We need a thriving higher education and research sector to enable people to reach their potential, enrich our society and meet the challenges of the future.
Chapter summary
This chapter argues that an effective regulatory framework and regulator in England is essential to support a thriving higher education and research sector and uphold public and political trust and confidence in our universities.
To retain its earned autonomy, the sector must demonstrate the quality of its offer as it adapts to the needs and wants of a changing society. This also means being open to the scrutiny of regulation and acting on concerns.
Our recommendations
Streamline the priorities of the Office for Students (OfS) to focus on quality, access, international competitiveness and financial sustainability; and only introduce new regulatory requirements where the public benefits are clear and the costs justified.
Consider changes to legislation to allow the OfS to evolve into an enabler of innovation and to bolster its independence.
Realign the quality assurance system with the European Standards and Guidelines, as a priority.
Strengthen the student panel and introduce a provider panel with representation which reflects the diversity of the sector and embed this within the OFS’ governance structures.
Work with providers, regulators and funders todevelop a coordinated strategy and approach to financial sustainability.
The OfS should establish a transparent risk-monitoring and assessment process to guide its engagement with providers.
The Committee of University Chairs shouldreview the HE Code of Governance to ensure that it is fit for purpose.
The ambitions of this report can only be achieved with a fundamental rethink of the purpose of the regulation of higher education in England and a re-set of relationships between regulators, government and the sector.
This requires a reframing of the current focus on consumer protection to recognising the public benefits of higher education and its close links with research; a shift from adopting a purely domestic focus to recognising the national and international context in which English universities operate; and the complementing of an assessment of individual providers by siloed regulators to a system-wide view taken by a coordinated group of independent regulators, government departments and sector bodies that adopts a strategic approach to questions of the size, shape, strength and funding of the UK higher education and research system as a whole.
Professor Julia Black
Warden of Nuffield College, University of Oxford and President of the British Academy
