College’s HE provision given seal of approval

Gower College Swansea has been awarded Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) status which means that it now has equal quality status to a university when it comes to delivering Higher Education courses.

“We are one of only three further education colleges in Wales to be QAA accredited which is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the quality of our growing higher education delivery,” says HE Manager Ryan Jarvis. “It is a measure of the high quality of teaching and learning at the college, our level of student support, the accuracy of our online and printed course information and the efficient way in which our courses are managed.”

Four specific areas of good practice were identified by QAA during the accreditation process: the college’s use of HE advocates (a person in each department to support HE students); advice and support during the application process; staff development and the annual student conference, which was seen as a strong example of student engagement.

Many of Gower College Swansea’s HE courses are validated by leading institutions such as the University of South Wales, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and Wrexham Glyndŵr University.

In early 2018, a dedicated HE Hub will open within the refurbished Tycoch campus which will feature brand new classrooms, a HE-focused library and social space for the exclusive use of HE students.