Memorandum 1
Submission from the Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills
The Department welcomes this opportunity to
respond to the Committee's request for evidence on the topics
outlined below. This memorandum largely covers activities within
England, although references to the research councils apply across
the UK. Responsibility for higher education (HE) is devolved,
while science and research funding is reserved.
SUMMARY
— An excellent higher education sector
with world class learning and research is crucial to meet both
economic and social needs;— DIUS is committed to increasing
and widening participation in higher education to achieve the
high level skills needed to secure the nation's future prosperity;
— Universities are autonomous organisations
and have their own admissions policy. Government is determined
to promote fair and transparent admissions policies and has asked
OFFA and HEFCE to undertake work in this area
— Young people are motivated by different
types of learning and these provide a variety of access routes
to HE;
— The Government has ensured that, even
as participation in HE increases, sufficient resources have been
made available to the Higher Education Funding Council for England
(HEFCE) to maintain the unit of funding. We have ensured that
expansion is properly funded and have increased HE funding by
24% in real terms in the last 10 years;
— The Government is committed to the dual
support system through which funding for research is channelled
to universities;
— Maintaining and improving the quality
of teaching is a priority and there are agreed standards and outcomes
which are expected from HE;
— Students who have the ability and wish
to study in higher education should not be prevented from doing
so for financial reasons, as there is a generous package of support
available in the form of loans and grants;
— The Government has set up a National
Student Forum (NSF) to provide a mechanism for student feedback
to be channelled into the policy-making process and improvements
in the student experience;
— The Government intends to publish in
2009 a framework for the development of higher education over
the next ten to fifteen years
INTRODUCTION
1. An excellent higher education sector
is a central part of our national and international economic success
and key to long-term growth for the UK. Higher education is about
knowledge and understanding. It is about imparting knowledge to
learners and extending that knowledge through research. Key objectives
for higher education in the future must be excellence in research
and in teaching.
2. Higher education institutions (HEIs) and students
are not homogeneous groups. This diversity is one of the strengths
of the sector and means that the student experience will vary
according to individual (social background, age etc), course (full
time, part time under/post grad), institution (size, urban, rural,
research intensive) etc Diversity means we can meet the educational
and employability needs of a range of students.
3. Graduates stimulate the economy and make
a huge contribution to our national wealth. We have high completion
rates of full degree courses which results in a flow of graduates
that remains above the OECD average. The UK continues to be an
attractive destination to foreign students, second only to the
USA in terms of overall numbers.
4. The Government has set an aspirational
target to increase participation in higher education towards 50%
of those aged 18 to 30 with growth of at least a percentage point
every two years to the academic year 2010-11 (the Higher Education
Initial Participation Rate—HEIPR). Domestic demand for higher
education continues to rise (see Data Annex Figures 1 and 2).
We are aiming to produce more, and more employable, graduates
increasing initial participation rates and meeting our targets
over time. We are also determined to ensure fair access policies
so that young people from every social class, over 50% of whom
now aspire to go to university, can benefit from higher education—a
huge change from the 1960s when only 5% went to higher education.
5. Between 2000-01 and 2006-07 the numbers
of part time students (undergraduate and postgraduate) rose by
almost 12%; and the numbers of full time rose by almost 16%. We
are funding a record number of places (1,156,000) in 08-09.
ADMISSIONS
Progression into Higher Education
6. Good quality, timely information, advice
and guidance (IAG) about progression to HE is extremely important
and we are working closely with the Department for Children, Schools
and Families (DCSF) to make improvements to help schools—with
input from the HE sector—for example through the development
of new, high quality materials for use in the classroom. It is
essential that potential students can access the right information,
advice and guidance to help them select the course which best
meets their personal and career aspirations. This is a priority
issue for the National Student Forum (NSF) which included recommendations
on IAG in their recently published annual report (see para 38).
It is important that young people, and their advisers, are able
to consider this sort of information early, so it can inform their
choices.
Routes to Higher Education
7. If we are to increase participation in higher
education, we need to ensure that all young people enjoy an education
that fulfils their potential and stretches and challenges them
so that they can go on to further or higher education or employment.
