HE Policy Update

Monday

Europe

Organisations representing universities and students have joined the campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union, while a group of pro-EU scientists has also set out its arguments. NUS and UUK join EU ‘in’ campaign. (THE).  

Tuesday

Oxford University

A Freedom of Information request has revealed there are just 13 women paid more than £140,000 a year, compared with 145 men at Oxford University. Oxford University criticised for gender gap among top earners (BBC News).

Wednesday

TEF

Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary has been questioned by the BIS select committee on the TEF. When questioned on the timescale of the TEF, Mr Javid said that introducing the TEF for 2017 is workable but concerns for universities around it being rushed were understandable, he went on to say that his priority is to ensure they get the TEF right.  Sajid Javid: priority for TEF is to ‘get it right’ (THE).

HEFCE

A piece in the Guardian looks at the future of HEFCE, including how likely it is to continue to exist as well as the importance of it to the higher education sector.  Has Hefce had its chips? (The Guardian HE network).

Thursday

Green Paper

The likely inclusion of widening participation metrics in the teaching excellence framework is being shaped by ministers’ drive to meet targets set by David Cameron and a fear of dropout rates rising after the scrapping of student number controls. Cameron access targets ‘a major factor’ in higher education Green Paper (THE).

General Election

According to a report by HEPI, students had less impact on the outcome of this year’s UK general election than expected. HEPI reveal that one of the reasons for this could be the lack of enthusiasm for Labour’s £6K fees policy. Student voters had ‘less impact than expected’ on general election (THE).

Friday

Student loans

GuildHE has criticised the Chancellor’s plan to freeze loan repayment thresholds for all post-2012 students and graduates in England, calling the move an ‘unfair retrospective change’ that would prompt doubts among future students about whether to go to university.

Osborne plan to force current students pay more for loans ‘unfair’ (THE).

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