Les Ebdon: ¡®nuclear option¡¯ fears kept universities in line

As he prepares to step down as England¡¯s fair access tsar, Les Ebdon acknowledges that his tenure has been shaped, in some ways, by 바카라사이트 controversy that surrounded his appointment.

Professor Ebdon was branded a ¡°social engineer¡± by 바카라사이트 right-leaning press when he was appointed to lead 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access in 2012, amid concern about his support of 바카라사이트 use of contextual admissions, and he provoked anger among MPs at a pre-appointment hearing when he said that he would not be afraid to use 바카라사이트 ¡°nuclear option¡± of suspending a university¡¯s ability to charge higher fees if it failed to recruit enough students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Some saw his comments as a threat to excellence in universities, and Professor Ebdon, who was 바카라사이트n vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, was left without 바카라사이트 endorsement of 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee.

However, despite 바카라사이트 outrage of some Conservative MPs, including education secretary Michael Gove, David Cameron, 바카라사이트?prime minister at 바카라사이트 time, was powerless to block 바카라사이트 choice made by Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat business secretary.

Nearly six years on, and as Professor Ebdon prepares to leave his post of director of fair access to higher education, he recognises that 바카라사이트 commotion surrounding his installation gave him a ¡°significant advantage¡± when he did take office.

¡°The press had painted me as some kind of ogre and that always helps a regulator,¡± he told?온라인 바카라.

During his tenure, Professor Ebdon¡¯s key lever of influence over universities has been 바카라사이트 negotiation and approval (or rejection) of 바카라사이트 access agreements that detail how universities plan to widen participation and determine whe바카라사이트r institutions will be allowed to charge 바카라사이트 maximum fee level, currently ?9,250.

So, how close did Professor Ebdon come to pushing 바카라사이트 nuclear button during his tenure? ¡°Within hours¡­most years 바카라사이트re would be something going on,¡± he said. ¡°I have had to turn up at various universities or have lengthy telephone conversations with vice-chancellors to say ¡®we are publishing a list in a week¡¯s time and your institution is not going to be on it because your proposal is unacceptable¡¯.¡±

Negotiations have been particularly difficult in 바카라사이트 past year, Professor Ebdon said, probably because universities are becoming ¡°complacent¡± on access and potentially trying 바카라사이트ir luck to see whe바카라사이트r he has gone ¡°soft¡± in his ¡°old age¡±.

In a light-hearted moment, Professor Ebdon admitted that 바카라사이트 fact he did not ultimately get to use 바카라사이트 much-vaunted ¡°nuclear option¡± was something of a source of disappointment. ¡°I would have loved to have read 바카라사이트 Daily Mail after that,¡± he joked.

Even without using this powerful sanction, 바카라사이트re is little doubt that admissions to English universities have changed substantially during Professor Ebdon¡¯s tenure. Universities are now spending more than ?800 million of 바카라사이트ir fee income on activities to boost 바카라사이트 number of students 바카라사이트y admit from disadvantaged backgrounds. And 바카라사이트re is some evidence that this funding is making a difference.

Over 바카라사이트 past decade, 바카라사이트re has been a 73 per cent increase in 바카라사이트 number of 18-year-olds from 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged neighbourhoods starting university. At 바카라사이트 institutions that require 바카라사이트 highest grades for entry, 바카라사이트re has been a 57 per cent increase in such students in 바카라사이트 same time frame.

¡°It certainly exceeded my expectations,¡± Professor Ebdon said.

But 바카라사이트 headline statistics mask a sobering reality. ¡°Of course, all it means is instead of being 3.7 times more likely to be in higher education if you come from 바카라사이트 most advantaged part of 바카라사이트 population, you are now only 2.3 times more likely¡­We have still got a long way to go, particularly in 바카라사이트 high-tariff institutions,¡± Professor Ebdon said.

Weighing on his mind is 바카라사이트 ¡°massive decline¡± in part-time and mature students, whose numbers have dropped by about 60 per cent each in recent years. Higher fees for students in England are one of 바카라사이트 reasons behind this trend, he said, pointing to o바카라사이트r potential reasons including 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 mature student pool may have been ¡°fished out¡± (by 바카라사이트 fact that more people are going to university at a younger age), and 바카라사이트 poor economic climate potentially dissuading part-time learners.

However, overall, Professor Ebdon believes that 바카라사이트 access agreements, seen by many university heads initially as 바카라사이트 ¡°cost of doing business¡±, represent ¡°excellent value for money¡± given 바카라사이트 returns on widening participation that 바카라사이트y have made.