The Government has a comprehensive qualifications policy for 14—19
year olds because young people are motivated by different types
of learning. We have a range of qualifications providing a choice
of curricula and learning methods. They each provide a variety
of access routes to HE and progression routes to further study.
They ensure young people are able to develop all the skills and
knowledge they need, and that employers and universities want.
A sample of the key access routes for young people are:-
— Apprenticeship frameworks now have a
clear pathway to higher education for those who have the potential
to succeed at that level. Arrangements are being piloted to award
UCAS Tariff points for apprenticeships.
— University entrance tests: Research has
shown that a relatively small number of institutions use tests
(14%) and only for 0.43% of courses in the UCAS scheme. They could
impose burdens on under-represented groups and/or schools that
are less familiar with preparing leavers for higher education
— the 14-19 Diploma. Many HE Institutions
have worked as part of Diploma Development Partnerships to ensure
the Diploma qualifications have been developed in such as way
as to ensure their suitability for progression onto Honours Degree
courses. The Extended Project (EP) is a stand-alone piece of work
which requires students to use independent research, critical
thinking, planning, and evaluation skills which universities have
particularly welcomed. The EP is a compulsory part of the Diploma,
but can be taken alongside A Levels, or as a qualification in
its own right. It is equivalent to half an A Level and is graded,
like A levels and Advanced Diplomas, from A* to E.
8. Institutions including all Russell Group
and 1994 Group Universities are now working on course-level statements
for their 2010 prospectuses reflecting their acceptance of Diplomas.
The Advanced Diploma will be awarded a maximum of 420 Tariff points;
the same number as for 3.5 A levels. Work is underway in UCAS
to consider whether an additional Tariff should be awarded for
achievement of an A* grade in A levels and Diplomas. A decision
is expected by the end of 2008.
9. Universities are autonomous organisations.
The Government does not direct institutions in admissions policy.
It remains a fundamental principle that universities are responsible
for who they admit to their courses, but we must allow the most
talented and hard working of our young people to achieve their
full potential, irrespective of what kind of social background
they came from, or the school they went to. Universities must
operate a fair and transparent admissions policy and we believe
that key to increasing public confidence in application and admissions
processes is to increase openness, transparency and accountability.
Earlier this year, we asked HEFCE and OFFA to look at how HEIs
can bring together their widening participation and fair access
policies, including transparent admissions system into a single
document and we will announce our response to this advice shortly.
10. We are addressing barriers to progression
into higher education for those with vocational qualifications.
We are responding to the demand for developing those in work who
may have vocational qualifications or significant practical/work
related skills and who need to access higher education through,
for example supporting employer co-funded places for their existing
workforce. Lifelong Learning networks are addressing barriers
to progression into and through higher education for those with
vocational qualifications by developing new routes as are Foundation
Degrees.
11. Entry to most full-time first degrees,
HNDs and university diplomas, for UK students and for students
applying from overseas, is administered by the University and
Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) an independent body and a registered
charity (see Fig 1 Data Annex). Between 2002 and 2007 the number
of applicants rose by 15%. Provisional figures show that the total
number of people applying for 2008 entry was 582,657
12. HEIs accept many different qualifications
as evidence of an applicant's potential to succeed on the course
they have applied for. They couch their offers of a place in conditional
terms, based on the qualifications and grades they expect the
applicant to achieve before taking up the offer. Some institutions
will use UCAS Tariff points instead of, or as well as grades to
specify their offers.
WIDENING PARTICIPATION
13. Lack of financial support should not
present a barrier to students who have the ability and wish to
study in higher education, as there is a generous package of support
available in the form of grants and loans. No eligible full-time
student has to pay their fees before or during their studies.
All students are able to apply for a loan for the full variable
fee.
14. Improving access to higher education for
students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a key priority for
the Government and we have made real progress in recent years
(see Figures 3 and 4). The proportion of young entrants from lower
socio- economic groups has increased steadily, reaching 29.8%
in 2007. Since 1997-98 the proportion of young people entering
university for the first time from State schools has risen by
over six percentage points to 87.2% in 2006-07. However, we have
always said that widening participation requires a long-term approach
and that results would not be immediate.
