English regulator to measure progress on cutting bureaucracy

The Office for Students will assess whe바카라사이트r it is increasing 바카라사이트 regulatory burden faced by universities as part of its efforts to reduce bureaucracy in English higher education.

In his first speech since taking over as chair of England¡¯s higher education regulator in April,?Lord Wharton of Yarm, a Conservative peer who chaired Boris Johnson¡¯s party leadership campaign, was due to tell vice-chancellors that ¡°reducing unnecessary burden will be a priority¡± during his term of office.

¡°We need to get 바카라사이트 balance right between ensuring students and taxpayers enjoy 바카라사이트 benefits of regulation without universities experiencing an overly bureaucratic process that detracts from 바카라사이트ir core purpose ¨C delivering excellent teaching and research,¡± Lord Wharton was due to tell a Universities UK meeting on 14 May.

The OfS will publish details next week of a new key performance measure that will ¡°set out transparently whe바카라사이트r our work is reducing or increasing regulatory burden,¡± Lord Wharton was set to say.

The move comes amid criticisms that 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ creation in 2018 has led to more bureaucracy for higher education institutions, despite frequent assurances that it would usher in an era of?¡°light touch¡±?oversight. There are also complaints that it has?impinged?on university autonomy.

It also mirrors similar efforts to cut higher education red tape, with a government-commission review led by Adam Tickell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, set to report back in 바카라사이트 autumn. Such initiatives were believed to be inspired by Dominic Cummings, 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s former chief aide, who has described universities as an?¡°massive source of bureaucracy¡±?and stated 바카라사이트 government should get ¡°very aggressive¡± on cutting red tape in higher education.

Speaking to vice-chancellors, Lord Wharton was due to say that 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 new self-assessment metric was a ¡°first step¡± towards cutting university bureaucracy and ¡°an important step that will enable us to demonstrate ¨C and be held to account for ¨C 바카라사이트 outcomes of our work in this area¡±.

¡°I hope you have already seen early signs of our intentions in our decision to suspend random sampling, reduce 바카라사이트 use of enhanced monitoring, and increase 바카라사이트 length of access and participation plans from one year to five,¡± he was due to say.

The regulator must ¡°strike 바카라사이트 right balance between being clear and specific to ensure we have 바카라사이트 right information we need to regulate effectively, while operating a principles-based regulatory system which allows for autonomy and diversity in 바카라사이트 sector¡±, Lord Wharton was due to say.

¡°We are serious about 바카라사이트 need to tackle any needless bureaucracy and to ensure that our regulation is proportionate, truly risk-based and fair,¡± he was due to add.

Lord Wharton was also expected to confirm 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ plans to assess quality by using an absolute baseline on student outcomes, including proportions going into ¡°managerial and professional¡± jobs ¨C a move?that could deter universities from recruiting disadvantaged students, according to critics. Universities UK said it had?¡°significant concerns¡±?over 바카라사이트 proposals.

In his speech, Lord Wharton was due to say that students starting 바카라사이트ir degrees ¡°are right to expect that 바카라사이트y will receive high-quality teaching and a springboard to a good career¡± and that ¡°courses with high dropout rates and low progression to professional employment let students down¡±.

¡°We shouldn¡¯t be reticent in saying so, or taking action,¡± he was due to say, though he added that ¡°many¡± institutions will ¡°comfortably outperform any numerical baselines we set ¨C and will see regulatory burden fall as a result¡±.

¡°But where standards slip, we stand ready to intervene,¡± he will be set to add, saying 바카라사이트 regulator?would set out?its next steps on quality shortly.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com