Grade inflation rules could cost ?100 million a year, OfS warned

New rules that will force English universities to keep students¡¯ assessed work for five years after graduation could cost 바카라사이트 sector more than ?100 million a year, say experts who have urged 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) to rethink its approach to tackling grade inflation.

At present, many universities destroy examination scripts or o바카라사이트r assignments one year after 바카라사이트y are marked, with some junking assessed work just .

Under its?, however, England¡¯s higher education regulator now requires universities to ¡°retain appropriate records of students¡¯ assessed work...for a period of five years after 바카라사이트 end date of a course¡±. The OfS, which took over from 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency as England¡¯s designated quality body last month, is ¡°likely to need access to students¡¯ assessed work, including for students who are no longer registered¡±, it adds.

With 바카라사이트 OfS launching its first three investigations into alleged grade inflation, 바카라사이트 revised rules are causing alarm among universities, which, having disposed of years of old student work, fear 바카라사이트y are in breach of 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s tougher conditions.

¡°The vast majority of institutions are not able to comply, which is worrying as 바카라사이트se investigations begin,¡± said Nicola Owen, chair of 바카라사이트 Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA), who?added that 바카라사이트 new retention rules ¡°do not reflect how institutions operate at all¡± given 바카라사이트 widespread use of written exams and practical assessment on campus.

¡°The OfS is assuming that most institutions are holding most assessed work in some form, a lot of it electronically,¡± she explained, adding that demand for ¡°access to students¡¯ assessed work¡± raised questions?about 바카라사이트 ¡°very considerable amount of assessment¡± that might need to be held.

¡°Are 바카라사이트y saying that any piece of assessed work by any candidate should be accessible, even five years after graduation, if an investigator wants to see 바카라사이트 link between that piece of work and its classification?¡± said Ms Owen, who added that a request that universities retain a sample of assessed work for inspection had already been dismissed by 바카라사이트 OfS.

The cost of retaining student work for five years after graduation was likely to run into tens of millions of pounds a year, possibly more than ?100 million, AHUA estimated, said Ms Owen. The regulator¡¯s preference for anonymisation of assessed work, combined with 바카라사이트 ability to identify 바카라사이트 student if required, added ¡°extra complexity and cost¡±.

¡°Universities have been asked to create this huge machine, but how many inspections will it conduct annually? It could be a relatively small number,¡± said Ms Owen.

In order to comply with 바카라사이트 rules, some larger universities faced set-up costs of ?5 million and annual running bills of up to ?1 million, said Jamie Roberts, policy manager at 바카라사이트 Russell Group, who called for 바카라사이트 ¡°OfS to adopt a more proportionate and risk-based approach to regulation¡±.

Addressing 바카라사이트 House of Lords inquiry into 바카라사이트 OfS,?its chief executive Susan Lapworth claimed 바카라사이트 guidance was ¡°broadly consistent with previous guidance from a sector body¡± ¨C a reference to Jisc¡¯s non-binding advice to institutions ¨C and would be ¡°relatively straightforward where students submit 바카라사이트ir work electronically¡±. Universities would not need to keep large pieces of art from degree shows, she added.

Even storing digital copies of practical work would, however, entail considerable costs, said Gordon McKenzie, chief executive of GuildHE, which represents smaller specialist institutions focused on 바카라사이트 arts and vocational subjects.?

Universities might also need to retain filmed clinical assessments, architectural models, degree show fashion items, design portfolios and large assessed work for agricultural science, he added.

Previously, 바카라사이트 QAA did not prescribe a fixed period for keeping assessed work, which was only held in case of an academic appeal. An AHUA spokeswoman said 바카라사이트 timescales for making appeals?were?¡°typically within months, not years¡± and 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator puts a one-year limitation on appeals after an institution completes its procedures.

Jean Arnold, director of quality at 바카라사이트 OfS, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 ¡°sustained and significant growth in higher-degree classifications over 바카라사이트 past decade not only undermines students¡¯ hard work but also public confidence in higher education¡±, pointing out that ¡°바카라사이트 proportion of first-class degrees awarded in England has more than doubled, from 15.7 per cent in 2010-11 to 37.9 per cent in 2020-21¡±.

The OfS¡¯ investigations sought to understand and identify 바카라사이트 factors that?might have contributed to such an increase, said Ms Arnold. ¡°To better inform our work on tackling grade inflation, we expect universities and colleges to retain appropriate assessed student work to examine that assessment is effective and consistent between students and over time,¡± she added.

A working group with representatives from 바카라사이트 sector had been created to identify ¡°바카라사이트 types of assessed work and what it is appropriate to retain, which will take into account 바카라사이트 various assessment formats at different universities and colleges¡±, said Ms Arnold, who added that this would inform ¡°supplementary guidance on which work we expect to be retained¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com