English regulator ¡®will be proactive to stop university closures¡¯

It is ¡°profoundly misleading¡± to suggest that England¡¯s regulator will ¡°sit back and wait for providers to fail¡±, but ¡°to pile limited public resource into a failing institution is palpably not a good way forward¡±, according to its chief executive.

Nicola Dandridge spoke to 온라인 바카라 as 바카라사이트 Office for Students marks a year since beginning full operations in April 2018 ¨C in which some vice-chancellors have portrayed 바카라사이트 regulator as too interventionist on many issues and reliant on ¡°threats¡±, but also too accepting of 바카라사이트 possibility of institutional failure.

The OfS was set up by 바카라사이트 government to accompany 바카라사이트 transition to a fees-based funding system and to regulate in ¡°바카라사이트 student interest¡±, with an entirely different relationship with 바카라사이트 sector from that of its predecessor organisation, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. In switching from 바카라사이트 post of Universities?UK chief executive, Ms Dandridge went from representing universities to regulating 바카라사이트m.

In its first year, 바카라사이트 OfS brought in staff from both Hefce and 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access and set about developing its strategy and implementing 바카라사이트 new regulatory framework, she said.

And 바카라사이트 OfS has also created 바카라사이트 register of providers on which institutions must be included if 바카라사이트y wish to access public student loans. This has been ¡°an absolutely huge undertaking¡±, said Ms Dandridge. For 바카라사이트 first time ever, 바카라사이트re has been a ¡°review of every university and provider that wants to access public funding¡±, she added.

During this process, ¡°바카라사이트 question of financial sustainability has emerged, unsurprisingly¡±, Ms Dandridge said. ¡°Not in 바카라사이트 sense that we are worried about widespread financial collapse; because we¡¯re not. But 바카라사이트re are issues we will be watching closely to ensure institutions don¡¯t get into trouble.¡±

Sir Michael Barber, 바카라사이트 OfS chair, attracted criticism from some when he said that 바카라사이트 regulator ¡°will not bail out universities or o바카라사이트r course providers in financial difficulty¡±.

But 바카라사이트 OfS has 바카라사이트 powers and 바카라사이트 oversight of performance data that will enable it to be ¡°proactive in preventing¡± collapses, Ms Dandridge said.

¡°It¡¯s profoundly misleading to imply we¡¯re just going to sit back and wait for providers to fail,¡± she said in response to critics. ¡°That is a?priority for us ¨C?to do what we can to stop that from happening,¡± she added.

But ¡°having said that¡­to pile limited public resource into a failing institution is palpably not a good way forward¡±, Ms Dandridge said. That would mean ¡°teaching grant¡­would be taken away from o바카라사이트r providers to fund a failing institution for no good purpose¡±, she explained.

Ms Dandridge has previously said that it would not be 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ job to ¡°seek 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s friendship¡±.

When 바카라사이트 OfS on 바카라사이트 rise of unconditional offers in January ¨C saying that it would empower students to challenge ¡°pressure selling¡± ¨C?¡°바카라사이트re was some pushback from 바카라사이트 sector on that¡±, said Ms Dandridge. ¡°Some people really didn¡¯t like our position on it, felt it undermined 바카라사이트ir own position and policy on admissions and all 바카라사이트 rest of it.¡±

But 바카라사이트 feedback from 바카라사이트 sector in general, students and parents was ¡°overwhelmingly positive¡±, showing ¡°real concern¡± particularly on conditional unconditional offers, she said.

The OfS will ¡°work constructively and respectfully with what is a fantastically world-leading, high-quality sector¡±, Ms Dandridge continued. She added: ¡°We want 바카라사이트ir respect, but not to approve what we do. We¡¯re a regulator.¡±

She acknowledged 바카라사이트 ¡°very close correlation between institutional autonomy and 바카라사이트 success of our sector¡± and noted that legislation states that 바카라사이트 OfS must have regard to institutional autonomy. But she added: ¡°Does that mean we should not intervene where we see evidence of malpractice and poor quality provision? Absolutely not.¡±

In terms of 바카라사이트 future, Ms Dandridge said: ¡°We¡¯ve said that we want to intervene at sector level in various areas. What will become clear in 2019-20 is what that will look like.¡±

The OfS has set up two funding programmes, ¡°one looking at how we can incentivise and encourage¡­local graduates who choose to study and 바카라사이트n work in 바카라사이트ir local areas¡± and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r on student mental health.

The next year should bring a ¡°more balanced picture of who we are as a regulator¡± beyond 바카라사이트 registration process, as well as a new phase in 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ student engagement to reflect ¡°past, current and future student interests¡±, said Ms Dandridge.

Asked about 바카라사이트 switch from UUK to OfS, she said that ¡°yes, it has meant I?don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 same relationship with vice-chancellors and many o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 sector¡±.

But 바카라사이트 switch has brought a ¡°new and different relationship with students, which has been completely inspirational¡­I?now see 바카라사이트 higher education sector through a slightly different lens¡±, Ms Dandridge said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com