7
Deferred
The OfS carries out the annual National Student Survey to collect students’ views on, for...
Recommendation
The OfS carries out the annual National Student Survey to collect students’ views on, for example, the quality of teaching and learning they are getting. The 2021 survey ran from January to April and was open only to final-year undergraduates.13 The OfS commissions a separate survey each year, seeking students’ views on the value for money of their courses. It also engages with the National Union of Students and listens to a panel of student representatives – the chair of which also sits on the OfS’s own Board.14 We asked the OfS why the National Student Survey was restricted to final-year students, and whether this meant that it missed out on the opportunity for some early warning signals from other students. The OfS responded that it considered that students would have a 6 Q 19 7 C&AG’s Report, paras 9, 2.8 8 FSE0003 Financial Sustainability of the higher education sector in England, The Russell Group, 21 March 2022, para 6; FSE0005 Financial Sustainability of the higher education sector in England, Universities UK, 21 March 2022, pages 1–2 9 Qq97–102 10 Qq 96–97; FSE0001 Financial Sustainability of the higher education sector in England, UCAS, 21 March 2022, page 2; FSE0005 Universities UK, 21 March 2022, page 2; C&AG’s Report, para 2.12 11 Q 25 12 Qq 19, 21; C&AG’s Report, para 3.15 13 Qq 33, 72; C&AG’s Report, paras 4.6–4.7 14 C&AG’s Report, paras 4.6, 4.8 10 Financial sustainability of the higher education sector in England better sense of the overall performance of the university and their experience in the final year. But it also admitted that it was missing out on early warning signals from other students and said it would consider widening the survey to include other students.15
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states the OfS is considering how it measures value for money, including the use of student surveys and outcome data, with a target implementation date of Autumn 2022. It also highlights broader enhancements to the quality regulatory regime.
Government Response
Deferred
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2022 5.2 Both the department and the OfS are committed to improving the quality of higher education provision. Ensuring that students are satisfied with the value for money offered by their courses is a government priority. 5.3 The OfS is introducing an enhanced quality regulatory regime which will enable it, through robust investigation and enforcement action, to tackle the pockets of low-quality provision. This will include the introduction in September 2022 of detailed student outcome thresholds, by level and mode of study, covering continuation and completion rates and progression to managerial and professional employment or further study. In May 2022 the OfS also introduced new registration conditions covering students’ academic experience including course design and delivery, the provision of resources and support for students, reliable and effective course assessment and degree awards, and the use of sector-recognised standards. 5.4 The OfS is also considering how it measures value for money through its key performance measures and is considering the use of student surveys and the use of student outcomes data, described earlier, as part of this measure. 5.5 The OfS review of blended learning, which is supported by a panel of expert academic reviewers, will set out where approaches represent high quality teaching and learning, as well as approaches that are likely to fall short of OfS’s requirements. The review will report in September 2022. The OfS also recently announced investigations into the business and management courses of eight providers, which will include examining whether online learning has replaced face-to-face teaching to the detriment of students’ academic experience.
Source
Committee
Public Accounts Committee
Report
Eighth Report - Financial sustainability of the higher education sector in England
15 Jun 2022
HC 257
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age
4.1 yrs
Report published
15 Jun 2022