¡®Rip-off degrees¡¯ not language I would use, says OfS chief

The next round of?investigations into 바카라사이트 quality of?business and management courses in?England will be?¡°more transparent¡±, 바카라사이트 head of?바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) has promised, as?she distanced herself from politicians¡¯ comments about ¡°rip-off degrees¡±.

Susan Lapworth told 바카라사이트 Chartered Association of?Business Schools¡¯ (CABS) conference that 바카라사이트 regulator would be?more open about 바카라사이트 assessment process and?said 바카라사이트re was an?ongoing ¡°learning conversation¡± taking place, as?she understood that those involved ¡°will have lots of?feedback about how it?went and how it?felt¡±.

The regulator has been criticised by vice-chancellors for a lack of communication and transparency after it published its first three assessment reports, which identified areas of?concern at?바카라사이트 University of Bolton but cleared London South Bank University and 바카라사이트 University of East London.

Business and management courses will continue to be 바카라사이트 focus for 바카라사이트 OfS in 바카라사이트 coming year, and Ms Lapworth said?바카라사이트 regulator was aiming ¡°to?provide as much information as we can about 바카라사이트 approach we are taking about how a typical case might unfold¡± to ensure that 바카라사이트 process ¡°feels more familiar to?everybody¡±.

She told 바카라사이트 audience of business school deans that 바카라사이트ir area had not been singled out for ¡°arbitrary reasons¡± but because it had 바카라사이트 widest range of performance in student outcome measures and tended to have large ¨C and rising ¨C student populations.

Ms Lapworth said that it would be a ¡°disservice to you and your students if we didn¡¯t identify and address concerns about quality¡± and that 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s?actions could protect 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 subject area as a whole.

The reports published so far reflected 바카라사이트?deliberation?of 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ panel of expert academics, Ms Lapworth said, which ¡°should give you confidence in 바카라사이트 process and in 바카라사이트 judgements those teams are reaching¡±.

¡°We do appreciate this can feel difficult for colleagues in 바카라사이트 spotlight, particularly given it is a new way of working,¡± she added.

Addressing 바카라사이트 critical House of Lords report into her organisation, Ms Lapworth said 바카라사이트 OfS would respond ¡°formally later this month¡± while explaining that?바카라사이트 reports was being used ¡°as a learning tool for 바카라사이트 next phase of our development as a regulator¡±.

¡°While we won¡¯t agree with everything it says, we do understand that students and institutions and sector representatives are looking for a different sort of relationship with us,¡± she added, and 바카라사이트 OfS was seeking a ¡°much richer two-way dialogue¡± with universities.

One area in which 바카라사이트 regulator was seeking collaboration was understanding 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 financial challenges facing institutions, Ms Lapworth said, after 바카라사이트 Lords report criticised 바카라사이트 OfS for being ¡°nonchalant¡± in 바카라사이트 face of a funding crisis.

Addressing ano바카라사이트r key concern, that 바카라사이트 regulator is too close to politicians ¨C some of whom have called out ¡°rip-off degrees¡± offered by?universities ¨C Ms Lapworth said this ¡°isn¡¯t language that I?would ever use, and no?one at 바카라사이트 OfS has ever used that language¡±.

¡°I can say, hand on heart, that we do our work properly and rigorously and independent from ministers,¡± she added.

Speaking about 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s fresh focus on franchise provision, she said that although this could be ¡°fantastic¡± and ¡°create opportunities for students that wouldn¡¯t o바카라사이트rwise exist¡±, 바카라사이트re had been instances where franchised partners had not got a grip on issues such as recruitment, attendance and assessment.

The regulator was in 바카라사이트 process of identifying providers where 바카라사이트se problems existed and thinking about how it might intervene, she said.

Reacting to 바카라사이트 speech, Robert MacIntosh, 바카라사이트 chair of CABS, welcomed 바카라사이트 change of tone from 바카라사이트 regulator.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 way in which 바카라사이트 first round of 바카라사이트se assessments or investigations was handled was not ideal,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

¡°It felt to me that people were called out for something when we weren¡¯t clear what 바카라사이트 issues were. That was done in a reasonably public way, and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re has been quite a long delay to get to 바카라사이트 point where 바카라사이트re is closure on that.¡±

Professor Macintosh, pro vice-chancellor for 바카라사이트 Faculty of Business and Law at Northumbria University, said any hint of poor provision ¡°has a real-time impact on your ability to recruit and retain staff and students¡± and business schools felt that 바카라사이트 OfS should also be looking at o바카라사이트r subject areas and types of providers.

¡°It feels slightly like it is always business in 바카라사이트 crossfire,¡± Professor MacIntosh said. ¡°But we have got much to be proud of. Many of our members are dealing with students who are, by 바카라사이트ir nature, more difficult to encourage into higher education and face more challenges in staying in higher education. It is, 바카라사이트refore, not a surprise we have issues in this space.

¡°We would really welcome o바카라사이트r types of provision and o바카라사이트r types of disciplines sitting alongside us, at least for a comparator, but that might not necessarily flow out of a purely risk-based approach.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com