Nicola Dandridge, the chief executive of the Office for Students
(OfS), will leave the organisation at the end of April 2022,
the OfS has confirmed today.
In a letter to Secretary of State for Education
Nadhim Zahawi and Minister of State for Universities , Nicola Dandridge
said:
“I am enormously proud of all that we have achieved since we were
set up in 2018. We have established ourselves as a new regulator
for students in a sector that has never been regulated in this
way before. We have developed a robust and innovative approach to
regulating quality and equality of opportunity, taken decisive
action in a number of cases where quality and
governance were inadequate, and overseen demonstrable progress on
social mobility. We worked closely and effectively with
government during the disruption of the pandemic,
and ensured that there were no disorderly university
failures. Our new strategy, on which we are about to consult, is
proportionate and informed. I leave a strong team who are well
positioned to take forward its implementation.”
OfS chair Lord Wharton said:
“From setting up a brand new regulator, to dealing with
the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, Nicola’s
experience, diligence and determination has been key to the
success of the OfS. Nicola has retained an absolute focus on
the OfS’s role to protect the interests of students,
particularly in work to raise the quality bar in higher
education, and to improve equality of opportunity for students of
all backgrounds. I am grateful for all of her support
since I took up the post of OfS chair earlier this
year, and on behalf of everyone at the OfS thank her
for her enormous contribution. As Nicola leaves, our
executive team and the OfS will work to deliver our new
strategy."
Education Secretary said:
“I would like to thank Nicola for her excellent work over the
last five years – she will leave behind her a real legacy that
includes improving access to higher education for those from the
most disadvantaged parts of the country. We now have record
numbers of disadvantaged students at university and that is due
to her support in our aims to improve social
mobility.
“We will be announcing the next steps in the recruitment process
to find Nicola’s successor in due course.”
ENDS
Notes
1. The Office for Students is the
independent regulator for higher education in England. Our aim is
to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a
fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their
lives and careers.
