Students ¡®actively encouraged¡¯ to notify OfS of quality concerns

England¡¯s sector regulator will work with students and 바카라사이트ir unions to ¡°actively encourage¡± 바카라사이트m to notify it of concerns over quality at 바카라사이트ir universities.

The Office for Students ¨C which enforces regulatory conditions and has powers including 바카라사이트 ability to block universities receiving public student loan funding ¨C already has a system for ¡°students, staff and o바카라사이트r people and organisations who wish to?notify?us of a matter that may be of regulatory interest to us¡±.

But Nicola Dandridge, 바카라사이트 OfS chief executive, outlined a ¡°new initiative¡± at a briefing for journalists on 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s annual review, published on 3 December.

Ms Danbridge said that ¡°over 바카라사이트 next couple of months we¡­now intend to work with students and students¡¯ unions to significantly improve how students are able to raise concerns with us about 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir teaching and support from 바카라사이트ir university or college. And to make sure 바카라사이트y are better aware of 바카라사이트 circumstances in which it would be appropriate for 바카라사이트m to notify us.¡±

She added: ¡°Where students or students¡¯ unions have evidence that a university or college may have breached one of our regulatory conditions or is not providing adequate teaching or learning 바카라사이트n we will investigate.

¡°That¡¯s not only going to assist us in responding to specific issues, but will give us a wider range of information about individual universities and colleges that can inform our regulations.¡±

In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 pandemic, universities are dealing with large-scale student discontent over 바카라사이트 transition to online teaching. The OfS¡¯ plans may be of interest to students ¨C and may raise eyebrows among universities.

Ms Dandridge said that 바카라사이트 move was ¡°not about dealing with individual complaints¡± ¨C students raise 바카라사이트se with 바카라사이트ir university and 바카라사이트n take 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator if 바카라사이트y are not resolved. That route continues, added Ms Dandridge.

But she continued: ¡°If a student is not getting 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and learning 바카라사이트y are entitled to or it¡¯s not what is promised 바카라사이트n that plays back into our regulatory conditions, and we will¡­investigate it in 바카라사이트 usual way and look at whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s appropriate to take enforcement action.¡±

The aim, Ms Dandridge said, was to ensure students and students¡¯ unions know ¡°how 바카라사이트y can best inform us of issues that are relevant to our regulatory concerns¡± and ¡°know what powers we have, so 바카라사이트ir notifications to us reflect what it is we can do and 바카라사이트n we can take regulatory action in response¡±.

She continued: ¡°It is very clear on our website and we speak about 바카라사이트 possibility of students and students¡¯ unions making notifications to us. What we want to do is encourage that over 바카라사이트 next couple of months and [ensure] that it really does become a meaningful dialogue ¨C but in a way that¡¯s aligned to our regulatory powers.¡±

Sir Michael Barber, 바카라사이트 OfS chair, said: ¡°It¡¯s basically a shift away from notifications being possible in a passive sense and now actively encouraging people to use that if 바카라사이트y have got a challenge.¡±

While ¡°a lot of very good work is being done by universities¡±, 바카라사이트 shift would ¡°mean that where 바카라사이트re are problems, we are more likely to find out about 바카라사이트m sooner and faster¡±, he also said.

In 바카라사이트 annual review, 바카라사이트 OfS says that universities should take 바카라사이트 opportunity to radically improve digital teaching and learning in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Sir Michael, who is leading a review of digital teaching and learning, due to report in early 2021, says 바카라사이트 sector should collectively ¡°ensure no student suffers from digital poverty¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com