sparqs has recently published two key guidance documents for students' association offiers and staff... updated SEAP guidance and new TQER guidance....
SEAP guide
We are delighted to publish our updated SEAP Guidance for students’ associations and student officers, designed to support meaningful student engagement throughout the SEAP (Self-Evaluation and Action Plan) process. Initially published in 2024, the guidance has now been updated for 2025.
The newly-updated guidance includes an overview of the SEAP process; some suggestions of how students can be involved in the development of the SEAP; and suggested actions for students’ associations. The guidance is particularly relevant to students’ association representatives and staff, but is also a useful resource for all institutional staff involved in the SEAP process.
The SEAP is a document which enables institutions to reflect annually on institutional quality assurance and enhancement activities and outcomes, and to identify key strategic areas for enhancement. Definitive guidance on the SEAP process can be found in the Scottish Funding Council’s Guidance on Quality.
The Scottish Funding Council’s SEAP Thematic report on the development of the SEAPs submitted in December 2024, noted that approximately half of institutions made specific reference to the sparqs SLE model, either describing work already undertaken or referring to planned actions for the future. Examples of how the SLE model has been implemented included using the questions in new surveys, strengthening student feedback systems by embedding the SLE model into student representative systems, including training and meetings, and using the model to update student resources for institution-led quality review processes. We were delighted to read this feedback, in the section on themes of good practice related to student engagement and partnership.
There are opportunities for student engagement and partnership throughout the development of the SEAP itself, as well as through the activities upon which the SEAP reports. If you require more support on student engagement in the SEAP, you can contact sparqs for further information and advice.
The SEAP is part of Scotland’s new Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF). For further information on TQEF, please see our Quality Arrangements webpage and the SFC’s TQEF webpage.
TQER guide
sparqs is delighted to announce the publication of our Practical Guide to Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review (TQER). This guide has been produced for students’ association officers and staff in the tertiary education sector in Scotland. It provides a context and overview to the TQER process and makes practical suggestions of what you need to do at each stage. It is also encouraged that institutional staff involved in the review read through this guide and consider how they will contribute to student partnership in the process.
All colleges and universities in Scotland will undergo a TQER between 2025 and 2030 and more details about the process, and definitive guidance, can be found in the QAA Scotland TQER Guide. QAA Scotland have also published a set of TQER FAQs accessible on this webpage, which provide advice and guidance for institutions on how to approach TQER.
In addition to the guidance, sparqs is also providing training for TQER Lead Student Reps and the students’ association staff who support them. In the year your institution is going through TQER, sparqs will invite the Lead Student Rep and students’ association staff supporting the review to our training programme. The training will be provided on a rolling basis and has two parts - sparqs will assign you to the appropriate session depending on your institution’s TQER timeline. See our separate article on the TQER training for more information.
For further information on TQER please see our Quality Arrangements webpage and visit the TQER webpage on the QAA Scotland website.
Queries
If you have any queries on either of the resources, please get in touch with Megan Brown, Senior Development Consultant – megan.brown@sparqs.ac.uk.