15. HEFCE's widening participation allocation
of £364 million recognises the additional cost to HEIs of
recruiting and retaining students from non-traditional backgrounds.
This is in addition to the work that HEFCE has commissioned from
Action on Access to disseminate and promote examples of good practice
in retaining students. For students entering full-time first degree
courses in 2005-06, 78.0% are projected to obtain a degree. This
is amongst the highest overall completion rates in the OECD countries.
Non-completion rates have fallen from 15.8% in 1997-98 to 13.9%
in 2005-06.
16. We continue to help and encourage a
range of people to enter HE through for example.
— The Aimhigher programme, to raise
the attainment levels of young people and their aspirations towards
higher education, so that the numbers and proportions of young
people from backgrounds currently under-represented in HE continue
to rise. Aimhigher enables partnerships of school, colleges and
universities to co-design and deliver a range of activities to
engage, enthuse and enable young people to be able and willing
to participate in HE. Aimhigher is impacting on the aspirations
and attainment levels of young people.
— Aimhigher Associates commenced
in September 2008. The programme will build to 5,500 undergraduates
mentoring 21,000 pupils from age 13 to support them and encourage
them through educational transitions and into HE.
— The HE recommendations from the National
Council for Educational Excellence which were announced in
October and focus on how universities and schools/colleges can
work together to identify and nurture young talent.
17. Many HEIs are engaged in a number of
their own outreach and other activities designed to help young
people from under-represented backgrounds to apply successfully
to their institution. These include "Compact Schemes",
which provide additional support to prospective HE students including
arrangements which may allow lower entry offers to be made. Recent
research has identified 51 HEIs offering some sort of compact
arrangement, although they vary widely in scope.
18. We welcome the announcement by 11 of
our most selective universities to extend opportunities—for
the best performing students from the most challenging backgrounds—to
show what they can achieve, and seeking further to develop ways
in which their outreach activity, including in some cases compact
schemes, can help young people. Our most selective universities
are recognising their full responsibilities in helping to seek
out and develop the best of talents, wherever they are in our
society.
19. We are growing student numbers to record
levels. But we are not simply concerned with recruiting younger
students. Our development of new models for the funding and design
of HE courses will also enable us to grow the number of mature
students entering HE part-time. As part of this strategy for growth,
over the next six years HEFCE have been asked to support twenty
new HE centres with around 10,000 student places, under our New
University Challenge (NUC) initiative. This will allow more students
to gain access to HE locally and bring significant benefits through
driving local economic and social regeneration
The balance between teaching and research
20. The Department has ensured that, even
as participation in HE increases, significant additional resources
have been made available to HEFCE in the last decade to maintain
the unit of funding in real terms. For 2008-09 the Department
has allocated to HEFCE a recurrent grant for teaching of £4,920
million. This includes widening participation funding and funding
for anticipated growth. Most of this budget is linked to student
numbers recruited by institutions, which are at record levels
21. Working with HEFCE, the Department has sought
to raise the profile of teaching in HE. HEFCE is providing significant
funding for special initiatives that support teaching excellence
and innovation through research and dissemination of best practice.
That includes, in the current year, £35 million for the Centres
for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) which reward and
promote excellent teaching practice; £17.9 million to the
HE Academy which supports the sector in providing the best possible
learning experience for students; £54 million for institutional
learning and teaching strategies, supporting professional standards,
teaching informed and enriched by research, and staff and student
volunteering; and £2.6 million towards the National Teaching
Fellowship Scheme which makes awards to individuals and to institutions
for projects to build on expertise.
22. The details of individual programmes
of training and continuous professional development in teaching
vary according to the needs of institutions and individuals. The
Higher Education Academy (HEA) published in 2006 the UK Professional
Standards Framework which HEIs can apply to their professional
development programmes and activities to demonstrate that professional
standards for teaching and supporting learning are being met.
23. It is crucial that all institutions
offer excellent teaching, but the balance between teaching and
research must be determined by each institution according to its
own strengths. Support for teaching in HE helps sustain, and is
in turn enriched by, world class research.
