‘No university immune’ as UK ministers order on-site inspections

The UK government’s focus on investigating “larger” higher education providers shows that “no institution should feel immune from scrutiny”, with older and more prestigious universities among those likely to be inspected.

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi and universities minister Michelle Donelan have said they expect to see on-site inspections carried out at 10 to 15 providers by the English regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), next year to check on priorities including how online learning is being used and whether students are receiving sufficient contact hours.

It forms part of the ministers’ strategic priorities for 2022-23 that aim to drive up quality in higher education after “unacceptable pockets of poor-quality provision” were identified.

A letter to the OfS outlining the priorities took the sector by surprise as it was released before a consultation on controversial new quality baselines – including the requirement that 60 per cent of graduates go into professional jobs − was concluded.

The ministers said they expect “a significant number of investigations” to arise through the baselines, with larger universities singled out as priorities.

The prospect of inspections has raised concerns about the administrative burdens being placed on universities, while some see it as impinging on institutions’ autonomy.

Nick Hillman, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that although it is not known which universities the government has in its sights, his organisation’s past research had shown that it is older institutions − excluding Oxbridge − that have “been more likely to run really large class sizes, and some believe it is those same institutions that have been more likely to keep things online as Covid subsides”.

He said it therefore “seems inevitable” that the 10 to 15 being inspected will “include a small handful of older and more prestigious universities”, with those that have had significant recent growth or grade inflation possible targets.

Diana Beech, chief executive officer of London Higher, agreed, saying that the tone of the letter creates “the sense that no institution is immune from scrutiny and should think themselves safe from future inspection”.

London Higher’s initial research has shown that almost all providers have pockets of provision that fall below the proposed thresholds, which increases the likelihood the government may “take action against a larger institution to send shock waves through the system and prove that it is prepared to see heads roll on this issue”, according to Ms Beech.

She cautioned that to do so, however, could cause “significant repercussions for international student recruitment and research and innovation investment – both of which are essential to the UK’s economic recovery post-pandemic”.

Mr Hillman said that while it is “not unreasonable” for a regulator to check what the institutions it regulates are doing, the OfS should “tread carefully”.

He said such visits could help the OfS “build a deeper understanding of day-to-day life inside England’s universities”, but the regulator should be aware that every institution is different, with students from different backgrounds, and there needs to be room for innovation.

Asked to respond to the ministers’ letter, a spokeswoman for Universities UK said: “Universities are fully committed to ensuring courses are high quality and supporting students to achieve the outcomes they want.

“It is important that regulation is risk-based and proportionate, keeping administrative burdens to a minimum so that attention is not taken away from teaching and student support.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com