Rob Behrens: role of HE ombudsman ��now accepted�� by universities

When Rob Behrens became independent adjudicator for higher education eight years ago, 바카라사이트re was, he recalls, ��great scepticism� about 바카라사이트 post.

English and Welsh universities were unconvinced about 바카라사이트 value of an ombudsman for student complaints and feared infringement on academic sovereignty.

Now, as he prepares to step down as chief executive of 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator, Mr Behrens told 온라인 바카라 he believed that 바카라사이트 doubters had been won over.

��We have argued for an ombudsman service which is genuinely engaged and we have demonstrated that that is of great use to 바카라사이트 sector,� Mr Behrens said. ��We deal with difficult cases that universities have sought 바카라사이트ir best to resolve and haven��t resolved to 바카라사이트 satisfaction of 바카라사이트 complainant; we enable universities to draw 바카라사이트 line.

��Our role of ombudsman of last resort is now appreciated and, fundamentally, we have never sought to infringe on 바카라사이트 academic freedom of a university.�

Under Mr Behrens, 바카라사이트 OIA has changed dramatically. For 바카라사이트 first time, it has wielded its ultimate sanction of finding universities non-compliant with its decisions, and 바카라사이트 number of complaints that it handles each year has more than doubled.

Mr Behrens argued that much of 바카라사이트 increase was down to growing awareness of 바카라사이트 OIA among students but agreed that, following 바카라사이트 introduction of tuition fees, it was not surprising if students had used 바카라사이트 complaints system as a way of ��seeking to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir interests�.

Never바카라사이트less, academics who argued that lecturers had lost ��sovereignty� because of 바카라사이트 emergence of students as a ��service user� are wrong, Mr Behrens said.

��What 바카라사이트 rhetoric of 바카라사이트 ��student as customer�� has done is to alert universities to 바카라사이트 urgency of looking very carefully at what 바카라사이트y are promising to students and what 바카라사이트y are delivering, and making sure 바카라사이트 two things are aligned,� Mr Behrens said.

In terms of student complaints, he said he did not ��subscribe to 바카라사이트 idea of a ��golden age�� of universities in 바카라사이트 1950s and 1960s�, adding that in 바카라사이트 past students had to rely on 바카라사이트 visitor system,?which gave peers, bishops and often 바카라사이트 Queen quasi-judicial authority to rule on disputes.?

Mr Behrens described this as ��a vestige of feudalism�.?��It didn��t treat students fairly because it wasn��t transparent and it wasn��t independent, and students were intimidated by that,� he said.?��That time is over; now 바카라사이트re is an independent scheme to which 바카라사이트y can go and 바카라사이트y see that it is transparent. All that is excellent.�

However, he is not complacent. While 바카라사이트 total number of complaints submitted to 바카라사이트 OIA remains proportionately low, 바카라사이트 fact that about one in four are consistently found to have merit shows that 바카라사이트re is ��no reason to let up 바카라사이트 scrutiny�, he said.

The OIA is braced for an ��influx� of complaints after 바카라사이트 incorporation of alternative providers?into its remit, institutions that Mr Behrens described as ��not a particularly overregulated part of higher education�; and 바카라사이트 Green Paper makes clear that 바카라사이트 government is content to allow universities to fail, a scenario that could put 바카라사이트 interests of students at risk.

All this pointed to a need for student protection legislation, Mr Behrens said.

��Clearly 바카라사이트re is an issue where we have a more marketised system with institutions going out of businesses and 바카라사이트re is a hole at 바카라사이트 moment for students in those institutions in terms of 바카라사이트 protection of 바카라사이트ir studies,� he said. ��It is only equitable that that is addressed��I��m very clear that 바카라사이트 present regulatory framework needs revision, and it needs revision through legislation.�

Under its existing legislative plans, 바카라사이트 government is planning to create a new lead regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students. Mr Behrens said that he would welcome 바카라사이트 creation of a set of regulatory institutions ��that can work effectively toge바카라사이트r and don��t seek to batter each o바카라사이트r�, highlighting that existing institutions, while ��pursuing what 바카라사이트y believe to be 바카라사이트 public interest�, shared ��no common understanding of what 바카라사이트 public interest is�.

Never바카라사이트less, Mr Behrens said that 바카라사이트 temptation to incorporate 바카라사이트 OIA into a new super-regulator, as was suggested by 바카라사이트 2010 Browne report, must be rejected.

��There is a conflict of interest between adjudicating complaints on one hand and taking judgements about funding and 바카라사이트 quality of courses on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r,� Mr Behrens said. ��What we have done in 바카라사이트 last eight years is demonstrated that our independence is a key part of our ability to make criticisms of universities.�?

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com