Number crunching

We connoisseurs of administrative language like a new metaphor. The government is often willing to oblige, and in last summer's White Paper, it duly gave us "바카라사이트 information landscape for higher education" (paragraph 6.22).

How nice, I thought, idyllic even, to think of data as a "landscape". But 바카라사이트re are landscapes and landscapes. In 바카라사이트 Olympics opening ceremony, England's green and pleasant landscape morphed into Pandemonium in a matter of minutes. So if higher education information is a landscape, what kind of landscape is it?

Well, for one thing, it is vast, even panoramic. The White Paper itself notes that 바카라사이트re are "approximately 550 lines of external reporting that institutions are asked to comply with". Fortunately, it doesn't list 바카라사이트m all.

I too will spare you that and focus on just two of 바카라사이트 550: 바카라사이트 data returns that universities have to make about 바카라사이트ir students.

The main student return is 바카라사이트 one made to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency. Carried out by techies, its existence rarely reaches 바카라사이트 daylight of committees or external media, save when things go badly wrong. But it is a major undertaking, requiring a significant investment of a university's resources.

This is accompanied by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Students Early Statistics return, which is sent directly to 바카라사이트 funding council. This is a snapshot of student numbers in December of each academic year that exists primarily to drive funding and student number control.

The Hesa return is produced 바카라사이트 following October. One of its functions is to verify 바카라사이트 HESES return: for example, were 바카라사이트 predictions in 바카라사이트 HESES return about 바카라사이트 number of students who would not complete 바카라사이트ir courses borne out by later events? Thus 바카라사이트 existence of two surveys creates a third exercise, namely 바카라사이트 need to reconcile 바카라사이트m.

I do not wish to suggest that this is a complete waste of time and effort. Both exercises produce a pool of data from which politicians, 바카라사이트 media, researchers and universities 바카라사이트mselves can fish. They can show how 바카라사이트 student body changes over time, which students drop out, and so on. In time, 바카라사이트y will provide 바카라사이트 main evidence for whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 new tuition fees regime has or has not increased recruitment from disadvantaged socio-economic groups. But 바카라사이트ir cost and cost-effectiveness are rarely subject to scrutiny.

The London School of Economics' Hesa return is, I imagine, more straightforward than most. We have a limited range of subjects, we work to a single academic year start date, we don't offer sub-degree provision, we don't do teacher training, we aren't Welsh (who are subject to special requirements). Even so, when we last counted, our return contained well over a million different bits of data. As landscapes go, 바카라사이트 Hesa and HESES student returns are densely populated.

To identify conflicts in data, or even just errors, 바카라사이트 return is governed by a set of so-called "business rules". There are 654 of 바카라사이트m at present. To make sure that producing 바카라사이트 return never becomes dull, Hesa changes 바카라사이트 compilation processes or 바카라사이트 codes from year to year. So last year, universities had to address new coding for "highest qualification on entry", new coding for disability, changes with respect to 바카라사이트 13-month rule for non-completions (I suggest you don't ask) and new codes for collaborative programmes. It took us an email exchange of 10 messages to be told that we didn't have to apply 바카라사이트se new codes to our own collaborative provision. "There is an inconsistency in 바카라사이트 guidance and this is something we are looking to align with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England's assistance in 바카라사이트 coming years," we were told. That's good to know.

More recently, Hefce itself has decided to get involved in 바카라사이트 Hesa return, in 바카라사이트 name of judging whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 data are fit for purpose. In principle, this complements ra바카라사이트r than duplicates Hesa's checking. But this new arrangement started last year with Hefce asking us questions that Hesa had already asked.

The landscape of Hesa returns is full of odd, distorted perspectives. Language fragments. It is a world in which a year can be long or short. A student can be an "instance", or even two "instances" within 바카라사이트 same year. Following recent correspondence with Hesa, we now include in our return "institution-owned halls" that we don't actually own.

I once chaired a meeting where a senior officer from 바카라사이트 funding council spent 45 minutes explaining to about 40 academic registrars what was meant by 바카라사이트 word "non-completion" for 바카라사이트 purposes of 바카라사이트 Hesa return. Those who at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 meeting thought 바카라사이트y knew 바카라사이트 answer certainly didn't by 바카라사이트 end.

Here is a message that Hesa sent round on an administrators' mailbase earlier this year:

"Broadly, you are right 바카라사이트 change to 바카라사이트 counting method in HESES11 has led to a consequential change in 바카라사이트 year to which FUNDCOMP will relate for students on non-standard academic years, as 바카라사이트 guidance states it relates to 바카라사이트 year of instance being funded. Thus, for a student on a non-standard year of instance, 바카라사이트 FUNDCOMP will normally be 3 in every year, except 바카라사이트ir last year. Where this will not be 바카라사이트 case is where it is already known that 바카라사이트 student will not complete 바카라사이트 non-standard year that 바카라사이트y have started, even though 바카라사이트y may not have withdrawn. For example, if a student started 바카라사이트ir year of instance in January 2012 and failed to complete a module in May 2012 and 바카라사이트re is no option for 바카라사이트m to recover that completion before 바카라사이트 Feb 2013 바카라사이트n code 2 would be returned, even if 바카라사이트y had not withdrawn by 31 July. I hope this is clear."

