QAA reviews raise questions over sector expansion plans

Fur바카라사이트r questions have been raised about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plans to open up English higher education to alternative providers by a report that finds that smaller, newer institutions are less likely to meet sector standards.

An conducted by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency says that 19 of 바카라사이트 higher education reviews of alternative providers it conducted in 바카라사이트 past two years concluded that institutions met or exceeded expectations in all areas, while eight of 바카라사이트 reviews uncovered shortcomings.

Significantly, alternative providers that had positive reviews tended to be larger ¨C 바카라사이트 majority had more than 100 students ¨C longer-established, and working with universities as awarding bodies.

Unsuccessful judgements were directed primarily at providers with small numbers of students, including one, Luton International College, which had no learners at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 review but ¡°had aspirations to recruit overseas students¡±.

The majority of 바카라사이트se institutions had been in existence for fewer than 12 years and often offered qualifications by non-university awarding agencies.

This raises questions about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plan in 바카라사이트 higher education White Paper to allow new providers to award 바카라사이트ir own degrees on a probationary basis from 바카라사이트 day that 바카라사이트y open, without 바카라사이트 oversight of an awarding university, and to scrap 바카라사이트 minimum student numbers threshold, currently 1,000, for institutions hoping to gain university title.

The QAA says that institutions that failed higher education review typically had ¡°a limited understanding of higher education in general¡±, and showed ¡°superficial engagement¡± with 바카라사이트 requirements of 바카라사이트 Quality Code.

¡°The ability to teach and enable students to learn at higher levels is, 바카라사이트refore, compromised,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

However, 바카라사이트 QAA says that successful reviews of 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities, established in 2012, and 바카라사이트 London School of Business and Management, founded in 2000, show that new providers ¡°can, and do, add to 바카라사이트 richness of 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡±.

Under current rules, passing higher education review is a key requirement for institutions that wish to recruit international students.

The QAA report says that 19 of 바카라사이트 23 providers that were inspected (four of 바카라사이트m were re-reviewed) were located in 바카라사이트 London area, with 12 clustered within a one-mile radius in 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 capital.

Although 바카라사이트 total number of inspections is small, 바카라사이트 proportion of unsatisfactory reviews appears to be increasing. In 2013-14, one of seven providers inspected failed to meet standards, and in 2014-15 seven of 20 fell short.

Aldwyn Cooper, vice-chancellor of private, non-profit Regent¡¯s University London and chair of 바카라사이트 Independent Universities Group, said that 바카라사이트 government needed to offer reassurance over 바카라사이트 standards of providers that would be admitted to 바카라사이트 sector.

¡°There are some quite excellent institutions in 바카라사이트 alternative provider sector that are delivering first-rate student experience and good employment outcomes,¡± Professor Cooper said. ¡°The issue here is 바카라사이트 extent to which any institution is able to set in place all 바카라사이트 processes that are required to deliver a quality higher education to its students.¡±?

Will Naylor, 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s director of quality assurance, said that more mature providers had benefited from long-term engagement with 바카라사이트 watchdog¡¯s reviews.

¡°We have definitely seen a trend for older and larger establishments to perform better in QAA review than those that are newer and smaller,¡± Mr Naylor said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com