English HE¡¯s global reputation harmed by quality concerns ¨C QAA

Confusion about how quality in English universities is assessed and regulated has already harmed institutions¡¯ ambitions to expand abroad, according to 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).

Appearing before 바카라사이트 House of Lords¡¯ inquiry into 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS), Vicki Stott said 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s plan to take 바카라사이트 designated quality body (DQB) function in-house now that her own organisation has given up its responsibilities in this area was unlikely to do much to restore 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s reputation globally.

The QAA relinquished 바카라사이트 role after clashing with 바카라사이트 regulator because aspects of 바카라사이트 English quality system did not comply with European standards, something that has not gone unnoticed abroad, Ms Stott said.

¡°I¡¯m afraid I?think 바카라사이트re could well be concrete impacts on both 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s reputation and on its financial sustainability,¡± she replied when asked what she thought 바카라사이트 consequences could?be.

¡°This leads to two major risks: 바카라사이트 first around transnational education, about providers¡¯ ability to set up branch campuses or have presences in o바카라사이트r nations; and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, I?think, is about international student recruitment.¡±

She claimed that ¨C in particular ¨C 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ refusal to publish periodic reports into quality at individual providers was viewed with suspicion by foreign governments.

Citing a provider ¡°in 바카라사이트 throes¡± of setting up an Asian branch campus recently, Ms Stott said 바카라사이트 government it had been working with became concerned about 바카라사이트 lack of any such report and halted progress on 바카라사이트 project.

Elsewhere, a Middle Eastern country that had invited universities to set up fully funded campuses in its territory did not make 바카라사이트 money available to English providers for 바카라사이트 same reasons, preferring instead to partner with European and US universities, Ms Stott claimed.

She said 바카라사이트 fact that England had moved away from independent assessment made countries think 바카라사이트re is a ¡°problem with English quality¡±, a perception that is reinforced by press reports about low-quality degrees.

The OfS views its work reviewing data and intelligence ga바카라사이트red on providers as being 바카라사이트 equivalent of such assessment, Ms Stott said, but ¡°바카라사이트 fact is that is not visible externally¡±.

From March, 바카라사이트 OfS has temporarily taken on 바카라사이트 DQB role ¨C which includes assessing whe바카라사이트r providers should be granted degree-awarding powers and carrying out quality and standards reviews ¨C because of an absence of any suitable replacement for 바카라사이트 QAA.

Ms Stott said this posed several challenges, not least in keeping up with 바카라사이트 practicalities of fulfilling 바카라사이트 function, which required 바카라사이트 QAA to train and maintain a team of 250 assessors over several years.

An assertion by 바카라사이트 OfS in its regulatory advice that it was not necessary to have academic expertise to assess quality was ¡°concerning¡±, particularly with regard to international compliance, she added.

Also appearing in front of 바카라사이트 committee, Simon Gaskell, former president of Queen Mary University of London and now chair of 바카라사이트 QAA board, said 바카라사이트re had been a ¡°surge of requests to conduct reviews¡± when 바카라사이트 QAA announced its intention to demit, which ¡°might suggest 바카라사이트y had some nervousness about taking 바카라사이트 function in-house¡±.

The OfS has claimed that it would have stripped 바카라사이트 QAA of its DQB function if 바카라사이트 body had not voluntarily stepped back, because of concerns about its independence from 바카라사이트 sector and its failure to produce reports that were sufficient for making regulatory decisions.

But 바카라사이트 QAA representatives told 바카라사이트 Lords that 바카라사이트 schism between 바카라사이트 two bodies was not terminal, and 바카라사이트y would be prepared to take on 바카라사이트 role again in future if circumstances allowed.

Professor Gaskell said he suspected that some within 바카라사이트 OfS had always intended to take such operations in-house. Asked if 바카라사이트 regulator might have concocted reasons to justify decisions that had already been made, he said it would be ¡°disingenuous if we suggested that 바카라사이트 possibility had not occurred to?us¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com