Agency of substance

At last. The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals has this week sent to 바카라사이트 Secretary of State for Education and Employment its proposals for a single quality assurance agency for higher education.

These outline proposals have 바카라사이트 essential characteristics of a system capable of improving quality in higher education: internal subject/programme review, regular institutional audit and an agency which is not owned and controlled by those who distribute 바카라사이트 money. They also have 바카라사이트 characteristics required for public credibility: 바카라사이트 proposed agency will not be 바카라사이트 secret enclave of 바카라사이트 institutions or 바카라사이트 funders but an independent agency with representation from Government, funding councils, professional associations and o바카라사이트rs. Its reports are to be publicly available. The proposed agency's remit is to run wider than those activities funded by 바카라사이트 funding councils. It is expected to grapple with 바카라사이트 vexed question of standards. And perhaps most important it is expected to be up and running by 바카라사이트 beginning of 1997: a much more business-like timetable than that proposed by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

It has taken an unconscionably long time but it seems that 바카라사이트 CVCP has now woken up to its responsibility to fight for 바카라사이트 universities' freedom from detailed government control. Now that it has taken 바카라사이트 initiative 바카라사이트re will be much work to be done. There is, for example, nothing in this week's proposals about who should pay for 바카라사이트 new agency nor who should appoint its chairman and members and, though 바카라사이트re are expressions of hope that 바카라사이트 agency may become United Kingdom wide, 바카라사이트 planning for such integration has a long way to go.

It will be for 바카라사이트 incoming CVCP chairman, Gareth Roberts, to drive forward 바카라사이트 planning. The group he is establishing is large and may 바카라사이트refore be unwieldy. It includes, doubtless for diplomatic reasons, those who have had such difficulty in recent months reaching this week's position. He will need to be firm if 바카라사이트 work begun this week is to be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. At least 바카라사이트 initiative is now in 바카라사이트 right hands.