Office for Students chief executive Nicola Dandridge welcomed the
Public Accounts Committee report on higher education published
today [Friday 15 June 2018, note 1] and said:
“This report’s sharp focus on student opportunity, choice,
quality and value for money goes to the heart of the Office for
Students’ mission. [note 2]
“Our job is to protect and promote students’ interests and, since
we began operations in April 2018, we have set out how we are
doing this through our regulatory framework, strategy and
business plan [note 3]. We have made a clear commitment to ensure
that students can transfer course more easily in the future.
“We agree with the Committee that further, faster progress is
needed to widen participation in higher education. Progress to
date on access and outcomes for underrepresented groups has been
incremental and that is not good enough. Students deserve
transformational change so we are intervening directly to drive
this, particularly in the universities that need to make the most
progress. [note 4]
“The Committee is right to highlight the difficulties that
prospective students can face in deciding what and where to
study. Improving the quality of information, advice and guidance
for students is a priority for us. Our process for ensuring that
all registered higher education providers meet challenging
standards of quality and student protection will ensure a common
threshold.
“We share the Committee’s assessment of the complexity and
diversity of the student body. With our student panel and in
other ways, we are engaging with students to understand and
respond to the things they say matter to them. For example, our
recent research on students’ perspectives about value for money
was commissioned by students’ unions on our behalf. [note 5]
“I simply do not recognise the Committee’s statement that we are
not working with the NUS. The Office for Students’ student panel
includes the current NUS president, is chaired by a former NUS
president and includes a number of other officials who are or who
have been elected student union officers. [note 6] Both Sir
Michael Barber, the Office for Students’ chair, and I have a
strong and positive relationship with NUS elected officers. The
NUS is a major partner for the Office for Students, and we are
working closely with them across a variety of issues.”
Further information
Notes
- 1. House of Commons
Public Accounts Committee “The higher education market: 45th
report of session 2017-19” (HC693) will be published on 15 June
2018 athttps://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-accounts-committee/
- 2. The Office for
Students is the new independent regulator of higher education in
England. We regulate English higher education providers on behalf
of all students. For more information see https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk
- 3. Information about
the regulatory framework for higher education is
at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/the-regulatory-framework-for-higher-education-in-england/.
The OfS strategy and business plan are available
at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/news-and-blog/office-for-students-publishes-strategy-and-business-plan/
- 4. For information
about our work to improve access and participation in higher
education for underrepresented groups see https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/promoting-equal-opportunities/
- 5. “Value for money:
the student perspective” (2018) is available at https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/news-and-blog/new-research-shines-spotlight-on-student-perceptions-of-value-for-money/
- 6. For a full list
of student panel members see https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/about/who-we-are/our-student-panel/
