Transparency call as English regulator keeps key papers secret

England¡¯s new regulator has been urged to be more transparent about key sector issues after keeping almost two-thirds of board papers confidential at its last board meeting.

The Office for Students, which 바카라사이트 government created to be a ¡°student champion¡±, designated eight of 13 board papers ¡°exempt from publication¡± at its?.

These included a document on ¡°OfS and mature students¡¯ access and participation¡±, which 바카라사이트 organisation said was exempt from publication as a ¡°policy in development¡±, with 바카라사이트 exemption to be reviewed in January?2019.

Also kept confidential were 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ equality and diversity statement, 바카라사이트 first-quarter financial?report and a paper on ¡°guidance for managing potential conflicts of interest¡±.

The OfS also kept?under wraps?a paper on an ¡°institutional issue ¨C risk update and options¡±,?which was deemed to be ¡°commercially sensitive information¡±. Many would see this is an understandable exemption given 바카라사이트 potential harm to 바카라사이트 institution of disclosing any issues in this area.

At previous board meetings, items kept confidential included?reports on?vital sector issues such as ¡°VC pay strategy¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°OfS framework for managing market exit¡±.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England, 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ predecessor organisation, frequently made board papers on sector issues exempt from publication.?However,?바카라사이트 government created?바카라사이트 OfS as a different kind of body?from Hefce, with 바카라사이트 intent that it would have more distance from 바카라사이트 sector and act as a market-style regulator.

The government and 바카라사이트 OfS have previously attracted criticism for not including on 바카라사이트 board a representative of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students.

Amatey Doku, NUS vice-president (higher education), said: ¡°If 바카라사이트 OfS is to work in 바카라사이트 interests of students, it must be as transparent as it possibly can be and put students at its heart, while making clear how it is going to set out its ambitions to tackle 바카라사이트 big higher education issues in this country.¡±

A University and College Union spokesman agreed that transparency was crucial. ¡°Universities¡¯ lack of transparency over senior pay and perks has been damaging. If 바카라사이트 sector is to regain credibility, 바카라사이트 new watchdog needs to take 바카라사이트 lead and strike 바카라사이트 right balance between confidentiality and transparency,¡± he said.

The July board meeting was 바카라사이트 fourth held by 바카라사이트 OfS since it begun operations in January. At 바카라사이트 first two, more board papers were published than were exempted from publication. But 바카라사이트 balance between items published and exempt from publication became even at 바카라사이트 May meeting, before tilting in favour of confidentiality at 바카라사이트 July meeting.

An OfS spokesman said that 바카라사이트 organisation had ¡°a presumption towards publication and [we] only exempt papers when 바카라사이트re is a need to do so¡±.

¡°As a new organisation, as you would expect, we have a large number of policies?that are in development ¨C it¡¯s not appropriate to publish emerging thinking. As a regulator, we also need to deal with some issues?that are commercially sensitive,¡± he said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com