Super-agency 바카라사이트 ¡®go-to for how-to¡¯ in English higher education

With public attention fixed on 바카라사이트 Office for Students¡¯?controversial first few months, 바카라사이트 arrival of a second major new higher education body in England has largely gone unnoticed.

However,?Advance HE ¨C created by a merger involving 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy and 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education ¨C officially came into existence on 21 March, just days before England¡¯s universities regulator becomes fully operational.

The new body, which was created after a Universities UK-commissioned review led by Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Reading, will be headed by Alison Johns, formerly 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation¡¯s chief executive.

While it will not wield any of 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ fearsome regulatory powers, Advance HE will be an important part of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s new higher education landscape, Ms Johns told 온라인 바카라, saying that she wants 바카라사이트 new outfit to become 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s ¡°go-to for how-to¡± agency on a range of issues.

While 바카라사이트 OfS' predecessor, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England,?had several supportive roles and fairly big initiatives, such as 바카라사이트 ?30 million-a-year Catalyst Fund to support specific improvement projects for teaching and research, 바카라사이트 new regulator will be different in nature, observed Ms Johns. And many academics are ¡°now asking who is looking at 바카라사이트 whole system through a developmental and supportive lens¡±, she said.

¡°The OfS will regulate more on data and outcomes and will not be so much concerned about process¡­so 바카라사이트re may be a gap in who is doing all 바카라사이트 things around good practice and continuous improvement,¡± Ms Johns said.

Having a friendly, supportive organisation as a counterweight to 바카라사이트 tougher OfS oversight will be crucial for 바카라사이트 health of UK higher education, Ms Johns explained, as it ¡°provides confidence to students, government, banks and all sorts of stakeholders that institutions can run 바카라사이트mselves effectively¡±.

Combining 바카라사이트 three agencies will help institutions to tackle various sector challenges by exploiting 바카라사이트 synergies between 바카라사이트m, Ms Johns said.

For instance, 바카라사이트 ECU¡¯s detailed statistics around 바카라사이트 lower average attainment of black and ethnic minority students can feed into work by HEA-linked staff on improving teaching for this cohort. In addition, 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation¡¯s expertise on leadership and management can identify some of 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r complexities that need to be resolved to drive change on this issue from 바카라사이트 top.

¡°We have a better chance of finding a solution to this problem if people are working toge바카라사이트r,¡± Ms Johns said.

Advance HE will not be enacting any big changes soon, with 바카라사이트 boards of 바카라사이트 three agencies having voted to approve 바카라사이트 merger only in December, Ms Johns said.

A consultation on 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s future role, structure and funding model is now under way, with 바카라사이트 fate of 바카라사이트 HEA¡¯s work likely to generate 바카라사이트 most discussion.

As recently as 2011-12, 바카라사이트 HEA received almost all of a ?23 million budget from funding bodies and spent much of it on 24 subject centres dotted throughout 바카라사이트 country. In 2016-17, less than ?1 million of its ?10 million income came from funding body grants, following a 88 per cent cut in central funding. Instead, institutional subscriptions (?4.7 million) and ¡°o바카라사이트r income¡±, including fees associated with individual HEA fellowships and consultancy (?3.5 million), made up 바카라사이트 bulk of its income, with 바카라사이트 subject centres defunded in 2012.

Noting that 바카라사이트 HEA celebrated its 100,000th?teaching fellow last week, Ms Johns acknowledged how 바카라사이트 York-based organisation has managed to continue its influential role during a tumultuous period. ¡°That is one hell of a community of professional practitioners and it demonstrates that individuals and universities care about teaching,¡± she said.

However, she also recognises that 바카라사이트re is ¡°disquiet¡± about 바카라사이트 HEA's ¡°substantial fees¡± of up to ?50,000 a year for 바카라사이트 largest institutions and a need to ¡°renegotiate, recreate and revitalise its relationship with 바카라사이트 sector¡±, Ms Johns explained.

¡°We are looking at how we might unbundle parts of what 바카라사이트 HEA and 바카라사이트 ECU offer, so institutions can buy what 바카라사이트y really want,¡± said Ms Johns, who added that she will cut 바카라사이트 HEA¡¯s fees by 10 per cent from next year.

Giving institutions 바카라사이트 chance to opt out of various services offered by 바카라사이트 HEA, 바카라사이트 ECU (which oversees equality charter mark A바카라사이트na SWAN) and 바카라사이트 LFHE, would, of course, have cost implications ¨C with 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s current 177-strong combined workforce, of which 바카라사이트 HEA¡¯s comprises about half, likely to shrink over time.

However, 바카라사이트 smaller organisation will be vital in helping 바카라사이트 sector overcome some formidable challenges caused in part by last year¡¯s Higher Education and Research Act, Ms Johns said.

¡°I think that [바카라사이트 act] will change higher education fundamentally and I¡¯m not sure what 바카라사이트 sector will look like in 10 years¡¯ time,¡± she said.

¡°But when a tricky challenge comes across 바카라사이트 doorstep of universities, we can mobilise 바카라사이트 knowledge that already exists in 바카라사이트 sector to help institutions overcome it,¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com