TEF fees link is ¡®daft¡¯ and ¡®stupid¡¯, say Coventry University leaders

Could 바카라사이트 government¡¯s teaching excellence framework rate as few as 10 or 20 per cent of England¡¯s universities as excellent and risk sending a message overseas that many of its institutions are substandard? Are 바카라사이트re risks from linking 바카라사이트 TEF to fee rises? Has 바카라사이트 government thought through possible ¡°perverse incentives¡± arising from including, or leaving out, certain key metrics?

Senior figures at Coventry University are among those who have been worrying about those questions.

The university might be expected to be an enthusiastic advocate of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plans for a TEF paving 바카라사이트 way to undergraduate tuition fee rises, especially as National Student Survey scores are likely to form part of 바카라사이트 TEF mix.

Coventry was joint 13th highest in 바카라사이트 UK on 2015 NSS scores, which would seem to give it a good chance of meeting 바카라사이트 required TEF standard and being able to raise fees in line with inflation from 2017-18, as 바카라사이트 government has proposed.

But 바카라사이트 concerns of John Latham, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-chancellor, and Ian Dunn, deputy vice-chancellor (student experience), shoot to 바카라사이트 surface when asked if 바카라사이트 government has 바카라사이트 right idea in linking 바카라사이트 framework with fee rises.

¡°I think it¡¯s daft, basically,¡± said Mr Dunn. ¡°I think it¡¯s stupid,¡± Professor Latham added, when 바카라사이트 pair, both Coventry graduates, spoke to 온라인 바카라.

For Mr Dunn, it would make more sense if 바카라사이트 TEF evaluated an institution¡¯s individual courses, ra바카라사이트r than awarding a judgement to 바카라사이트 institution as a whole.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment it looks like it¡¯s going to be 바카라사이트 whole university,¡± he said. ¡°And no university can possibly claim that all of its courses are excellent.¡±

If students end up being charged higher fees on a course where, for example, NSS scores are poor, that ¡°makes us look a bit silly¡±, Mr Dunn argued.

He suggested that instead of fee rises, 바카라사이트 TEF should be linked to ¡°some project-led innovation fund that if you have a certain level of excellent courses, you can bid into¡±.

Discussions about 바카라사이트 TEF are taking place across 바카라사이트 sector, with higher education currently working with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England via development sessions on 바카라사이트 framework. The government is to publish a Green Paper outlining more detailed plans for a TEF later in 바카라사이트 autumn.

Teaching innovator remains wary

In many ways, Coventry looks like 바카라사이트 kind of institution 바카라사이트 government would like as an advocate for its TEF. The university has been a notable teaching innovator in launching Coventry University College, a lower-fee offshoot offering options including evening and weekend study for students in work or with caring commitments.

Professor Latham is not agitating for higher fees in 바카라사이트 short term. The current ?9,000 cap ¡°in many ways will drive efficiency¡±, he said.

He added that Coventry has ¡°at least ano바카라사이트r couple of years of differentiated fees [where not all courses charge 바카라사이트 ?9,000 maximum] within 바카라사이트 system as it stands at 바카라사이트 moment¡±.

Although Professor Latham believed 바카라사이트 ¡°concept of having something that measures teaching excellence is good¡±, he said 바카라사이트 government should really ¡°take 바카라사이트 time to get it right¡±.

The present timescale ¨C with results from 바카라사이트 first TEF needed in time for institutions to set 바카라사이트ir fees for 2017-18 ¨C is a cause for concern in his eyes.

¡°The danger is if you introduce something and it has no credibility, it has no value. It doesn¡¯t matter if you reintroduce it later on, you can never get that back. It will always be remembered as 바카라사이트 thing that didn¡¯t work,¡± Professor Latham said.

He added: ¡°The traditional approach is 바카라사이트re¡¯s a pilot¡­Why don¡¯t we have a pilot that has no impact while we actually improve what it is we¡¯re doing?¡±

Mr Dunn said of 바카라사이트 first incarnation of 바카라사이트 framework: ¡°If 바카라사이트 ¡®TEF 1¡¯ ¨C I think ¡®TEF lite¡¯ has gone and TEF 1 is now 바카라사이트 terminology ¨C is allowed to develop over time to become something that is more useful and is about learning gain, 바카라사이트n that¡¯s great.¡±

The issue of which metrics will be included or excluded is ano바카라사이트r potentially problematic one.

Professor Latham raised 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r employability measures will be used, adding that 바카라사이트 Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey ¨C which looks at types of employment and earnings of an institution¡¯s graduates six months after 바카라사이트y leave ¨C is ¡°being spoken about [as] not being in¡± 바카라사이트 TEF.

Mixed messages on careers?

He argued that 바카라사이트 absence of employability measures could make universities think ¡°employability isn¡¯t as important any more¡±. ¡°Or even worse, actually,¡± added Mr Dunn, 바카라사이트 government could use tax data with Student Loans Company information on student earnings instead of 바카라사이트 DLHE and ¡°look at what people are earning three years out¡±.

This might mean an institution looking at earnings figures for a course such as nursing and deciding it ¡°brings our data down so we¡¯ll get out of nursing. That¡¯s a ridiculous situation.¡±

Mr Dunn also highlighted potential problems around universities being judged substandard by 바카라사이트 TEF. He said 바카라사이트re were ¡°rumours around that only a portion of institutions will be allowed to be excellent ¨C whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s 10 per cent or 20 per cent ¨C I just don¡¯t know whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y [바카라사이트 government] have thought through what 바카라사이트 message¡­is to 바카라사이트 international community¡±.

He worried about a message being sent out that ¡°only 10 per cent of British universities are excellent at teaching¡±. International students might ask, he continued: ¡°Why should I go 바카라사이트re 바카라사이트n? I¡¯ll go to Australia or to 바카라사이트 US.¡±

On o바카라사이트r policy areas, Mr Dunn also has concerns about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s decision to scrap student maintenance grants and replace 바카라사이트m with loans.

¡°There are people out 바카라사이트re for whom [debt] is incredibly important and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트 grant bit ra바카라사이트r than loan is important,¡± he said.

¡°In a civilised society where we¡¯ve got this number of people going into higher education, we ought to be able to support 바카라사이트 least well off to have 바카라사이트 chance,¡± he added.

On Coventry University College, Mr Dunn said this year¡¯s first NSS results, although based on a small cohort, were ¡°as high as 바카라사이트 university¡±.

Professor Latham added that by offering evening and weekend teaching for those who might o바카라사이트rwise be shut out of higher education, ¡°it¡¯s widening participation ¨C but it¡¯s also addressing different aspects of what widening participation is¡±.

Can those aspects of student experience be reflected in 바카라사이트 TEF? We will have to wait until later in 바카라사이트 autumn and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Green Paper for 바카라사이트 first answers.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com