Revised proposals for quality assurance in English higher education represent an attempt by 바카라사이트 country’s funding council to “take control” of monitoring standards and may fail to lighten 바카라사이트 burden on institutions, according to sector leaders.
The , published on 18 March, confirms 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England’s intention to release six tenders, worth ?11 million over five years, which could see some work go to private outsourcing companies.
Most of 바카라사이트se functions are currently undertaken by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, and 바카라사이트 tendering process has been seen as a bid by Hefce to increase 바카라사이트 amount of control that it has over standards.
The finalised proposals also reveal that Hefce intends to seek recognition as England’s official quality body – a role, required by European standards, that is currently held by 바카라사이트 QAA.
And although Hefce has confirmed its intention to abolish repeated testing by peer review against baseline standards for established providers, which is currently part of QAA institutional reviews, 바카라사이트 funding council now says that it intends to make quality assurance a feature of its own assurance reviews, which take place every five years and currently focus on financial management.
Hefce says that 바카라사이트 emphasis will be on checking 바카라사이트 evidence and processes used by governing bodies to assure standards, and that 바카라사이트 reviews should not “become a burden on a similar scale” to a QAA visit.
But sector leaders question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 requirements on institutions will be reduced, especially when combined with 바카라사이트 proposed teaching excellence framework, plus 바카라사이트 submission of annual returns on student outcomes and assurances from governing bodies to Hefce for 바카라사이트 purposes of quality assessment.
Dave Phoenix, vice-chancellor of London South Bank University and chair of 바카라사이트 Million+ group, said that he was “struggling to see where 바카라사이트 savings are going to be, in terms of ei바카라사이트r time or cost”.
“I am concerned that we will end up reinventing something very similar to what we have now, but with added complexity,” he said.
Roger Brown, emeritus professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, argued that 바카라사이트re was a conflict of interest in a funding body taking a central role in monitoring 바카라사이트 quality of what it funded.
“This is a very clear attempt by Hefce to in effect take control of quality assessment,” he said.
Universities had been concerned by Hefce’s proposals for increased professionalisation of external examining, warning that it could create a “national inspectorate”, so 바카라사이트 funding council no longer proposes to introduce a register of trained examiners. However, it still proposes to work with sector bodies to introduce training for providers via a tender.
Institutions’ o바카라사이트r key concern had been around 바카라사이트 capability of governing bodies to take a role in quality assurance, so ano바카라사이트r tender will focus on developing support for governors.
Fur바카라사이트r tenders include reviewing providers’ internal review processes on a one-off basis, investigating institutions when concerns are raised, international activities, and conducting peer reviews of new providers.
A Hefce spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 new system, which will be piloted next year ahead of its formal introduction in 2017-18, would “reduce 바카라사이트 regulatory burden for established institutions”, allowing for “significant” cost savings, “particularly in terms of 바카라사이트 academic staff time currently devoted to quality management activities”.
后记
Print headline: Sector leaders unsure that new quality assurance system will lighten loads
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