Million Plus

The university think-tank million+ has responded to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) publication Revised operating model for quality assessment which was published today (18 March). The document sets out the revised operating model for quality assessment to be implemented from 2017-18, the transition arrangements during 2016-17 to support such implementation, and plans for a range of pilot activities during 2016-17.

Professor Dave Phoenix, Chair of million+ and Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University, said:

“The interests of students must be properly protected by a more rigorous approach for the new providers that the government wants to encourage and a proportionate, risk-based quality assurance system in higher education makes good sense.

“Any move to a system in England in which quality review is undertaken in-house through the submission of data and information to HEFCE’s Quality, Accountability and Regulation Strategic Advisory Committee should not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

“We must ensure that the package of measures proposed by Hefce does not undermine the institutional autonomy of established universities and the independent quality assurance system which has underwritten the reputation of UK higher education at home and overseas.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. For further information or to arrange an interview, contact Dan Blows on 020 7717 1658 | 07527 336795 or press@millionplus.ac.uk
2. million+ is a leading university think-tank. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
3. The Revised operating model for quality assessment can be found here.