anywhere else in the UK, except London, with a benefit-to-cost ratio of nearly 11:1. As the…
August
12
2024
The National Student Survey: Amplifying the Student Voice and Enhancing University Experiences in Scotland
Last month, the National Student Survey (NSS) results for 2024 were published. Looking at the data, Mark Wild, our Learning and Teaching Policy Officer outlines the importance of this survey and what students think about Scottish higher education. NSS results for 2024 were published in July and speak to the quality of Scottish university education….
August
09
2024
Universities Scotland responds to HESA 2023-23 Higher Education Student Statistics
This week, the HESA Higher Education Student Statistics (UK, 2022/23) were published. In response to this a Universities Scotland Spokesperson has said: “The HESA data set it is a snap-shot from almost two-years ago, before we saw sudden fluctuations in international demand and a further year of the threats of more restrictive changes to UK…
August
09
2024
Where Scottish students are studying – an overview of HESA’s 2022-23 student data
HESA’s student data release in August generated headlines around the balance of Scottish and international students. To get a solid sense of what’s happening with student numbers by domicile, we need to work across a couple of different data sets. HESA’s student data gives us a (recent) historical picture across all domiciles. The most recent…
August
06
2024
Positive news for learners from all backgrounds going to university
The Admissions body UCAS has published its first data release on SQA results day (6 August) showing the number of Scots securing a place at university this autumn for academic year 2024/25. Responding to the results, Claire McPherson, Director of Universities Scotland said: “The number of Scots accepted for study in Scottish institutions has increased…
August
01
2024
Scotland united behind no NDAs in harassment cases since 2019
Yesterday, the Office for Students (OfS) announced new requirements for universities in England to protect students from harassment and sexual misconduct. This includes a ban on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), commencing on 1 September 2024. Scotland’s universities have been united behind a position never to use NDAs or “confidentiality clauses” in cases of harassment since 2019….
August
01
2024
UK Government outlines position on international students
Last week, the Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson set out the position of the Labour Government on international students. She made it clear that international students are welcome in the UK. We strongly welcome this announcement. International students contribute widely to society and to our communities during their time in the UK. Our…
June
26
2024
Response to the next steps on post-school reform: a Scottish Government consultation
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on proposals for legislation to change what public bodies do in the post-school system. This consultation will focus on gathering proposals that aim to simplify the responsibilities for apprenticeships and student support. Following the launch of this consultation, Professor Iain Gillespie, Convener of Universities Scotland said: “Following dialogue…