ABSTRACT
This chapter offers discussion of the achievements of quality assessment to date, current concerns about the process and a look into the future. The rapid pace of change of quality assessment makes any sort of critique of the process risky, since it might quickly be overtaken by events. Even the title of this book will be shortly out of date — the name of the process will change, from ‘assessment’ to ‘review’. Although HEFCE has confirmed that assessments in England and Northern Ireland in 1996–98 will be completed under the current methodology, the new Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has already been established and moves are afoot to revise procedures (HEFCE, 1997a).
