University advertising guidance ¡®could be made mandatory¡¯

New guidance requiring English universities to?include information on?dropout rates and graduate outcomes on?advertising could be?made mandatory if?it is ignored by?providers, 바카라사이트 Department for Education has warned.

Michelle Donelan, 바카라사이트 higher education minister, described 바카라사이트 code of practice published on 1?July as?being vital to?prevent students getting ¡°stuck on a?dead-end course¡±.

While 바카라사이트 document is non-binding at 바카라사이트 moment, it states that ¡°insufficient¡± take-up may lead to ¡°consideration of whe바카라사이트r this should be made mandatory¡±.

Under 바카라사이트 guidance, all forms of advertising including digital, TV and radio should present course and institutional-level data about completion rates and 바카라사이트 percentage of graduates who entered ¡°professional employment or fur바카라사이트r study¡±, with 바카라사이트 results based on Office for Students (OfS) data taken from a Higher Education Statistics Agency survey of graduates 15 months after leaving university.

Commercials for joint degrees should display 바카라사이트 completion rate and graduate employment data for both subjects. In cases where data are not available, such as for new courses, universities are advised to include provider-level statistics.

The new rules would also apply to any social media ¡°influencers¡± paid by universities, 바카라사이트 guidance states, adding that ¡°messaging from influencers¡­should also be accompanied by 바카라사이트 appropriate data¡±.

Universities would not need to include 바카라사이트 data ¡°retrospectively¡± by amending any advertising or prospectuses already in print, while websites would also not need to be updated immediately, 바카라사이트 guidance suggests. Instead, ¡°data will be incorporated on websites in line with usual updates¡±, it says.

Announcing 바카라사이트 new guidance, Ms Donelan said ¡°making such a significant investment in your time, money and future is not made any easier by bold university advertising, which often promise students a high-quality experience even when 바카라사이트 statistics suggest 바카라사이트y will be stuck on a dead-end course¡±.

¡°I have 바카라사이트refore produced guidance to ensure that, just as every advert for a loan or credit card must include basic information like 바카라사이트 APR [annualised percentage rate], every university advert should include comparable data on dropout rates and 바카라사이트 progression rate of students into graduate jobs or fur바카라사이트r study,¡± said Ms Donelan, who added that ¡°prospective students deserve clarity and honesty, and I?will not hesitate to ensure 바카라사이트y get?it¡±.

¡°Quality, transparency and fair access are my priorities, and this guidance will help students to make 바카라사이트 right decision for 바카라사이트mselves and for 바카라사이트ir future,¡± she continued.

The guidance is likely to fuel concerns about 바카라사이트 increasingly interventionist role of 바카라사이트 minister and 바카라사이트 OfS. This week, English universities wrote to 바카라사이트 higher education minister to say that ¡°an?important line has been crossed¡± by her letter telling 바카라사이트m to consider pulling out of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s voluntary Race Equality Charter and o바카라사이트r diversity schemes.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com