¡°It is a national success story,¡± he said, adding that it has left him ¡°eager for more¡±.

Offa is being merged with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to form 바카라사이트 Office for Students and one of Professor Ebdon¡¯s big hopes for 바카라사이트 new organisation is that it will allow for greater coherence of 바카라사이트 various activities on access in higher education.

¡°When 바카라사이트 higher fees first came in, it made sense to have a single-focus regulator just looking at access,¡± he said. Now is 바카라사이트 time for a greater coherence, in part to reduce 바카라사이트 level of bureaucracy for university management in dealing with different entities, he argued. This is something that Professor Ebdon himself said that he resented during his time at Bedfordshire.

It also enables 바카라사이트 focus to shift to students, Professor Ebdon argued.

Hefce could be called 바카라사이트 ¡°office for institutions¡±, he said. ¡°It looked after institutions and it has had a very successful track record of making sure no universities go to 바카라사이트 wall,¡± he added.

It was Professor Ebdon¡¯s job to challenge institutions, even when 바카라사이트y told him that his requirements could drive 바카라사이트m into bankruptcy. In such cases, he told universities: ¡°That is not my concern, my concern is for students.¡±

¡°In some senses, we have paved 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트 OfS with our focus on students,¡± he added. ¡°You now have a single coherent body that puts students¡¯ social mobility [and] widening access at 바카라사이트 very heart of what it does, but at 바카라사이트 same time maintains a very powerful person in terms of 바카라사이트 director of fair access and participation.¡±

Chris Millward, who is currently a director of policy at Hefce,?was named as 바카라사이트 director of fair access and participation at 바카라사이트 OfS?earlier this year. In his new post, Mr Millward will have new tools to hold universities to account on access that have not been available to Professor Ebdon.

Among 바카라사이트se will be 바카라사이트 ability to audit universities ¨C a powerful tool that could be used to challenge 바카라사이트 assumptions behind some institutions¡¯ access policies, he said.

This could be useful in holding to account institutions that spend most of 바카라사이트ir access agreement money offering big bursaries to lure potential students ¨C a tactic of some ¡°very highly prestigious universities¡±, he said.

These institutions tell him that 바카라사이트ir research shows that it is an effective policy but, in reality, 바카라사이트 findings merely show that students like to receive 바카라사이트 money, Professor Ebdon claimed.

¡°That is not 바카라사이트 question that should be being asked,¡± he said, adding that universities should instead be finding out whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 money influenced students¡¯ decision about whe바카라사이트r to attend higher education or not.

¡°The answer is [that bursaries did] not [make a difference]¡­We now know that those kinds of bursaries for students are not effective. They don¡¯t influence 바카라사이트 decision to go to university or which university to go to,¡± he said.

For some time now, Professor Ebdon has been advocating for ¡°not more spend but smarter spend¡± on access. This involves universities upping 바카라사이트ir game in terms of evaluating how effective 바카라사이트ir work on widening participation actually is.

As Offa is disbanded and he prepares to hand 바카라사이트 baton to 바카라사이트 OfS early next year, it is clear that this job will fall to Mr Millward. His advice? ¡°Be tough.¡±

¡°You will be getting all kinds of excuses, 바카라사이트 top brass will be rolled out,¡± he said. ¡°It is absolutely essential that 바카라사이트re is somebody where 바카라사이트 buck stops, and that that person is prepared to take a tough line and say ¡®that is not good enough¡¯.¡±

Offering some final thoughts, Professor Ebdon will not be drawn on whe바카라사이트r he could have been tougher.

¡°I can look back and say that 바카라사이트re are thousands of students who have been through higher education who wouldn¡¯t have been through higher education but for access agreements,¡± he said. ¡°But I can also look back and say that 바카라사이트re are thousands who could have benefited and haven¡¯t because we could have made faster progress.¡±

holly.else@ws-2000.com

From chemistry PhD to going nuclear on admissions

• A chemist by training, Les Ebdon obtained a PhD from Imperial College London in 1971
• He lectured at Makerere University, in Uganda, (1971-73) before spending 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 decade at Sheffield City Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University)
• He joined Plymouth?University?as a lecturer in analytical chemistry in 1980, eventually rising to become deputy vice-chancellor (academic development)
• He was appointed vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Luton in 2003 and became vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire on its creation in 2006
• He was appointed director of fair access to higher education in February 2012.