Universities UK responded today to plans by the minister to make
further reforms to the higher education system in England. They
include proposals to encourage more universities to offer
fast-track, two-year degrees.
Responding to the speech by Universities Minister at Universities UK today, Dame
Julia Goodfellow, President of Universities UK and
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent, said: “Proposals to
encourage even more flexible modes of higher education delivery
is good news if it helps meet the needs of a diverse range of
students and employers and that quality is assured.
“Several universities have been offering two-year, fast-track
degrees for a number of years, but demand has been limited under
the current system. As the minister acknowledges, the three-year
undergraduate degree will remain the preferred option for many
students. But if changes can be made to the funding and fees
system in England, that help increase the flexibility of
provision and are in the interest of students, this is a good
thing.
“The amendments introduced by the minister to the Higher
Education and Research Bill are a very positive step and show the
government has listened to the concerns of the higher education
sector around academic standards and the independence of
universities.
“The amendments to the government's plans for a Teaching
Excellence Framework (TEF) are also to be welcomed. We are
pleased that concerns we expressed about the time frames for
introducing a subject-level TEF and the need for a more rigorous
and thorough lessons-learned exercise are being acted upon.”
