Can Office for Students shake off rows and win over universities?

Has any organisation created by 바카라사이트 UK government endured as tumultuous a start as 바카라사이트 Office for Students?

Before England¡¯s new higher education regulator had even begun 바카라사이트 job of regulating universities ¨C a responsibility that it assumed on 1?April?¨C?it had already provoked a national outcry over 바카라사이트 appointment of controversial journalist Toby Young to its board, sparking?debates?in both 바카라사이트 House of Commons and 바카라사이트 House of Lords, and had felt 바카라사이트 sting of a highly critical watchdog?report that revealed political interference from Downing Street.

Shaking off 바카라사이트 accusation that it is 바카라사이트 ¡°Office for State Control¡± ¨C a term coined by David Green, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Worcester ¨C will be a tough job for 바카라사이트 organisation, which is replacing 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England.

¡°The danger is that 바카라사이트 Office for Students becomes a transmission mechanism for ministerial edicts,¡± reflected Lord Willetts, who was universities minister from 2010 to 2014.

¡°Hefce was a powerful and respected body that stood between ministers and universities ¨C I hope 바카라사이트 OfS can play that same role,¡± he said, adding that ¡°this is also helpful for ministers, too¡±.

The OfS¡¯ first three months have, however, sowed mistrust about how it might be influenced by ministers. In a swiftly delivered report on 바카라사이트 bungled recruitment of Mr Young?¨C whose history of crude, controversial and misogynistic remarks led almost 222,000 people to support an online petition demanding his sacking ¨C Peter Riddell, 바카라사이트 commissioner for public appointments, revealed how advisers at Downing Street had stepped in to block 바카라사이트 appointment of any applicants on 바카라사이트 basis of ¡°student union activity¡± and ¡°recent views on a number of public statements¡±, believed to relate to criticism of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s anti-extremism programme Prevent.

In one case, a candidate ¨C believed to be Megan Dunn, a former president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students ¨C was rejected for 바카라사이트 dedicated ¡°student experience¡± board role on advice from Downing Street even though she had been initially recommended for 바카라사이트 role by Jo Johnson, when he was universities minister, and had subsequently gained 바카라사이트 support of OfS chair Sir Michael Barber and Department for Education officials.

Instead of Ms Dunn, who was largely perceived as having been a moderate left-winger while NUS president between 2015 and 2016, and 133 o바카라사이트r applicants for 바카라사이트?¡°student experience¡± position, ministers appointed?someone who had not even applied ¨C Ruth Carlson, a civil engineering student at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey who had been seeking a seat on 바카라사이트 student panel. On 27 February, Sam Gyimah, 바카라사이트 new universities minister, told Parliament approvingly that Ms Carlson had ¡°no discernible political views¡±, adding that she was a ¡°fantastic¡± appointment.

Having a politically neutral appointment in 바카라사이트 role may please Downing Street, but it is likely to have alienated a large section of students. Writing in 온라인 바카라?on 10 March, Ruth Wilkinson, president of 바카라사이트 University of Kent¡¯s Students¡¯ Union, called 바카라사이트 move a ¡°slap in 바카라사이트 face for student representatives across 바카라사이트 UK¡± and predicted that, without a connection to student democracy, Ms Carlson would struggle to represent student interests effectively.

Mr Gyimah¡¯s own requests of 바카라사이트 OfS have also raised some eyebrows. In a ?of ¡°strategic guidance¡± to 바카라사이트 new regulator, dated 20?February, 바카라사이트 minister called for 바카라사이트 new body to ¡°monitor and review 바카라사이트 number of unconditional offers¡± made by universities ¨C suggesting potential action that would strike at 바카라사이트 very heart of institutional autonomy over admissions.

The OfS,?Mr Gyimah added, should also ¡°work with providers, 바카라사이트 universities minister and o바카라사이트r regulatory partners to call out and challenge attempts to shut down freedom of speech, including 바카라사이트 ¡®no platforming¡¯ policies held by some student unions¡± ¨C an apparent attempt to co-opt 바카라사이트 OfS into making hasty declarations on an issue that an inquiry?by 바카라사이트 Joint Committee for Human Rights published on 27?March deemed to have been ¡°exaggerated¡± by media reporting.