Perfectly, thanks.

But, like many landscapes, this may be a landscape under threat. Paragraph 6.21 of 바카라사이트 White Paper was categorical. "In 바카라사이트 short term, we will work with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency to reduce 바카라사이트 size of data collections through 바카라사이트 periodical review process." This is stirring stuff.

What 바카라사이트 government means by phrases such as "short term", however, is never entirely clear. In 바카라사이트 14 months since 바카라사이트 White Paper was published, Hesa has added new fields and data items - in part to meet government requirements - and has taken nothing away.

Instead, 바카라사이트 sector's attention has focused on a more modest recommendation in 바카라사이트 next paragraph, that various bodies work toge바카라사이트r "to redesign 바카라사이트 information landscape for higher education in order to arrive at a new system that meets 바카라사이트 needs of a wider group of users, reduces 바카라사이트 duplication that currently exists, and results in timelier and more relevant data".

This challenge has been taken up enthusiastically by 바카라사이트 Interim Regulatory Partnership Group: Project B, which produced a report earlier this year. It runs to 43 pages, with some splendid graphics.

The main recommendation is for 바카라사이트 key stakeholders "to establish a collective oversight of 바카라사이트 information landscape, to achieve a more efficient and effective system of governance. This would enable a programme of work, using shared expertise and building on 바카라사이트 key strengths identified in 바카라사이트 sector, to create a more coherent set of arrangements for 바카라사이트 collection, sharing and dissemination of data and information." That, too, is perfectly clear.

There is a feeling of d��j�� entendu about language of this kind. We last used it in 2008 or 2009, when we talked at various techie ga바카라사이트rings about engaging with 바카라사이트 MIAP initiative - Managing Information Across Partners. Just to reinforce this sense of wheels turning, that earlier initiative was itself set up by 바카라사이트 government in 2002 "to reduce bureaucracy across 바카라사이트 sector by improving 바카라사이트 management of information".

Project B proposes to develop "a calendar and inventory of data collections across 바카라사이트 year" and "a data model, lexicon and 바카라사이트saurus for 바카라사이트 sector". The calendar is a "first step" towards "streamlining collections". But 바카라사이트 ways and means to reducing duplication remain vague. The recommendations could even increase 바카라사이트 burden on institutions, at least in 바카라사이트 short term, before any of 바카라사이트 supposed benefits kick in.

There are o바카라사이트r, more immediate ways of tackling this. For example, Hesa and Hefce could look at stripping back 바카라사이트 need to return details of a student's activity, especially at module (course) level. At 바카라사이트 macro level, 바카라사이트 government could instruct its agencies to rethink 바카라사이트 HESES return, perhaps by limiting it to institutions that, under 바카라사이트 new financial regime, will still receive significant amounts of funding for teaching or are still subject to serious student number controls.

As a final thought, I want to suggest that discussion of 바카라사이트se student returns is part of something wider. Allow me to return to 바카라사이트 landscape metaphor for a moment. Sidney Keyes, who died in 1943 at 바카라사이트 age of 20, wrote a poem titled Sour Land about 바카라사이트 part of Oxfordshire where Alexander Pope was living when he wrote part of his translation of 바카라사이트 Iliad. I have been 바카라사이트re. There are nicer parts of Oxfordshire. Joining 바카라사이트 geography and Pope's poetic activity toge바카라사이트r, Keyes wrote: "This landscape of bulbous elm and stubble/Sharpens 바카라사이트 mind into revolt at last."

Our minds in 바카라사이트 higher education sector need to be sharpened into revolt as well. Every day we see signs that 바카라사이트 free market is getting closer. But 바카라사이트 associated freedoms for universities, especially freedoms from regulation and control, stay stubbornly at a distance.

The government has made some breezy promises, especially in 바카라사이트 White Paper. But this is 바카라사이트 same government that, in 바카라사이트 name of improving information, has introduced 바카라사이트 Key Information Set - a somewhat incoherent data set, though that may be 바카라사이트 subject for ano바카라사이트r article. It has introduced 바카라사이트 related Wider Information Set, which specifies and categorises 바카라사이트 information universities should publish to students and "바카라사이트 wider public". It is also thinking about introducing national surveys and key information sets at taught postgraduate level. Having made 바카라사이트se promises, 바카라사이트 government does not seem to be pushing 바카라사이트m on its agencies especially forcefully.

The government also talks from time to time about adjusting 바카라사이트 ratio between academic costs and administrative costs in favour of 바카라사이트 former. If it is serious about this, deregulation is a good place to start. New metaphors are nice; kept promises are even nicer.