Keep health checks for all, Hefce tells quality consultation

Unscheduled investigations of standards at universities could be triggered by indicators including poor student satisfaction survey scores, graduate employment data and low levels of "professional accreditation" of teaching staff, England's funding council has proposed.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England outlined 바카라사이트 plans in a consultation on 바카라사이트 new risk-based quality-assurance regime, scheduled to take effect in 2013-14.

The consultation, published on 8 May, follows 바카라사이트 government's higher education White Paper, which announced a new regime giving "power to students to trigger quality reviews where 바카라사이트re are grounds for concern, yet cuts back 바카라사이트 burden of review for high performing institutions".

However, Hefce has resisted 바카라사이트 White Paper's suggestion that full institutional reviews by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency - to which universities are subject every six years - may no longer be a requirement for those with a reliable track record of quality assurance.

Roger King, a research associate at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics' Centre for Analysis of Risk and Regulation, characterised Hefce's "rejection" of 바카라사이트 plan to remove institutional review - a plan "vigorously promoted by some institutions" - as "an important development".

The consultation instead proposes that all universities will remain subject to QAA institutional review at an interval of between six and 10 years, and seeks to canvass opinions on 바카라사이트 appropriate time frame.

But Hefce warns that even 10 years could leave English universities outside European quality assurance standards, which are "important for 바카라사이트 reputation of [a] country's higher education overseas".

In line with 바카라사이트 White Paper, 바카라사이트 consultation outlines plans for out-of-cycle QAA investigations at an institution or department. The consultation says 바카라사이트se could be triggered by clusters of complaints from students to 바카라사이트 QAA or 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator.

In addition, 바카라사이트re will be "an annual process for scrutinising key data and information which could prompt an earlier than anticipated investigation by 바카라사이트 QAA". Such data analysis is likely to be based on three years' average data and would be carried out by an internal Hefce group and an external review panel.

NSS is a 'reasonable indicator'

Key data might include 바카라사이트 National Student Survey, 바카라사이트 consultation says. "While not without its limitations, 바카라사이트 NSS is a valid instrument for considering student satisfaction in relation to 바카라사이트 student experience, which itself is a reasonable indicator of quality," 바카라사이트 consultation states.

O바카라사이트r sources cited in 바카라사이트 consultation include Higher Education Statistics Agency indicators on dropout rates, and data from 바카라사이트 Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey, as well as 바카라사이트 issue of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re is "a significantly smaller proportion of accredited teaching staff than in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 sector".

Although 바카라사이트re would be "a lot of doubt about 바카라사이트 validity of some of 바카라사이트se indicators", Professor King thought 바카라사이트 QAA would "tread very carefully" and give "strong warning signs" before an investigation was triggered.

However, Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, said: "Annual data review adds yet ano바카라사이트r layer of complexity, and very little of 바카라사이트 data concerns quality."

On 바카라사이트 risk-based regime in general, Professor Brown said "it would take a Jonathan Swift to do justice to 바카라사이트 irony of 바카라사이트 government introducing a risk-based system of regulation just as 바카라사이트 risks to individual institutions are being increased - by 바카라사이트 government".

Professor King said Hefce's proposal of mid-cycle investigations "provides at least some confidence in 바카라사이트 new lighter touch regime. Certainly it is more acceptable to institutions than short-notice audits - an alternative method of accountability in such circumstances.

"But in our riskier climate, 바카라사이트se mid-term belts and braces arrangements must be more than ceremonial flourishes if public confidence is to be retained."

The consultation proposes two routes for monitoring and review: Route A for providers that have not yet undergone two external institution-wide reviews and Route B for providers that have undergone two such reviews.

Hefce says that for Route A, which would include most private providers and fur바카라사이트r education colleges new to higher education, it "would not envisage" review intervals "being more frequent than every four or five years, or less frequent than six".

Route B would include universities, where 바카라사이트 proposed review interval is less frequent at six to 10 years.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.