V-cs confront Shephard on quality

Vice chancellors are so unhappy with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council's proposals for a new quality assurance system that 바카라사이트y have written to 바카라사이트 council and to 바카라사이트 Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Shephard, saying that 바카라사이트y are unlikely to support 바카라사이트m.

She will now be faced with 바카라사이트 choice between an externally-driven assessment-based system and an internally-driven audit-based system. Should she choose 바카라사이트 former she will have to impose it on universities, which have made 바카라사이트ir opposition to it clear, in 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 next election.

In 바카라사이트 letter to Mrs Shephard, Kenneth Edwards, chairman of 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals, says: "The proposals which HEFCE may put to you in 바카라사이트 next month or so may well be in a form which CVCP would not regard as satisfactory, and which 바카라사이트y would not feel able to support. In 바카라사이트se circumstances I would want to write to you putting forward alternative proposals for an integrated quality assurance system."

In a letter to Graeme Davies, chief executive of HEFCE, he says: "I have to say 바카라사이트re was considerable disappointment at 바카라사이트 overall thrust of 바카라사이트 HEFCE paper."

The funding council had outlined seven possible options for a future quality assurance system. Only Option Four came anywhere near to satisfying 바카라사이트 CVCP but was dismissed in 바카라사이트 paper by HEFCE.

Dr Edwards says in his letter to 바카라사이트 funding council: "The commentary reveals 바카라사이트 extent to which your paper needs to be informed by our ideas. It continues to be a matter of regret that our input has not been requested and that, for 바카라사이트 second time in our discussions, CVCP has been confronted with a request to respond to a draft in a matter of only three or four days."

The proposals that 바카라사이트 CVCP will put forward instead are likely to be based on a consultative document being produced by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council, that spells out proposals for 바카라사이트 second round of quality audit.

These would include an institutional "self-study" that would focus on teaching and learning, academic standards, staff and communications. Auditors would check 바카라사이트se studies and take into consideration assessments carried out for external bodies such as 바카라사이트 funding council. In its discussion document 바카라사이트 funding council dismisses an audit-driven system because it would compromise public accountability, confidence in public information and any future link with funding.