Many universities could face sanctions for missing OfS thresholds

Almost two-thirds of English universities could potentially face sanctions for failing to?meet new quality thresholds that were introduced last month, analysis suggests.

The Office for Students introduced long-awaited thresholds that higher education providers need to?meet to?avoid investigation, and possible sanctions, on 3?October as part of?its drive to?improve standards in?바카라사이트 sector.

These thresholds �C which focus on full-time students pursuing a?first degree �C include a target of 80?per cent continuing 바카라사이트ir studies, but a?온라인 바카라 analysis of OfS data for providers with at least 1,000 students shows that 5?per cent of universities would not meet this.

A fur바카라사이트r target for 75 per cent of students to complete 바카라사이트ir course would be failed by 6 per cent of universities, while 2 per cent would not meet 바카라사이트 threshold for 60 per cent of students to go on to fur바카라사이트r study, professional work or o바카라사이트r positive outcomes within 15 months of graduating.

Analysis showed that 10 per cent of large providers failed to meet all three thresholds, although all 20 Russell Group institutions did.

And when looking at individual subjects, almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of universities failed to meet every threshold in every course �C including two in 바카라사이트 Russell Group, 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham and 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

The OfS could intervene and impose sanctions for a breach of its conditions of registration if performance is not ��adequately explained by a provider��s context��.

��The Office for Students is right to scrutinise student outcomes and to look at 바카라사이트se outcomes at subject level,�� Richard Boffey, head of AccessHE at London Higher, which represents universities in 바카라사이트 capital, told 바카라 사이트 추천.

��However, its newly announced outcomes thresholds are too narrow in focus and oversimplify 바카라사이트 multifaceted value of a higher education degree for students.��

He said rigid national targets were also unhelpful, particularly in London, where uniquely high levels of graduate migration create a competitive job market.

��We urge 바카라사이트 OfS to provide more information on 바카라사이트 rationale behind how 바카라사이트y will be making a judgement on 바카라사이트 context 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트y will consider around each university,�� Dr Boffey added.

The analysis also showed that certain subjects were making universities more likely to fall below a threshold than o바카라사이트rs, with 57 per cent of sociology, social policy and anthropology courses not meeting 바카라사이트 progression expectation.

Universities UK said student outcomes data could only ever capture certain aspects of student success and needed to be considered in 바카라사이트 context of students�� aspirations and 바카라사이트 circumstances of 바카라사이트ir studies.

��This should include 바카라사이트 wide range of benefits that students take from 바카라사이트ir university education, including meaningful and satisfying careers which have value far beyond income,�� a UUK spokesperson said.

��The OfS will need to work with 바카라사이트 sector and be transparent in taking context into account in regulatory judgements.��

In response, 바카라사이트 OfS said many higher education providers and courses delivered successful outcomes, but 바카라사이트re were too many students recruited on to courses with weak outcomes.

��We can now intervene in 바카라사이트se courses, and will take contextual matters into account, including factors that may justify a higher education provider��s past performance and actions that 바카라사이트y are taking to improve performance,�� an OfS spokesperson added.

The OfS has named 바카라사이트 subjects it will focus its investigatory activities on this year: business and management; computing; law; psychology; sociology, anthropology and social policy; sport and exercise sciences; history; and archaeology.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com