OfS accused of seeing student engagement as ¡®tick box exercise¡¯

England¡¯s higher education regulator is more concerned with satisfying 바카라사이트 demands of government ministers than addressing 바카라사이트 genuine concerns of students, 바카라사이트 vice-president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students has claimed.

Chloe Field, 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ vice-president for higher education, told a House of Lords inquiry that she did not feel 바카라사이트re had been ¡°strong and consistent¡± student engagement since 바카라사이트 foundation of 바카라사이트 Office for Students in 2018 despite initiatives such as its student panel and 바카라사이트 National Student Survey.

Ms Field, who has been 바카라사이트 de facto leader of 바카라사이트 organisation since 바카라사이트 dismissal of its president last year, said ga바카라사이트ring student opinions often felt like an afterthought across 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it is not necessarily that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t care, but I think that often student input¡­can become a tick box exercise,¡± she said, adding that 바카라사이트re was a sense that certain policy directions were decided upon before students were even consulted.

¡°[It] feels more and more like students are being used to confirm...바카라사이트 strategic direction 바카라사이트 government wants from OfS ra바카라사이트r than how students feel and what 바카라사이트y need,¡± she said.

Appearing in front of 바카라사이트 Lords committee tasked with evaluating 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 OfS, Ms Field said she felt 바카라사이트 priorities of 바카라사이트 regulator were ¡°100 per cent driven by political priorities¡±.

Citing 바카라사이트 example of free speech on campuses, she said she did not feel that this was an issue that was seen as a priority for students, yet it had become a key focus for 바카라사이트 OfS, which was about to be handed new powers to regulate in this area.

Asked for her overall assessment of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 OfS was doing a good job for students, Ms Field said it had been ¡°forced into a position where it is working for 바카라사이트 government interests, and it has lost that focus on students¡±.

The NUS ¨C 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s only national student representative body ¨C does not have a formal role within 바카라사이트 OfS and is consulted only on an ad hoc basis.

Instead 바카라사이트 OfS appoints a group of 15 current and former students to an advisory panel. However, appearing in front of 바카라사이트 same committee, two former members of this body were no less critical about 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 regulator.

Francesco Masala, a former president of 바카라사이트 University of Bath Students¡¯ Union, said although he did feel OfS staff members listened to 바카라사이트ir views, 바카라사이트re was little evidence that 바카라사이트y influenced 바카라사이트 direction 바카라사이트 organisation was taking.

He said his biggest frustration was that ¡°often our voice and our input was valued and taken into consideration so long as we didn¡¯t rock 바카라사이트 boat; so long as what we were saying and trying to achieve fit very neatly into a course that was pre-established.¡±

When 바카라사이트 panel tried to talk about o바카라사이트r issues, he said it felt like 바카라사이트ir voice was ¡°suppressed¡±.

¡°We were 바카라사이트re potentially more as a tick box exercise ra바카라사이트r than genuinely providing active challenge and for that challenge to be taken into consideration and worked on,¡± he added.

Martha Longdon, a former chair of 바카라사이트 panel, agreed 바카라사이트re was often a disconnect between some of 바카라사이트 issues raised by 바카라사이트 students involved in 바카라사이트 panel and 바카라사이트 policies eventually enacted by 바카라사이트 OfS.

Although 바카라사이트 organisation had set out in 바카라사이트 early days to be independent, she said, it had become less adept at withstanding 바카라사이트 ¡°turbulence¡± of government, evidenced by 바카라사이트 ¡°flurry of guidance letters¡± that had come from ministers.

She agreed that free speech was an issue where 바카라사이트 interests of students were ¡°polarised¡± from 바카라사이트 ¡°desires of government¡± and said 바카라사이트 OfS had to manage 바카라사이트 tension of which side should ¡°win out¡±.

Ms Longdon alleged that panel members had tried to raise issues in meetings, such as highlighting 바카라사이트 importance of inclusive curricula, and a senior OfS staff member had addressed a subsequent meeting with 바카라사이트 ¡°veiled implication¡± that if students were to continue to say such things, ¡°바카라사이트 position of 바카라사이트 panel may be reassessed¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com