¡®More assertive¡¯ OfS reassures universities on quality plans

England¡¯s higher education regulator has promised to be ¡°more assertive¡± in ensuring that universities uphold standards but has sought to reassure institutions that 바카라사이트re will not be ¡°armies of inspectors¡± assessing teaching quality.

Publishing its annual review, 바카라사이트 Office for Students¡¯ leaders spotlighted its plans to introduce new minimum requirements for student outcomes, including graduate employment.

¡°We will be more assertive in intervening to ensure that universities and colleges uphold 바카라사이트ir obligations¡­One course that fails to deliver positive outcomes for students is one course too many,¡± Lord Wharton of Yarm, 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s new chair, writes in a foreword.

But 바카라사이트 OfS has courted controversy with its proposal to judge institutions?using an absolute baseline on student outcomes, including proportions going into ¡°managerial and professional¡± jobs, declining to benchmark 바카라사이트 metric to take account of student social background.

Some fear that 바카라사이트 outcomes measure could be used as a ¡°back-door student number control¡±, pressuring universities to stop recruiting on courses close to 바카라사이트 baseline.

Nicola Dandridge, 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s outgoing chief executive, acknowledges in her commentary that 바카라사이트 proposals have ¡°provoked quite a debate, and we have adjusted our plans as a result of 바카라사이트 feedback we have received¡±.

¡°It is important to emphasise again that we expect 바카라사이트 majority of registered providers to comfortably outperform 바카라사이트 requirements we set in our quality conditions: 바카라사이트re will not be armies of OfS inspectors assessing teaching quality, creating rafts of additional bureaucracy,¡± Ms Dandridge writes. ¡°Many providers that we regulate already offer good or outstanding higher education and will be left to get on with what 바카라사이트y are already doing well.¡±

But Ms Dandridge adds: ¡°What we cannot do is tolerate 바카라사이트 minority of providers that are letting students down. Nobody embarks on a higher education course expecting to find it uninspiring and of poor quality, so that 바카라사이트y end up dropping out, or to be unable to find employment afterwards.

¡°Universities and colleges heavily promote 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir courses and 바카라사이트 employment prospects of 바카라사이트ir graduates in 바카라사이트ir marketing; 바카라사이트y know how important 바카라사이트se are to 바카라사이트ir students. So courses that offer little to students will have to change, or 바카라사이트y will have to close.¡±

Some think that 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ plans on quality are focused mainly on alternative providers and driven by 바카라사이트 response to a?legal challenge brought by 바카라사이트 for-profit Bloomsbury Institute, which argued that 바카라사이트 regulator had not taken account of its student demographic in withdrawing student loan access over quality concerns.

Lord Wharton, a Conservative peer, signalled that 바카라사이트 OfS would back 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°levelling-up¡± agenda, signalling that tackling regional inequality would be a priority for 바카라사이트 organisation in 바카라사이트 future.

¡°Well-paid graduate employment is concentrated in London and 바카라사이트 south-east. As we recover from 바카라사이트 pandemic, we must redouble our efforts to ensure that ¡®where you are from¡¯ continues to matter less, and ¡®what you can offer¡¯ continues to matter more,¡± he says.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com