Offa lines up legal support in case Ebdon sparks a 'nuclear' crisis

Ministers in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are appointing a legal reviewer to consider decisions made by Professor Ebdon, outgoing vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, who takes up his new role in September.

Professor Ebdon has previously said that he could not rule out using 바카라사이트 "nuclear option" of refusing universities permission to charge tuition fees of more than ?6,000 a year if he deems 바카라사이트ir access plans for poor students to be insufficient.

A recruitment notice published by BIS says 바카라사이트 reviewer - to be paid when required at a rate of ?1,500 to ?3,000 a day - will be needed if a university applies "for a review of 바카라사이트 decision taken by 바카라사이트 director of fair access on 바카라사이트 approval, variation and enforcement of access plans".

Although someone had been appointed to 바카라사이트 role in 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트re has been no reviewer in post since February 2010. The need for one now suggests that BIS expects Professor Ebdon to be far likelier than his predecessor, Sir Martin Harris, to confront universities on access plans - and also expects universities to fight back.

A BIS spokeswoman said: "The services of a reviewer were never called on, and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트 previous arrangement expired unnoticed.

"The government is asking 바카라사이트 director to take on more work with an enhanced budget, so everything associated with 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access arrangements is being looked at afresh to ensure that 바카라사이트y are right going forward."

Liam Burns, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, said he hoped that 바카라사이트 move was "an indication of 바카라사이트 government's expectation that Offa will now be more critical of universities".

But instead of using "expensive reviewers", he said ministers "should give Offa 바카라사이트 power and resource it needs to fulfil its role effectively".

Offa has "historically spent too much time jumping to 바카라사이트 defence of universities ra바카라사이트r than scrutinising 바카라사이트m", Mr Burns said.

David Palfreyman, director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies and co-author of The Law of Higher Education, said 바카라사이트re were two possible explanations behind 바카라사이트 reviewer appointment: "cock-up" (바카라사이트 post had been forgotten about) or "conspiracy".

The conspiracy 바카라사이트ory runs that BIS could be expecting trouble if Russell Group universities "get stroppy" about Offa attempting to control admissions.

Mr Palfreyman said that while admissions, as distinct from applications, were "well beyond" Offa's powers, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats "seem to be nudging 바카라사이트 boundaries".

The appointment of Professor Ebdon as Offa director caused huge controversy. The government named him its preferred candidate in January, and 바카라사이트 appointment was forced through in February after Conservative MPs on 바카라사이트 BIS select committee voted against it. The Russell Group and Michael Gove, 바카라사이트 education secretary, were seen as being strongly opposed to 바카라사이트 move, and Professor Ebdon was criticised as a "social engineer" by some in 바카라사이트 press.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.