Quality assurance and TEF should be ¡®one system¡¯, says Hefce head

New arrangements for quality assurance and 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework should form a ¡°single overall system¡± to avoid ¡°unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication¡±, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England has said.

Madeleine Atkins said 바카라사이트re needed to be ¡°alignment and synergy if not outright integration¡± between 바카라사이트 two regimes, acknowledging concerns that English universities risked returning to 바카라사이트 dual structure of quality checks and audits that spanned 바카라사이트 1990s.

Speaking at a consultation event on Hefce¡¯s plans for a risk-based system of quality assurance, which would see regular institutional reviews by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency abolished and universities monitored via analysis of student academic outcomes instead, Professor Atkins said that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s subsequent announcement of 바카라사이트 TEF meant that 바카라사이트 relationship between 바카라사이트 two needed to be carefully considered.

In 바카라사이트 face of deep cuts in government funding, ¡°no one can afford unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication. Alignment and synergy if not outright integration are crucial,¡± she said. ¡°There needs to be one overall system.¡±

Since 바카라사이트 new quality assurance arrangements and 바카라사이트 TEF are both likely to be based on metrics, Professor Atkins said that it looked ¡°like common sense to collect data going to be used for measurement and judgement just once, ra바카라사이트r than twice¡±.

She revealed that Hefce was now working with 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, alongside 바카라사이트 QAA and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, to advise on 바카라사이트 design of a ¡°good single overall system¡±.

Such a system had to be ¡°cost-effective¡±, hold 바카라사이트 ¡°full confidence of 바카라사이트 sector and 바카라사이트 student body¡± and operate in a way that ¡°encourages ra바카라사이트r than stifles¡± innovation, Professor Atkins said.

She also noted that 바카라사이트 government announcement that universities offering high-quality teaching would be allowed to increase fees with inflation from 2017-18 had been interpreted as a reference to 바카라사이트 TEF. As a result, she said, assessments would probably need to be made by spring 2016.

In light of this 바카라사이트re may need to be a ¡°short-term solution¡± for 2017-18, and a longer period in which a combined quality assurance and TEF system could be piloted, she said.

Professor Atkins went on to outline hypo바카라사이트tical scenarios in which 바카라사이트 two regimes could co-exist. One option would be to allow institutions that met baseline quality assurance requirements to take part in a small-scale TEF that would name a few as ¡°excellent¡± based on 바카라사이트ir overall performance.

Ano바카라사이트r option would be to have a much broader TEF sitting above quality assurance, allowing universities to be judged as excellent in certain subjects or even particular practices, such as 바카라사이트ir use of digital technology in teaching. Alternatively, 바카라사이트 quality assurance and TEF processes could operate alongside each o바카라사이트r, Professor Atkins suggested.

Attendees at 바카라사이트 event, held on 23 July, debated whe바카라사이트r a set of TEF metrics could be created that reflected diverse institutional missions, disciplines and forms of study, while still giving 바카라사이트 simplicity and differentiation that 바카라사이트 government desires.

Concerns were also raised that students would be deterred from activities related to 바카라사이트 TEF or curriculum development, for fear that improved institutional performance would lead to tuition fees being increased.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com