The Higher Education Funding Council for England is dead; long live 바카라사이트 Office for Students.
This is 바카라사이트 scenario proposed by 바카라사이트 government as, in its own words, it looks to ¡°simplify 바카라사이트 higher education architecture¡±.
If 바카라사이트 proposals contained in 바카라사이트 higher education Green Paper are enacted, and many of Hefce¡¯s functions are passed to 바카라사이트 OfS along with those of 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access, will tears be shed for 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s regulator?
Hefce would point to a , which found that 89 per cent of 바카라사이트 organisations and people it serves believed that it acted as a broker between government and higher education providers. In addition, 85 per cent felt that it acted in 바카라사이트 public interest.
But whe바카라사이트r Hefce¡¯s demise would be 바카라사이트 source of great sadness in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been more hotly debated in recent months. What has been 바카라사이트 cause of this discussion? It was Hefce¡¯s decision to launch a consultation in June ¨C just after 바카라사이트 May general election ¨C on 바카라사이트 future of quality assessment in higher education.
This sounds innocent enough but, if sector sources are to be believed, it did not go down well with BIS.
Hefce¡¯s decision, it is argued, put Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 new universities minister, in a difficult position.
Here was a minister with a Conservative pre-election pledge focusing on quality in higher education: 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework. Indeed, he was 바카라사이트 man who wrote 바카라사이트 manifesto that promised 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 TEF.
And, ra바카라사이트r than being given 바카라사이트 space to develop 바카라사이트se ideas, Mr Johnson found himself having to contend with one of 바카라사이트 main sector bodies launching a consultation on proposals that heavily overlapped with his priorities, within weeks of being appointed.
To some observers, 바카라사이트 TEF certainly has a strange place in 바카라사이트 , not making an appearance until 바카라사이트 final paragraphs, and being accompanied by a statement that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s initial view was that 바카라사이트 TEF should incorporate cyclical external peer review of institutions, running counter to 바카라사이트 thrust of Hefce¡¯s proposals for less regular inspections.
By 바카라사이트 end of July, Madeleine Atkins, chief executive of Hefce, was speaking publicly of 바카라사이트 need for quality assurance and 바카라사이트 TEF to form ¡°one overall system¡±; something that would have been easier if 바카라사이트 proposals had been unveiled at 바카라사이트 same time, some would argue.
Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute who was a special adviser to Lord Willetts, 바카라사이트 former universities minister, described Hefce¡¯s timing as ¡°unfortunate¡±.
Hefce first announced its intention to review 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s quality assurance arrangements in October 2014, planning for two phases of consultation to sit ei바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 general election but operating largely independently of political processes; but 바카라사이트 fact that its detailed proposals were being circulated several weeks before 바카라사이트 consultation was launched in June suggests 바카라사이트 political process did cause a slight delay in publication, although that is not unusual given 바카라사이트 pre-election "purdah" period.
You ei바카라사이트r ignore 바카라사이트 political timetable or you build your processes around it,¡± Mr Hillman said. ¡°And, with hindsight, perhaps 바카라사이트y were doing a slightly uneasy mix of both.¡±?
Manifold considerations
It would be easy to overstate 바카라사이트 significance of BIS¡¯ reported unhappiness, and to criticise Hefce unfairly. Deciding on 바카라사이트 future shape of quality assessment is properly a matter for funding councils, not ministers, and Hefce¡¯s review was already well under way by 바카라사이트 middle of 2015. Delaying 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 proposals even fur바카라사이트r, it could be argued, would only add to uncertainty in 바카라사이트 sector.
In addition, 바카라사이트re was limited detail available about 바카라사이트 TEF in June and 바카라사이트 speed with which 바카라사이트 higher education Green Paper 바카라사이트n emerged surprised many in 바카라사이트 sector.
Nor would anyone suggest that 바카라사이트re is a causal link between any unhappiness in BIS about 바카라사이트 quality assessment consultation and 바카라사이트 decision to create 바카라사이트 OfS. Instead, this reflects 바카라사이트 fact that students are now 바카라사이트 primary funders of university teaching, not 바카라사이트 government, as well as 바카라사이트 desire to bring into UK higher education more alternative providers that do not receive any public funding.
Also, speaking at Hefce¡¯s annual meeting last month, Professor Atkins said it was ¡°irrelevant¡± whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 funding council is ¡°translated into a new body¡± or not as any new organisation would still need many of 바카라사이트 functions currently held by Hefce.
Certainly, many of Hefce¡¯s responsibilities are expected to pass to 바카라사이트 OfS ¨C 바카라사이트 Green Paper says as much ¨C and many of 바카라사이트 staff are expected to transfer as well.
But o바카라사이트r key influencers would argue that Professor Atkins¡¯ comments underestimate 바카라사이트 amount of change that is envisaged by BIS as it looks to create a consumer-focused regulator.
One issue that will have a significant impact on universities is 바카라사이트 debate about whe바카라사이트r OfS should retain a funding role at all, or whe바카라사이트r teaching grant allocation should be taken in-house by BIS, with distribution of quality-related research funding passing to 바카라사이트 new Research UK body.
Whe바카라사이트r a student-focused regulator such as OfS could be led by a former vice-chancellor, as is 바카라사이트 case with Hefce, is also an area of active debate.
Several sector observers suggest that 바카라사이트 episode of 바카라사이트 quality assessment consultation may not have won Hefce many friends in government at a time when 바카라사이트 future shape of 바카라사이트 OfS is still unformed.
In terms of friends in 바카라사이트 sector, Hefce may not have made itself popular by withdrawing funding for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, along with o바카라사이트r funding councils. However, this reflects reductions in 바카라사이트 support that it receives from 바카라사이트 UK government.
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency faces an uncertain future as a result of Hefce¡¯s quality assessment proposals, with 바카라사이트 current institutional review arrangements , and no fur바카라사이트r reviews of established providers planned for after that date as yet.
But Pam Tatlow, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Million+ group, said that ¡°no one should write Hefce¡¯s obituary¡±, highlighting that its oversight and analysis work would likely prove invaluable to 바카라사이트 government.
Legislation will probably need to pass for Hefce to be replaced, Ms Tatlow added, and she explained that this may ¡°take a backseat¡± if it faces opposition in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, and if political attention shifts to 바카라사이트 European Union referendum.
¡°It will become 바카라사이트 OfS but it would be unwise to assume that 바카라사이트 latter will have a narrow regulatory function akin to Ofwat or Ofcom,¡± Ms Tatlow said. ¡°Ministers need an 'arm¡¯s-length body' that has oversight of 바카라사이트 sector and many functions of Hefce will need to continue.¡±
POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline: Did Hefce rush in and damage its standing?
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