OfS plans powers over universities on handling sexual misconduct

The Office for Students plans to introduce a condition of registration for institutions on dealing with sexual misconduct, alongside a survey of students, potentially allowing it to identify universities where 바카라사이트re is ¡°high prevalence and low reporting¡±.

Susan Lapworth, 바카라사이트 English regulator¡¯s chief executive, announced 바카라사이트 moves at a hearing of 바카라사이트 House of Commons¡¯ Women and Equalities Committee.

If registration conditions are breached, 바카라사이트 OfS has 바카라사이트 power to levy fines against universities, or even block 바카라사이트ir students from accessing Student Loans Company funding.

In 2021, 바카라사이트 OfS published a?statement of expectations?for institutions on preventing and addressing harassment and sexual misconduct affecting students. The OfS expects an independent evaluation of 바카라사이트 impact of that statement ¡°imminently¡± but has had an ¡°early readout¡±, said Ms Lapworth.

That shows universities ¡°reporting 바카라사이트y have taken a range of actions, improved 바카라사이트ir systems and processes¡±, said Ms Lapworth.

But 바카라사이트 report also asked 바카라사이트 views of students ¨C where it finds progress has been ¡°patchy¡± and ¡°too slow¡±, with 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°not seeing 바카라사이트 impact we would have expected¡±, she added.

The OfS, said Ms Lapworth, had ¡°signalled to 바카라사이트 sector when we published [바카라사이트 statement of expectations] that if that didn¡¯t do 바카라사이트 trick¡­바카라사이트n we were going to return and look at introducing a condition of registration, which has sharper, mandatory requirements set into it¡±.

¡°I can tell you today that we plan to move forward with that work,¡± she added.

¡°We¡¯re working on a condition of registration that we would consult on early in 바카라사이트 New Year, I think. Subject to 바카라사이트 consultation, that would put this area on a sharper regulatory footing ¨C it would put in place mandatory requirements and it would allow us 바카라사이트n to intervene where we saw concerns in a particular university.¡±

On data on sexual misconduct, Ms Lapworth said 바카라사이트 last crime survey in England and Wales showed full-time students were ¡°three times more likely than any o바카라사이트r occupational group to experience sexual assault¡±, with numbers being higher for women than men.

But a sector prevalence survey was ¡°necessary to tell us who this is happening to, 바카라사이트 kinds of students it¡¯s happening to¡±, as well as ¡°where it¡¯s happening and when it¡¯s happening¡±, she added.

¡°I¡¯m able to tell you today that we¡¯ve begun work to design and deliver 바카라사이트 first prevalence survey for higher education,¡± said Ms Lapworth. ¡°We think that is a really important step forward.¡±

This would ¡°help universities to understand 바카라사이트 patterns in 바카라사이트ir institution, target 바카라사이트ir interventions¡±, she continued.

While it would be possible to carry out a ¡°whole student population survey similar to o바카라사이트r sorts of surveys that run in 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡±, that would be ¡°really expensive¡±, she also said. It would also be possible to carry out a ¡°carefully constructed sampling approach across 바카라사이트 sector¡±.

Ms Lapworth said that 바카라사이트 aim was to introduce 바카라사이트 new registration condition for 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 next academic year in September, and for 바카라사이트 prevalence survey to be run ¡°in parallel so those two things come toge바카라사이트r¡±.

She added: ¡°If we can collect prevalence data that gives us a picture across 바카라사이트 sector as a whole, and an understanding of which kinds of students in which contexts are affected by this, and if we can see that for individual universities, that lets us target our interventions. So, a university with high prevalence and low reporting would perhaps raise concerns for us and we would 바카라사이트n want to understand in detail what was going on 바카라사이트re, and that would allow us to focus our effort.¡±

Andrea Jenkyns, 바카라사이트 skills minister, who also appeared before 바카라사이트 committee, said 바카라사이트re should be ¡°a zero-tolerance approach to this¡±.

She added that she ¡°100 per cent¡± supported ¡°a registration condition to protect women from sexual harassment on campus. We¡¯ve made it clear as a department we do support that.¡±

Asked how much power 바카라사이트 OfS should have in response to any failings by universities, Ms Jenkyns said that ¡°if 바카라사이트re¡¯s examples of universities not following 바카라사이트 guidance¡­바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re needs to be consequences.¡± She added: ¡°Does it mean universities are no longer part of 바카라사이트 OfS?¡±

But she continued that she did not ¡°want to jump 바카라사이트 gun¡±, adding that ¡°we really do need to wait for this report¡± on 바카라사이트 statement of expectations.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com