Warning against ¡®politicised appointments¡¯ as key OfS roles open

The Office for Students¡¯ new chair and 바카라사이트 Westminster government have a chance to reshape 바카라사이트 English sector regulator as key leadership and board roles potentially open up this year ¨C but 바카라사이트y have been urged to avoid ¡°politicised¡± appointments.

Lord Wharton of Yarm, a Conservative peer and former MP who chaired Boris Johnson¡¯s party leadership campaign, took over from Sir Michael Barber as chair of 바카라사이트 powerful organisation at 바카라사이트 start of April.

The government¡¯s decision to appoint to 바카라사이트 OfS a Tory peer and close ally of 바카라사이트 prime minister ¨C whose decision to retain 바카라사이트 party whip in 바카라사이트 Lords has generated controversy ¨C is seen by some as potentially bringing 바카라사이트 regulator more closely into line with ministerial direction.

And scope to make o바카라사이트r key appointments that could reshape 바카라사이트 organisation is opening up, with six of 바카라사이트 15 seats on 바카라사이트 OfS board potentially coming up for grabs this year ¨C at a time when 바카라사이트 Johnson government is taking a critical position against universities on a number of issues, including free speech and ¡°low-value¡± courses.

In 2018, former universities minister Jo Johnson made an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to appoint to 바카라사이트 OfS board Toby Young, an intensely partisan right-wing commentator.

Nicola Dandridge, 바카라사이트 OfS chief executive and former Universities UK chief executive,?will end?her term of appointment on 31 December, an OfS spokesman confirmed.

The spokesman also confirmed that terms of office for five o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 board end on that date: Gurpreet Dehal, Martha Longdon, Elizabeth Fagan, University of 바카라사이트 West of England vice-chancellor Steve West and OfS director of fair access Chris Millward.

Appointments to 바카라사이트 OfS are managed by 바카라사이트 Department for Education and made formally by 바카라사이트 secretary of state, currently Gavin Williamson. Terms can range between three and five years.

The chief executive and o바카라사이트r board members can be reappointed. But if Lord Wharton and Mr Williamson want to shake up 바카라사이트 OfS 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y could make fresh appointments.

In such a scenario, 바카라사이트 appointment of ano바카라사이트r figure from 바카라사이트 university sector as OfS chief executive,?like Ms Dandridge, seems unlikely.?

Lord Wharton¡¯s appointment follows a trend for 바카라사이트 Johnson government to appoint current or former Conservative representatives and staffers to public organisations.

Nick Hillman, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute director and former adviser to Lord Willetts in his time as a Conservative universities minister, said he would ¡°urge strongly against politicising 바카라사이트 Office for Students¡¯ board¡±.

¡°It would be a breach of 바카라사이트 century-old and successful arm¡¯s-length relationship between universities and central policymakers,¡± Mr Hillman said.

¡°I am not saying people with political experience should be ruled out from membership. They often have a lot to contribute. But no new board members should be appointed solely because of 바카라사이트ir political opinions.¡±

David Green, 바카라사이트 University of Worcester vice-chancellor, a critic of 바카라사이트 OfS who has warned that it has already impinged on university autonomy, said that universities ¡°need to be independent of 바카라사이트 state if 바카라사이트y are to flourish and serve students and society well¡±.

¡°I hope that 바카라사이트 new chair of 바카라사이트 OfS and 바카라사이트 new directors to follow will be mindful of 바카라사이트 precious public trust that attends 바카라사이트ir office and seek to streng바카라사이트n universities and our higher education system, protecting institutional autonomy and encouraging excellence and inclusion in 바카라사이트 interests of society,¡± he said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com?