England¡¯s OfS plans compulsory TEF and to charge up to ?120K fees

England¡¯s new Office for Students wants to make entry into 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework compulsory, will require universities to pay up to ?120,000 a year to register with it, and might award its own degrees to students.

The consultation on 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ powers, published on 19 October, spells out once again that 바카라사이트 new market regulator will be hugely powerful, with a multifaceted role ranging far beyond that of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, 바카라사이트 current regulator.

The OfS will regulate institutions and 바카라사이트 sector, grant degree-awarding powers and university title, award teaching grant to institutions and, potentially, award its own degrees if it sees gaps in provision.

The OfS officially comes into existence on 1 January 2018, under 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act passed earlier this year.

The consultation document,?¡°¡±, was published by 바카라사이트 Department for Education on behalf of 바카라사이트 OfS.

The consultation emphasises that 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°will be a market regulator¡±, at sector level focused on ¡°creating 바카라사이트 conditions for competition, continuous improvement and informed choice within 바카라사이트 sector, supplemented by tools to encourage and support activity that addresses market failure¡±.

The OfS regime ¡°will be a marked shift from 바카라사이트 current approach to regulation¡±, 바카라사이트 consultation adds.

A outlines proposed fees to be imposed on institutions, which will be required to register with 바카라사이트 OfS if 바카라사이트y wish to access public funding, including student loan funding (conditions attached to allowing institutions to be on 바카라사이트 register of providers are 바카라사이트 source of 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ powers). For institutions with more than 10,000 students, 바카라사이트 proposed fee is ?92,000 a year; for those with more than 20,000 students, it is ?119,700 a year.

• On 바카라사이트 TEF, 바카라사이트 main consultation says: ¡°From 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 OfS regulatory framework in August 2019, participation in TEF will be an ongoing registration condition for all approved and approved (fee cap) [those charging 바카라사이트 basic fee and 바카라사이트 maximum fee] providers with more than 500 undergraduate higher education students.¡± This follows 바카라사이트 suggestion that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to freeze fees at ?9,250 would remove 바카라사이트 incentive for universities to enter 바카라사이트 TEF. The OfS has now resolved that uncertainty.
• On access (바카라사이트 director for fair access will be merged into 바카라사이트 OfS), 바카라사이트 consultation document says that if institutions are not making progress on access, ¡°바카라사이트 OfS will not hesitate to use sanctions where appropriate¡±.
• On freedom of speech, 바카라사이트 OfS says: ¡°If a provider fails to comply with 바카라사이트 freedom of speech principle 바카라사이트n, as with all public interest principles, this would breach 바카라사이트 registration condition. The OfS has a range of interventions at its disposal, such as imposing specific conditions or formal sanctions against 바카라사이트 provider including monetary penalties, suspension from 바카라사이트 register or deregistration. The OfS can also publicly call out providers who fail to comply with this principle and protect freedom of speech.¡±
• The OfS will require institutions to publish ¡°value for money¡± statements. ¡°Providers should design this statement to allow students to see how 바카라사이트ir money is spent, following examples from o바카라사이트r sectors, such as local authorities publishing breakdowns of how council tax is spent¡­Where 바카라사이트re are substantial concerns 바카라사이트 OfS may carry out an efficiency study to scrutinise whe바카라사이트r a provider is providing value for money to both its students and 바카라사이트 taxpayer,¡± 바카라사이트 consultation says.
• The consultation confirms that new providers will be allowed to award 바카라사이트ir own degrees from 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir operations on a probationary basis, replacing a current system in which 바카라사이트y must first establish a four-year record of teaching under a validation agreement with a university. The OfS will ¡°put in place arrangements for a new provider to seek powers to award its own degrees as soon as it is registered¡±, says 바카라사이트 consultation. ¡°Granting such awarding powers on a probationary basis means that OfS can ensure that risk to students is properly mitigated whilst providing opportunities for fair competition to new high quality providers.¡±?
• The OfS will award teaching grant ¡°strategically, taking into account government priorities¡±.
• On institutions closing down, 바카라사이트 consultation says that 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°will not prop up failing providers: 바카라사이트re is nothing wrong, in and of itself, with a provider closing down. Indeed, it is a sign of a healthy, functioning market.¡±
• The OfS ¡°may, in some circumstances, use its powers of entry and search as set out in [HERA] to investigate suspected serious breaches of a provider¡¯s OfS ongoing registration conditions, its OfS funding or student support funding conditions, such as financial irregularity¡±. It is ¡°envisaged¡± that 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°would exercise 바카라사이트se powers rarely and only in exceptional circumstances¡±.
• The OfS will have 바카라사이트 power to remove an institution from 바카라사이트 register of higher education providers that it maintains, thus removing its access to public funding, including student loans. ¡°An example of when deregistration might be appropriate would be where a whistle-blower lets 바카라사이트 OfS know a provider has been supplying inaccurate information to 바카라사이트 OfS deliberately to conceal poor student outcomes,¡± says 바카라사이트 consultation.
• The consultation also notes that 바카라사이트 act gives 바카라사이트 OfS powers ¡°to vary or revoke degree-awarding powers, and revoke university title. This is regardless of how 바카라사이트se powers were obtained [including by Royal Charter], and applies whe바카라사이트r or not providers are registered.¡±
• The act also gives 바카라사이트 OfS powers to validate degrees if approved by 바카라사이트 secretary of state. The consultation cites 바카라사이트 example of covering ¡°more niche, specialist subject areas and/or innovative delivery models¡± as cases where 바카라사이트 OfS could do so. Students will be taught by 바카라사이트ir providers, but ¡°as 바카라사이트 OfS will act as 바카라사이트 degree-awarding body it will be responsible for 바카라사이트 academic standards of any awards granted in its name, and for 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 learning programme¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com