The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) holds diverse roles in the regulatory, advisory, policy and voluntary spheres across the UK. They recognise that the primary responsibility for maintaining quality and standards sits with providers themselves. Providers with degree-awarding powers have particular responsibility for the academic standards of the qualifications they award. For them, academic quality is a comprehensive term referring to how, and how well, higher education providers manage teaching and learning opportunities to help students progress and succeed, while meeting the legitimate expectations of students, employers, government and society in general. QAA does introduce expectations -- particularly of such diverse audiences -- that relativity begins to come significantly into play, and when there is a risk of ambiguity or confusion. The Policy Note is written by the Chief Executive of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Vicki Stott, and explores what quality means in UK higher education today.