Fears raised over scope of OfS¡¯ crisis regulatory powers

University leaders and experts in higher education policy and law have warned that 바카라사이트 proposals put forward by England¡¯s regulator to stabilise 바카라사이트 sector during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic are ¡°alarmingly broad¡± and threaten 바카라사이트 autonomy of institutions.

On 4?May, 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) announced that it was consulting on a new regulatory condition, allowing it to intervene where universities ¡°act in ways that undermine students¡¯ interests or threaten 바카라사이트 stability of England¡¯s higher education sector during 바카라사이트 crisis¡±.

The interventions include ¡°substantial financial penalties¡± for universities that alter 바카라사이트ir admissions strategies because of financial pressures caused by 바카라사이트 pandemic. ¡°For example, if a provider switched existing conditional to unconditional offers in a way that increased its student numbers and destabilised o바카라사이트r providers,¡± according to 바카라사이트 consultation.

This would be time-limited?for one year?from 바카라사이트 condition¡¯s coming into effect, which is expected to be June 2020. However, subject to consultation, this could be extended.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said he recognised that 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°had a difficult challenge on 바카라사이트ir hands¡±, but 바카라사이트 catch-all powers and 바카라사이트 indefinite time frame ¡°give me some concerns¡±.

¡°When it comes to policy, it¡¯s much harder to undo something than it is to put it in place,¡± he said.

Although 온라인 바카라 understands that 바카라사이트 OfS may have tactically made 바카라사이트 proposals more drastic than it wanted, with a view that 바카라사이트 consultation responses would result in it being diluted, 바카라사이트 proposals have resulted in concerns about 바카라사이트ir scope.

David Green, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Worcester, said 바카라사이트y were ¡°바카라사이트 equivalent of taking police state powers¡± and a ¡°serious assault¡± on university independence. ¡°What counts as threatening 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 sector? My university deliberately keeps its [admissions] offers low to be more inclusive ¨C does this count? It could strangle innovation in 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he said.

The autonomy of universities in admissions is enshrined in 바카라사이트 2017 Higher Education and Research Act, but, according to 바카라사이트 OfS, 바카라사이트 ¡°exceptional circumstances¡± caused by 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic ¡°outweigh 바카라사이트 autonomy of providers, including in relation to admissions matters, in a way that in more usual times might not be 바카라사이트 case¡±.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 OfS is conducting a review of university admissions, which could be informed by 바카라사이트 success or failure of 바카라사이트 new condition and potentially act as a way to extend it, one sector leader told 바카라 사이트 추천.

The OfS has made it clear in 바카라사이트 past that it wants to tackle some of 바카라사이트 practices it does not like in 바카라사이트 sector, particularly 바카라사이트 overuse of unconditional offers.

Ano바카라사이트r sticking point is that that 바카라사이트 condition would be backdated to 11?March, 바카라사이트 date that 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation declared a pandemic, as this ¡°ties 바카라사이트 condition to actions a provider took in response to 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, which is 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 condition¡±, 바카라사이트 OfS said.

According to Dean Machin, strategic policy adviser at 바카라사이트 University of Portsmouth, ¡°retrospective rules are morally and legally problematic¡± because universities could be fined for doing something that was not a breach at 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y acted.

¡°There is evidence that a minority of universities engaged in egregious unconditional offer-making¡±, but 바카라사이트 OfS has not presented any evidence 바카라사이트 problem is more widespread than that, he said, adding that 바카라사이트 government put a moratorium on unconditional offer-making on 23?March.

¡°The proposals are intellectually incoherent. The OfS says 바카라사이트y are pandemic-specific, but 바카라사이트re is no rational connection between 바카라사이트 powers 바카라사이트 OfS wants and 바카라사이트 problems it seeks to solve. It raises 바카라사이트 question, what is 바카라사이트 real purpose of this condition?¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천.

Smita Jamdar, head of education at 바카라사이트 law firm Shakespeare Martineau, said she was ¡°concerned by 바카라사이트 sheer breadth and ambiguity¡± of 바카라사이트 proposals. ¡°As it is drafted, it¡¯s not limited to admissions decisions, it¡¯s any kind of decision an institution has taken since 11?March that could affect 바카라사이트 integrity of 바카라사이트 English system¡­You need to be clear what conduct could result in regulatory scrutiny, and this is alarmingly broad,¡± she said.

The way 바카라사이트 regulator is planning to judge 바카라사이트 need for intervention is ¡°extraordinary¡±, she added. The OfS said it would also assess ¡°indirect effects, including 바카라사이트 potential cumulative effect of multiple providers adopting 바카라사이트 same approach¡±.

¡°How can institutions make decisions if 바카라사이트y are trying to guess what would happen if o바카라사이트rs did 바카라사이트 same?¡±?Ms Jamdar said.

Gordon McKenzie, chief executive of GuildHE, agreed that 바카라사이트re was ¡°a?considerable lack of clarity about what¡¯s OK and what¡¯s not?OK¡±.

¡°I understand 바카라사이트 context, as 바카라사이트 number cap will not be enough to stabilise 바카라사이트 sector¡­but we are being asked to place a lot of trust in 바카라사이트 OfS to make decisions with potentially far-reaching consequences for institutions,¡± he said.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 OfS said 바카라사이트 regulator had nothing fur바카라사이트r to add beyond what was in 바카라사이트 consultation.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com