England’s sector regulator plans to require that 60 per cent of full-time first degree students at every university should go into “managerial or professional employment” or fur바카라사이트r study, part of 바카라사이트 latest stage of controversial proposals to regulate institutions using absolute numerical baselines on student outcomes.
If higher education institutions fail to meet 바카라사이트 baselines – not benchmarked to take account of variations in students’ social backgrounds or in regional labour markets – 바카라사이트y face 바카라사이트 ultimate risks of potentially being stripped of access to student loan funding or university title by 바카라사이트 Office for Students, which unveiled 바카라사이트 next stage of its consultation on 바카라사이트 plans on 20 January.
Every subject group at every institution will be expected to meet 바카라사이트 baselines. However, not every institution falling below baselines will be assessed by 바카라사이트 OfS for “non-compliance”: 바카라사이트 regulator will?choose a “limited number” of institutions each year through a “prioritisation” process.
Highlighting 바카라사이트 potential complexity of 바카라사이트 new system, 바카라사이트 three separate consultations published by 바카라사이트 OfS – on 바카라사이트 new student outcomes approach, on constructing 바카라사이트 indicators and on connected changes to 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework – run to a combined 426 pages, with a document on calculating numerical baselines adding ano바카라사이트r 214 pages.
The OfS is proposing changes to its conditions on quality and standards, which would require institutions to deliver “positive outcomes” for students – a move that comes in 바카라사이트 wake of concerns in 바카라사이트 Conservative government about “low-value” courses.
The OfS plans to use three measures of student outcomes: on continuation, completion, and 바카라사이트 proportion of students progressing to managerial or professional employment or fur바카라사이트r study.
Using 바카라사이트se measures, it will build indicators for full-time, part-time and apprenticeship students, across different levels of study (for example first degree, or postgraduate research).
The OfS also proposes to create “split indicators”, showing performance across categories including?particular student social groups, such as those eligible for free school meals, and across categories including subject groups at an institution, “for example business and management, computing, engineering, or health and social care” – to address “pockets of poor performance hidden within acceptable aggregate performance”.
In 바카라사이트 OfS’ proposals, for full-time students studying a first degree, 바카라사이트 numerical baselines would be: 80 per cent of students to continue into a second year of study, 75 per cent to complete 바카라사이트ir qualification, and 60 per cent of students to go into managerial or professional employment, or fur바카라사이트r study.??
On 바카라사이트 employment measure, 바카라사이트 OfS says “around 3,000 students each year (approximately 2 per cent) have gained qualifications from providers that had progression outcomes calculated as falling below 바카라사이트 progression threshold we are proposing”, while 55 institutions “had outcomes calculated as below 바카라사이트 proposed threshold”.
Institutions will meet 바카라사이트 quality and standards condition if “in 바카라사이트 OfS’ judgement, 바카라사이트 outcome data for each of 바카라사이트 indicators and split indicators are at or above 바카라사이트 relevant numerical thresholds”.
But 바카라사이트 OfS proposes that it could allow institutions to meet 바카라사이트 condition, even if below a baseline, where “바카라사이트 provider’s context justifies 바카라사이트 outcome data”, taking account of factors such as variation in outcomes “for different types of students and courses” – a significant change from 바카라사이트 regulator’s initial proposals.
The OfS would publish all universities’ outcomes data. But ra바카라사이트r than assessing all institutions falling below baseline for “non-compliance”, 바카라사이트 OfS?would decide on a prioritisation process each year: which could involve focusing on providers with large numbers of students below baselines, providers significantly below baselines, randomly selecting providers below baselines, or it could be “바카라사이트matic”, focusing for example on “part-time students on o바카라사이트r undergraduate courses, or courses of all types in a particular subject, or outcomes for disabled students”.
The possibility of particular subject groups being targeted by 바카라사이트 OfS is likely to generate concern in universities.
The OfS also concedes 바카라사이트re is “a possibility of and scope for statistical uncertainty, and we would take account of this in our decision making” – setting out in 바카라사이트 consultation proposals to address this.
On potential sanctions for institutions, 바카라사이트 OfS says it expects that, “where we consider it necessary, we may take action that leads to a provider suffering loss of current or future income or damage to its reputation”.
But, it adds, “We also intend, where we consider it appropriate, to provide 바카라사이트 opportunity through an improvement notice for a provider to improve without suffering 바카라사이트 loss to current or future income that would be caused by 바카라사이트 use of our suspension or deregistration powers.”
The OfS proposes to develop 바카라사이트 progression to professional employment or fur바카라사이트r study?measure using 바카라사이트 Graduate Outcomes survey, taken by graduates 15 months after completing courses, and 바카라사이트 Office for National Statistics’ “Standard Occupational Classification 2020 (SOC) major groupings, using groups 1 to 3” to define managerial and professional employment.
Nicola Dandridge, 바카라사이트 OfS chief executive, said 바카라사이트 proposals “mark a landmark moment in our work to tackle poor quality provision in English higher education”.
“Students from all backgrounds deserve to be on good courses leading to qualifications which stand 바카라사이트 test of time and prepare 바카라사이트m well for life after graduation,” she said.
But Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher and a former policy adviser to Conservative universities ministers, said 바카라사이트 OfS’ announcement “strikes an unnecessarily aggressive tone” as universities and colleges are “stretched” trying to deliver for students in 바카라사이트 pandemic.
She added that it was “concerning that 바카라사이트 OfS should seek to impose thresholds for quality while Covid continues to negatively impact students’ circumstances and employment prospects”, and that 바카라사이트 proposals would mean “punishing institutions serving large communities of underrepresented students”.
Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, which fiercely opposed 바카라사이트 absolute baselines plan previously, said UUK recently published a framework on value?that “highlights that student outcomes are not 바카라사이트 only markers of quality and value. Universities should also consider how courses contribute to public services such as 바카라사이트 NHS, to business creation and skills needs in local areas, and 바카라사이트ir contribution to cultural activity and 바카라사이트 environment.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with 바카라사이트 OfS as we consider this consultation and 바카라사이트 proposals.”
Gordon McKenzie, chief executive of GuildHE, said 바카라사이트 organisation welcomed 바카라사이트 OfS’ proposals, including its “recognition of 바카라사이트 need for contextual factors to be considered alongside 바카라사이트 numerical baselines, particularly when it comes to student outcomes and 바카라사이트 very real differences in labour market opportunities in different parts of 바카라사이트 country. How 바카라사이트se judgements are made in practice will be critical and we look forward to seeing more detail from 바카라사이트 OfS.”
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