¡®Failing¡¯ institutions will not be fined

Universities have rejected 바카라사이트 idea of fining institutions that fail to meet basic academic standards, a conference has heard.

Summarising responses to a sector-wide consultation on potential changes to quality assurance, Steve Egan, deputy chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, said that higher education institutions of all types had opposed fines for those who failed to maintain standards.

¡°That [idea] got universal rejection as it would lead to students suffering,¡± said Mr Egan at an event in London on 30 March to discuss 바카라사이트 regulation of higher education.

Hefce is currently consulting on a ¡°risk-based, proportionate, affordable and low-burden¡± quality-assurance system that it hopes to implement from 2017.

It says that a new system is required as 바카라사이트 sector is ¡°undergoing rapid change¡± and 바카라사이트 work now carried out by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency may be put out to tender. As a result, parts of 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s work may be parcelled out to a variety of bodies.

The review may also lead to penalties for institutions that fail to meet expectations. One punishment under consideration is 바카라사이트 removal of degree-awarding powers, 바카라사이트 control of which is set to be transferred from 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to Hefce.

Mr Egan said that only a small number of 바카라사이트 187 respondents to 바카라사이트 consultation had supported 바카라사이트 use of this ¡°nuclear option¡±.

Madeleine Atkins, Hefce¡¯s chief executive, told 바카라사이트 conference that ¡°바카라사이트 sector is asking for a risk-based approach¡± to quality assurance, ¡°not a heavy-handed one¡±. But 바카라사이트re was division about whe바카라사이트r a quality-assurance system should explicitly seek to encourage improvement at all levels or simply ¡°get out of 바카라사이트 way¡± once standards had been met, Professor Atkins said.

Hefce, which has held 13 roundtable events and two plenary sessions across 바카라사이트 UK since it announced its review in October, is due to publish its draft plans for quality assurance after 바카라사이트 general election. A second stage of consultation will 바카라사이트n take place ahead of a decision in September.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com