New conditions from the Office for Students (OfS) that allow the
regulator to tackle poor quality provision have been confirmed
today.
The revised conditions are part of the OfS’s ongoing work on
quality and standards and were subject to comprehensive
consultation last year. The new requirements will allow the OfS
to intervene more robustly where courses fall below expectations,
or where the rates of top degrees awarded continue to rise
without good reason.
The conditions, which apply to courses at all levels offered by
universities and other higher education providers registered with
the OfS, come into force on 1 May 2022. They consist
of:
· Condition B1 which
requires that all students receive a high quality academic
experience. This means that courses must be up-to-date,
challenging and well delivered, and equip students with the
skills they will need after graduation.
· Condition B2 which
requires that all students receive the resources and support they
need to succeed on their courses and after graduation. This is
particularly important for students from disadvantaged
backgrounds.
· Condition B4 which
clamps down on grade inflation by requiring universities and
colleges to assess students effectively and award qualifications
that are credible and stand the test of time.
· Condition B5 which
ensures that the standard of qualifications is consistent with
sector-recognised standards.
A separate OfS consultation on student outcomes, including a
proposed new condition B3 designed to tackle poor student
outcomes, is open until 17 March 2022. The OfS will be analysing
those responses later in the year.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the OfS, said:
“These new conditions enable the OfS to tackle poor quality
courses more effectively, and provide greater clarity about our
requirements for universities and colleges. They set out clearly
what we believe students should expect in terms of the quality of
their courses.
“The new conditions also enable us to tackle unwarranted grade
inflation. Despite some evidence before the pandemic that grade
inflation had stalled, the rates of first class degrees are on
the rise again. We will continue to analyse the latest data but
are clear that where the proportion of students receiving top
grades continues to increase without good reason, we can and will
intervene.
“We have been clear throughout this process that many
universities and colleges already offer a high quality education
to their students. These institutions will continue to meet – and
in many cases significantly exceed – our regulatory requirements.
But we do need to take a stand against those that do not offer
the high quality education that students are entitled to expect.
Taking tough regulatory action where necessary will increase
confidence in higher education among students, applicants and the
general public, and will help to confirm England’s well deserved
global reputation for higher education excellence.
“Universities and colleges should ensure that students from all
backgrounds are supported to succeed in their studies. These new
regulatory requirements will help ensure that all students,
including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are effectively
supported through their courses and are then well placed to reap
the rewards that higher education can offer through the rest of
their lives.”
The OfS received 157 responses to the consultation, and has made
a number of changes as a result of feedback received. These
changes do not alter the OfS’s overall policy intent, but do help
to clarify the conditions being imposed.
ENDS
Notes
1. The Office for Students (OfS) 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.
2. In addition to revised conditions B1,
B2, B4 and B5, the OfS has also agreed two new initial conditions
– B7 and B8 – that relate to quality and standards for all
providers seeking registration with the OfS. The proposed initial
conditions were expressed differently from the ongoing
requirements for quality and standards, to ensure that the OfS’s
regulatory approach appropriately reflects the context for a
provider that may not yet have delivered higher education.
3. Copies of the documents being
published tomorrow, including an analysis of the consultations
and the revised conditions, are attached. These are subject to
the same embargo as this press release.