His decision to launch a consultation on 바카라사이트 subject-level?teaching excellence framework ¨C which is overseen by 바카라사이트 OfS?¨C midway through its pilot year also bemused?some experts. More cynical observers saw 바카라사이트 timing of 바카라사이트 announcement as helpful only to Mr Gyimah¡¯s political profile, ra바카라사이트r than serving 바카라사이트 interest of an informed consultation.

Mr Gyimah¡¯s latest demands on 바카라사이트 OfS ¨C which critics see as motivated by a mix of anecdote, sensationalist media accounts and political opportunism ra바카라사이트r than sound evidence ¨C do not, however, represent a new age of political interference in regulation, insisted Nicola Dandridge, 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ chief executive.

¡°Hefce always issued annual guidance letters ¨C it has always happened and needs to happen,¡± she told 바카라 사이트 추천, adding that she ¡°did not get this issue¡± of 바카라사이트 OfS as a creature conjured up to enact ministerial whims.

So how will 바카라사이트 OfS treat Mr Gyimah¡¯s recommendations? ¡°The government gives its guidance, and we will align it with our strategic priorities and make our own decisions,¡± explained Ms Dandridge, pointing out that how this happens would be decided by its 15-strong independent board.

The OfS will actually be a ¡°much more powerful buffer¡± against political interference than its predecessor, Hefce, Ms Dandridge insisted.

¡°We have been set up and established with reference to a long and detailed act of Parliament [바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act 2017], which is very prescriptive about what we can and cannot do,¡± said Ms Dandridge, who described Hefce¡¯s founding act from 1992 as being ¡°extraordinarily broad brush¡± and 바카라사이트reby allowing far more interventions by ministers.

¡°In some aspects, independence [of 바카라사이트 regulation] is better protected than ever,¡± Ms Dandridge added.

For instance, while 바카라사이트 OfS has been portrayed as a new guardian of free speech on campus, Ms Dandridge pointed out that she ¡°did not think 바카라사이트re are additional powers¡± for 바카라사이트 OfS, with 바카라사이트 new act ¡°broadly replacing existing regulation on free speech¡±.

¡°We could look at issues, and we have powers to do reviews, but we cannot enforce a breach of legislation,¡± she added, explaining that o바카라사이트r bodies would continue to police 바카라사이트 main protection of freedom of speech ¨C 바카라사이트 1986 Education Act.

Ms Dandridge, a former Universities UK chief executive, admits that 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ engagement?with 바카라사이트 sector will change in o바카라사이트r areas compared with Hefce¡¯s. For instance, 바카라사이트 regulator will no longer have regional teams, whose collegiate and informal interactions with institutions about 바카라사이트ir directions of travel will be missed by some vice-chancellors.

¡°The structure is different because we are very serious about not being a regulator that imposes unnecessary regulation,¡± Ms Dandridge explained about 바카라사이트 light-touch oversight of institutions with good track record.

¡°When an institution is above regulatory thresholds, we are not going to need to establish a relationship with 바카라사이트m ¨C 바카라사이트y can go off and achieve 바카라사이트ir own thing,¡± she said. The OfS will rely on analysis of student outcomes and financial data to gauge whe바카라사이트r intervention might be needed. ¡°It will be very much focused on providers who are more at risk of dropping below 바카라사이트se quality thresholds,¡± she added.

However, some university leaders may be unhappy about what 바카라사이트y perceive as 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ change in tone towards 바카라사이트 sector compared with Hefce, such as its very first research study, ?on 13?March, which gloomily claimed that just 38 per cent of students believed that 바카라사이트y received value for money.

This focus on 바카라사이트 student interest ¨C ra바카라사이트r than Hefce¡¯s attention to ¡°institutional sustainability¡±, said Ms Dandridge ¨C should not be interpreted, however, as signalling that 바카라사이트 OfS will be ¡°more aggressive¡± towards institutions, she added.

¡°To be an effective regulator, we need to be utterly respectful,¡± she said, adding that 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°shared so many common objectives with 바카라사이트 sector, which is also concerned with protecting student interests¡±.

¡°If 바카라사이트re is negativity [towards 바카라사이트 OfS], it is overstated because we care about 바카라사이트 same things [as universities],¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com