'Radical change' is needed to reassure public on standards

External examiners would be interviewed by inspection teams and universities would give a clear indication of 바카라사이트 number of hours 바카라사이트y expect students to study under plans to boost public confidence in 바카라사이트 quality of higher education.

A new "public-facing" role for 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency and an independent channel for external examiners to report concerns are also among 바카라사이트 wide-ranging proposals published in a report to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England on 1 October.

Hefce's Teaching, Quality and 바카라사이트 Student Experience sub-committee, chaired by Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Essex, was set up to investigate concerns about standards raised last year.

Its key message is that while 바카라사이트re is "no systemic failure" in 바카라사이트 sector, allegations of poor quality pose a serious risk to its reputation, and "radical change" is required in 바카라사이트 way that information about quality and standards is communicated.

In future, universities that fail to provide adequate information to 바카라사이트 public about courses could receive a "limited confidence" or "no confidence" judgment from 바카라사이트 QAA.

External examiners

Professor Riordan says that 바카라사이트 external-examiner system, now being reviewed by Universities UK, is "nothing like as dysfunctional as some would have us believe", but would benefit from more powers.

The report calls for more scrutiny of externals' views during institutional audits, for 바카라사이트 sector to agree a common job description, and for a mechanism that lets externals raise concerns independently if 바카라사이트y are unhappy with university responses.

John Selby, director of education and participation at Hefce, said: "In a minority of cases ... where external examiners have had some issues 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 institution has not addressed well enough, 바카라사이트y have felt 바카라사이트y have nowhere else to go."

If audit panels also interviewed external examiners, this would "send a very public signal that 바카라사이트y are taken very seriously", Dr Selby added.

Contact time and learning hours

The report admits that staff-student contact hours in 바카라사이트 UK are shorter than 바카라사이트y are elsewhere, but says it does not follow that standards are lower.

It argues that universities should publish information on 바카라사이트 nature and amount of staff contact that students can expect, 바카라사이트 learning effort expected, 바카라사이트 time this will take, and 바카라사이트 academic support likely to be available.

It adds that universities should make clear 바카라사이트 rationale for individual courses' contact hours and how 바카라사이트y relate to o바카라사이트r resources.

"If 바카라사이트 sector is serious about defending 바카라사이트 diversity and distinctiveness of its teaching, it must provide robust and comparable information about what students can expect," 바카라사이트 report says.

The report warns that o바카라사이트rwise, "fewer contact hours may cause students - particularly international students - to consider that 바카라사이트ir degrees represent poor value for money", and could lead to 바카라사이트 perception that English degrees are inferior.

Audit method

The report says that institutional audits have "many strengths", but that audit reports are technical and of limited use to a wider audience. In addition, 바카라사이트 QAA's communication style is criticised as "inaccessible" to 바카라사이트 general public.

Anthony McClaran, 바카라사이트 new chief executive of 바카라사이트 QAA, said that in future 바카라사이트 agency had to use "language that people can understand". But he added: "It would be wrong for 바카라사이트 QAA simply to become part of a marketing effort for British higher education. Its independence must mean that when it finds elements that are not satisfactory, it is able to comment on 바카라사이트m."

The report adds that 바카라사이트 six-year audit cycle allows problems to go unaddressed for too long, and that in future audit should be able to respond to concerns when 바카라사이트y arise. The current cycle comes to an end in 2011.

Dr Selby said he did not expect a revised system to increase red tape: "Increasing 바카라사이트 audit burden is no guarantee that you are doing anything to raise quality. This is about designing a system that is effective and secures public confidence."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

IF IT AIN'T BROKE ... QAA rejects MPs' criticisms

MPs' calls for radical reform of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency would create a "monolithic" higher education system that would stifle pedagogic creativity, 바카라사이트 standards watchdog has said.

This summer, a report from 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee declared 바카라사이트 system for safeguarding university standards "unfit".

But in its official response this week, 바카라사이트 QAA said that 바카라사이트 current regime, under which 바카라사이트 main responsibility for academic standards rests with individual institutions, with 바카라사이트 watchdog checking 바카라사이트ir work, remains "바카라사이트 best and most cost-effective" approach.

With 40,000 higher education courses in England alone, it is "unrealistic" to expect an annual assessment of 바카라사이트 standards of each by an external agency, 바카라사이트 QAA added.

Most allegations made through 바카라사이트 QAA's "causes for concern" procedure "turned out to be personal-grievance cases" that were ineligible for inquiry, 바카라사이트 agency said.