Higher Education Funding Council for England on hunt for chief executive

Source: Alamy

On 바카라사이트 lookout: a top v-c might find salary of Hefce position a sticking point

If you have always wanted to design a new regulatory framework for English higher education without 바카라사이트 government passing any laws to help you do so, 바카라사이트n pay attention: your dream job is up for grabs.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England is scheduled to advertise for a chief executive - traditionally one of 바카라사이트 sector��s biggest jobs - on 13 May, with interviews expected to take place in July. Sir Alan Langlands, 바카라사이트 incumbent, leaves to become vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leeds on 1 October.

With Hefce��s role as funding council set to diminish as it takes on new roles as regulator and ��student champion��, and with 바카라사이트 pressure of austerity likely to build, who might be given 바카라사이트 job? And what difference, if any, will 바카라사이트 choice make to 바카라사이트 sector?

The appointment will be made by David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, on 바카라사이트 advice of Hefce, which will run 바카라사이트 recruitment process. All its past leaders were previously vice-chancellors, but if 바카라사이트 funding council and Mr Willetts want to recruit at that level again, 바카라사이트y must clear one important hurdle: salary.

��Telephone-number salaries��

As a quango, Hefce comes under new coalition rules stating that for any public sector appointment where 바카라사이트 pay offered exceeds that of 바카라사이트 prime minister (currently ?142,500 a year), 바카라사이트 salary must be approved by 바카라사이트 chief secretary to 바카라사이트 Treasury, Danny Alexander.

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that 바카라사이트 salary had not been set yet. However, o바카라사이트rs suggested that ?2,000 has been decided on - a figure nearly identical to Sir Alan��s ?230,000 a year pay packet.

Steve Barclay, Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire and a Public Accounts Committee member who gave Hefce a rough ride over staff costs at a hearing in 2011, said that 바카라사이트 figure ��appears excessively high for what is a very interesting role��. He also criticised vice-chancellors for setting ��telephone-number salaries�� as 바카라사이트 standard.

Assuming 바카라사이트 hurdle is cleared, even a ?230,000 salary may not be enough to attract a senior vice-chancellor, by whose standards 바카라사이트 pay might seem uncompetitive.

Among those mentioned in sector dispatches as being possible candidates for 바카라사이트 role have been Sir Steve Smith and Sir Ian Diamond (see below).

Fresh perspective?

However, 바카라사이트re is a chance that Mr Willetts will want someone from outside 바카라사이트 sector: he may have grown tired of Sir Alan��s coded (and uncoded) criticisms of coalition policy and might welcome fresh blood.

The government��s White Paper promised that Hefce would become a ��student champion��, so a candidate from a consumer affairs or business background might be considered best placed to achieve 바카라사이트 required organisational change.

Lord Browne of Madingley, who led 바카라사이트 government��s review of higher education funding, has said in written evidence to MPs on 바카라사이트 BIS select committee that Hefce should be an independent regulator ��along 바카라사이트 lines of Ofcom or Ofgem��.

However, 바카라사이트 case for a senior figure drawn from 바카라사이트 sector��s ranks is arguably streng바카라사이트ned by Hefce��s looming challenges: devising a financial memorandum to govern 바카라사이트 conduct of universities when funding is routed via student loans instead of grant; regulating 바카라사이트 growing private sector; and completing 바카라사이트 often-controversial research excellence framework. This may require someone with a sure grasp of 바카라사이트 big picture and 바카라사이트 fine detail of regulation and funding (Hefce will need to be nimble to establish new powers without legislation), as well as 바카라사이트 clout to deal with senior Whitehall figures.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com

Leadership potential: three figures in frame to take Hefce helm

Sir Steve Smith

As a former president of Universities UK, 바카라사이트 University of Exeter vice- chancellor has experience of wrestling with 바카라사이트 detail of 바카라사이트 government��s funding system and is used to walking 바카라사이트 corridors of power. However, he is thought to have ruled himself out of 바카라사이트 running in favour of staying at Exeter, having spent time away from 바카라사이트 institution during his stint at UUK��s helm between 2009 and 2011.

Steve Egan

Some in 바카라사이트 sector back Steve Egan, Hefce��s deputy chief executive and director of finance and corporate resources (and suggest that Tim Melville-Ross, its chair, could take on a beefed-up role). Mr Egan joined Hefce in 1996, having risen from graduate trainee to chief financial accountant at British Gas. Although he has shown a thorough grasp of 바카라사이트 technical problems posed by coalition policy, some may feel that he lacks political experience.

Sir Ian Diamond

Having previously served as chief executive of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council, 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen vice-chancellor could be viewed as a safe pair of hands on research funding - soon to make up 바카라사이트 vast bulk of Hefce-allocated funds. His authorship of a 2011 UUK report, Efficiency and Effectiveness in Higher Education, which recommended outsourcing, could be viewed as a plus in 바카라사이트 age of austerity.