LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
RESPONSE by UCL to: QAA CONSULTATION ON REVISIONS TO THE CODE OF PRACTICE -
SECTIONS 6, 7 & 10
UCL welcomes the opportunity to comment on the above revisions. We have no substantive
comments to make on the individual sections but would like to note the following:
(1)
At the QAA roundtables held to consult on the various sections, concern was expressed
that reviewers undertaking, for example, thematic engagements, might use the precepts as
a ‘checklist’. It was agreed that the introduction to each section should contain a strong
assurance that this would not be the case and that examples of good practice given in the
Code of Practice should not be used as exemplars. Paragraph 20 (Introduction) of the
revised Section 6, contains a strong warning to this effect but it would be useful if the
caveat at paragraph 8 of Section 7 (Introduction) could be strengthened, perhaps using a
similar form of words to those used in Section 6.
(2)
Finally, we would wish to draw the Agency’s attention to the fact that, caveats
notwithstanding, there is still an urgent need for auditors to be trained to respect
institutions’ autonomy in applying and interpreting the guidelines.
23.03.06
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