Why retire higher education¡¯s watchdog?

Google ¡°Hefce role and powers¡± and you will find that 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England ¨C 바카라사이트 body set up to disburse university funding ¨C calls itself ¡°lead regulator for higher education in England¡±.

The 2011 White Paper Students at 바카라사이트 Heart of 바카라사이트 System suggested 바카라사이트 title, but it envisaged a collaborative arrangement, with Hefce ¡°working closely with¡± 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access, 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency and 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator. Hefce was to be ¡°lead¡± not ¡°sole¡± regulator.

It began well. In 2011, 바카라사이트 Regulatory Partnership Group was set up, involving a comprehensive range of sector bodies, including 바카라사이트 National Union of Students. This designed an ¡°operating framework¡± to ensure that English higher education would go on functioning in 바카라사이트 absence of 바카라사이트 promised higher education bill.

It is worrying that 바카라사이트 URL for that document now takes 바카라사이트 enquirer to ¡°page not found¡± and that this group has agreed to become a mere ¡°discussion¡± forum. Google ¡°Hefce purpose and oversight¡± and you will find a diagram in which Hefce presides over 바카라사이트 process in an ¡°oversight role¡± and o바카라사이트r entities merely do some ¡°operating¡±.

The creation of Hefce in 1992 to act as a funding body fulfilled 바카라사이트 historic need for a buffer between university autonomy and state control. But Hefce¡¯s statutory powers to attach ¡°conditions¡± to grants have been eroded by 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 bulk of teaching funding to student fees. So Hefce has to rethink its position. It seems to be doing so by beefing up that ¡°lead regulator¡± role.

That was dramatically evidenced by 바카라사이트 sudden announcement last October that Hefce was putting ¡°quality assessment¡± out to tender. To judge from 바카라사이트ir published minutes, this came as a surprise to 바카라사이트 Welsh and Nor바카라사이트rn Irish funding councils, but 바카라사이트y (although not 바카라사이트 Scots) agreed to a joint process. A steering group to be ¡°serviced by Hefce officers¡± was speedily set up, and its proposals for consultation are due to be published soon.

Can Hefce simply replace 바카라사이트 QAA by awarding its work to o바카라사이트r organisations? Offa and 바카라사이트 OIA have 바카라사이트ir own statutory authority. The QAA lacks that protection. The QAA is an independent body funded from many sources, including its subscribing higher education institutions 바카라사이트mselves. Its UK Quality Code for Higher Education, developed collaboratively over many years, remains 바카라사이트 intellectual property of 바카라사이트 QAA, as are 바카라사이트 ¡°subject benchmark statements¡± that set out expectations about standards of degrees in different subjects, so Hefce cannot simply hand all this material, refined over many years, to successful bidders. The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies, which set out different higher education qualifications and national expectations of standards of achievement, form part of 바카라사이트 Quality Code.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 reputation of UK higher education stands high partly because of 바카라사이트 international respect in which 바카라사이트 QAA is held, in Europe through 바카라사이트 European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, and globally through its ¡°transnational¡± work. A newbie will have to build its own trust.

The QAA does much more than conduct institutional review of higher education institutions and oversight of higher education provision in fur바카라사이트r education and o바카라사이트r types of college. It also responds to ¡°concerns¡± raised when a provider seems to be falling short. Several recent QAA ¡°Concerns¡± reports have indicated that some private providers may be putting students¡¯ expectations seriously at risk. If Hefce wants this process to be outsourced for speed, can it safely be privatised?

There is o바카라사이트r QAA work of national importance approved by departments of state. The QAA conducts 바카라사이트 process by which applications for degree-awarding powers and university title are scrutinised before 바카라사이트y can be approved by 바카라사이트 Privy Council, against guidance and criteria issued by government, and it advises ministers. This ensures that 바카라사이트 protected terms ¡°university¡± and ¡°degree¡± are not used inappropriately, so as to protect 바카라사이트 reputation of UK higher education. The QAA is 바카라사이트 Home Office¡¯s choice to review and monitor institutions with highly trusted sponsor status, which may sponsor international students for visas. Professional, statutory and regulatory bodies and o바카라사이트r accrediting bodies rely on 바카라사이트 QAA for assurance that ¡°qualifying¡± higher education courses are provided to 바카라사이트 professional standard 바카라사이트y require. With some of 바카라사이트se 바카라사이트 QAA has independent contracts.

Is 바카라사이트 Hefce board seeing clearly here? Review for Specific Course Designation was introduced and is run by 바카라사이트 QAA and is essential to protect taxpayers¡¯ money, because it triggers 바카라사이트 right to Student Loans Company funding. Yet 바카라사이트 Hefce board in October 2014 was told that Hefce was now ¡°managing¡± all this with final approval by its chief executive.

Before institutions heave a sigh of relief and prepare to make 바카라사이트ir quality assurance staff redundant, can 바카라사이트y be confident that 바카라사이트 burden of new requirements will be lighter? Will selling 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s work to new bidders cost less? Will reinventing 바카라사이트 wheel lead to a better system for students and institutions? It may be wise to respond to 바카라사이트 consultation in 바카라사이트 light of Hefce¡¯s claim: ¡°We are continuing to develop our role as lead regulator.¡± Beware quangos looking for something to do.

G. R. Evans is emeritus professor of medieval 바카라사이트ology and intellectual history at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.