Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce and describe the features of a new e-learning quality framework developed for a large multi-campus university. The framework is explicitly designed to improve the quality of e-learning sites and the quality of online student learning, by developing the skills of the academics who design the sites. Design/methodology/approach: This is a conceptual paper. It examines a range of existing models and literature on evaluative frameworks in e-learning and positions the new framework within that context. It describes the features that distinguish the new framework from existing models and explains how these differences are tailored to develop the e-learning design skills of academic staff and to encourage greater engagement with e-learning quality initiatives across the university. Findings: The paper identifies several features of the new framework that differ from other models and explains the inclusion of these features in terms of the support they provide for quality improvement at a university where academics are the main designers of e-learning sites. Originality/value: The paper makes a contribution to the literature on quality initiatives in e-learning by introducing a new quality framework that differs in significant respects from other models. The rationale underpinning the inherently developmental design of this framework, as set out in this paper, may be useful to other universities where academics are the main designers of e-learning sites. (Contains 1 figure.)