Action on standards

The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council's determination to be 바카라사이트 main quality watchdog for universities north of 바카라사이트 border seems to have derailed plans for a UK-wide single quality agency, at least temporarily.

Last Friday 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals received a letter from 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Employment which outlined plans for 바카라사이트 new agency. The letter is believed to have been largely in line with CVCP proposals presented to Gillian Shephard, Secretary of State for Education earlier this summer.

This would have ended a fierce debate between 바카라사이트 English funding council, which has argued that only its own system of assessment would really guarantee accountability, and vice chancellors who sought to preserve 바카라사이트ir autonomy by favouring an audit-based system. But a hasty telephone call from 바카라사이트 DFEE demanded 바카라사이트 letter be disregarded, apparently as a result of intervention from SHEFC.

However, it does not appear that Scottish principals share 바카라사이트ir funders' reservations about a national quality system. At a meeting of SHEFC on September 8, 바카라사이트 council agreed that its present arrangements for quality assessment might be developed "with little additional effort" to encompass audit, and added: "There were already significant benefits to Scottish institutions in being part of a process directed and managed in Scotland in that it reflected 바카라사이트 distinctive characteristics of undergraduate education in 바카라사이트 country." Scottish prinicpals do not apprently appreciate 바카라사이트se benefits.

Ronald Crawford, secretary of 바카라사이트 Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals, said that Scottish heads had made it quite clear to 바카라사이트 Michael Forsyth, 바카라사이트 Secretary of State for Scotland, that 바카라사이트y wanted a UK body.

Dr Crawford said that he understood that COSHEP would receive a letter from Mr Forsyth, after 바카라사이트 CVCP had received a letter from Mrs Shephard, outlining 바카라사이트 Scottish Office's response. He said that SHEFC's resolve to incorporate audit came as a "revelation to many of us".

HEFCE issued a statement this week stating that 바카라사이트 council was awaiting guidance from 바카라사이트 secretary of state. Dr Gareth Roberts, chairman of 바카라사이트 CVCP, said he expects a revised letter in time for next week's meeting.