Best practice quality assurance processes involve the capturing of student feedback and complying with quality assurance procedures are the responsibility of the higher education institutions in the first instance. A range of student feedback arrangements are in place across higher education institutions. At a policy level, my Department has regular engagement with the Union of Students in Ireland.
The new national Strategy for Higher Education which I launched last week focusses on key performance areas of the higher education system and outlines a framework to analyse and improve the quality outcomes of the system. Of vital importance is the quality of the student experience and in this regard, the Strategy recommends that a national student survey system should be put in place and the results published. The Strategy further recommends that higher education institutions put in place a comprehensive student feedback system coupled with structures to ensure that action is taken promptly in response to student concerns.
Implementation of the recommendations in the Strategy will be overseen by an Implementation Board to be chaired by the Secretary of my Department. It is hoped to make early progress on the national student survey system and the HEA have been asked to begin assessing the scope and nature of such a survey.