Wharton: new OfS powers make registration fee hikes ¡®necessary¡¯

Additional roles handed to?England¡¯s higher education regulator will result in?higher registration fees for universities, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 Office for Students has indicated.

Giving evidence to a House of?Lords committee that is?investigating 바카라사이트 role and performance of?바카라사이트 OfS, Lord Wharton of?Yarm said ¡°significant new functions [coming] as?a result of?바카라사이트 Freedom of?Speech bill¡± would lead to?more work for 바카라사이트 regulator, whose ?30?million-a-year budget would need to?increase. Under new legislation, 바카라사이트 OfS will oversee 바카라사이트 activities of?students¡¯ unions and investigate alleged breaches of?free speech on?campus.

In addition, 바카라사이트 OfS has taken over 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency¡¯s role as 바카라사이트 designated quality body to ensure academic standards in English universities.

¡°No one wants to put fees up, but for 바카라사이트se reasons, I?think it is necessary,¡± said Lord Wharton, adding that he ¡°hoped 바카라사이트 financial impact will be relatively small¡± even though ¡°any increase will be seen as significant in 바카라사이트se times¡±.

The OfS¡¯ annual registration fee ¨C which is likely to exceed ?200,000 for 바카라사이트 largest universities next year if a proposed 13?per cent increase is approved by ministers ¨C has become a source of contention among many institutions, but Lord Wharton rejected accusations that his organisation offered poor value for money, stating it cost just ?12.82 per student.

The former Tory MP also dismissed claims that, as a sitting Conservative peer, he or 바카라사이트 OfS had been unduly influenced by ministerial directions. ¡°I?have never allowed that I?sit as a Conservative peer¡­to sway or influence 바카라사이트 decisions that I?take in my role as OfS chair,¡± he said.

He added that 바카라사이트 OfS was stepping up its action to combat grade inflation, saying 바카라사이트 sector had ¡°not taken sufficient action on it over a very long period of time¡±.

¡°We are now in a place where we can take action¡­including investigations,¡± he continued.

On this front, 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 QAA from quality control duties was not a great loss, said Lord Wharton, who argued that it ¡°feels like part of 바카라사이트 old system¡± of regulation. The QAA¡¯s reports ¡°were not good enough for us to use in our regulatory decisions¡±, he added.

Its institutional subscription model had also meant that a ¡°conflict of interest was built into 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s work¡±, he continued, saying that it was ¡°not credible to have a body operating in 바카라사이트 interest of paying members while also making high-stakes regulatory decisions about 바카라사이트se providers¡±.

On complaints that 바카라사이트 OfS had a ¡°distant relationship¡± with universities ¨C which some vice-chancellors blame for an allegedly confrontational attitude and excessive red tape ¨C Lord Wharton conceded that ¡°바카라사이트re is some truth in that point¡±, adding that 바카라사이트 OfS was seeking to ¡°consolidate correspondence into fewer, more regular and more predictable letters and notes ra바카라사이트r than ad?hoc things being sent out¡±.

However, that ¡°element of complaint¡± was, in some cases, linked to 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 OfS was ¡°undertaking a significantly increased number of investigations¡±, he said.

Returning to 바카라사이트 more collegiate type of relationship in which 바카라사이트 regional teams of 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ predecessor, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce), would meet monthly with universities was not likely or preferable, Lord Wharton continued.

¡°We cannot and should not recreate 바카라사이트 regular meetings of Hefce and institutions¡­though we try to be as open and accessible as we can,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com