TEACHING QUALITY
24. The Government has made HEFCE legally
responsible, under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992,
to ensure that provision is made for assessing the quality of
education provided in institutions for whose activities they provide,
or are considering providing, financial support. HEFCE fulfils
its responsibility by contracting with the Quality Assurance Agency
(QAA) and provides a close oversight on quality through its committee
structures.
25. The sector owned Academic Infrastructure,
developed by the QAA in partnership with the sector, provides
a means of describing academic standards in UK higher education.
It allows for diversity and innovation within academic programmes
offered by higher education. Audits are then carried out by a
team of academics who review the institution's quality and standards,
using their knowledge of higher education and reference points
in the Academic Infrastructure. After each audit, QAA publishes
a report on the audit team's findings. Each HEI also appoints
external examiners (independent academic experts from other HEIs
or from areas of relevant professional practice) to provide impartial
advice on performance in relation to particular programmes.
26. As universities are autonomous organisations
with legal powers to award their own degrees and responsible for
their academic provision, the responsibility for ensuring appropriate
methods of assessing excellence in teaching must remain at the
institutional level. However, the national arrangements provide
a public assurance about excellence and quality in HE overall,
which are evidenced by:
— positive outcomes from Quality Assurance
Agency (QAA) audits;
— consistently high student feedback—in
the most recent National Student Survey 82% of students in England
expressed overall satisfaction with the quality of their courses;
— high graduate employability—93.6%
of full-time first degree graduates from English HEIs in employment
and/or further study; and
— high employer satisfaction—84%
of employers recruiting graduates thought that they were very
well or well prepared for work.
27. Each university is different, bringing
a uniqueness of experience to bear on its teaching provision.
It is important that students receive good clear information about
what each university has to offer, to help them make the right
choices about what to study and where. The Department has encouraged
the development of the Unistats website (formerly Teaching Quality
Information website) as a key route to information on quality
and outcomes for prospective students.
28. The Department maintains a keen interest
in ensuring the HE sector's reputation for excellence, and has
made clear that, if any concern does arise about quality, the
sector should be in a position to respond proactively and quickly.
Degree classification
29. Instigated by the former Department
for Education and Skills (DfES), a sector group chaired by Professor
Burgess has reviewed current methodologies for recording student
achievement. It concluded that, whilst the UK honours degree itself
is a robust and highly-valued qualification, the degree classification
system is considered no longer fit for purpose, because it
does not describe the range of knowledge, skills, attributes and
experience of today's graduates. The "Burgess Group"
found no suitable alternative summative system, but concluded
that there was a need to provide more information about each student's
achievements.
30. Maintaining confidence in the value of UK
degrees is vital. The Burgess Group proposed, in October 2007,
development of the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR)
which will pull together and increase the amount of information
about an individual student's achievements and will give employers
more detailed information on the skills, progress and attainment
of prospective employees. In October 2008 Universities UK (UUK)
announced plans for 18 HE Institutions to pilot the HEAR. The
HEAR will incorporate the European Diploma Supplement (DS) which
is one of the tools used in the Bologna Process to create
a system of easily readable and comparable degrees across the
European Higher Education Area.
31. HEIs have their own regulations for
assessing the work of their students, underpinned by the sector-wide
Academic Infrastructure which is key to the process of assuring
quality and standards. Benchmark statements (one element of the
Academic Infrastructure) set out expectations about standards
of degrees in each subject area. HEIs also use a form of peer
review—external examiners advise on the extent to which
assessment and decisions on awards are sound and fair. The proportion
of 1st and upper 2nd class honours degrees awarded by English
HEIs has remained broadly constant at 58-60% over the last four
years (03-04 to 06-07). Nevertheless, in response to recent media
concern, the QAA is carrying out investigations into the use of
external examiners and institutional assessment practices. The
Department will be looking at the results of those investigations
as soon as they become available in the New Year.
Student plagiarism
32. Student plagiarism is a matter for which
HEIs, as autonomous organisations, are responsible for addressing
and applying penalties. The QAA, the Joint Information Systems
Committee (JISC), and the HEA all provide advice and guidance
to HEIs on dealing with plagiarism. In May 2008, JISC and HEA
published the second part of their Academic Misconduct Benchmarking
Research (AMBeR) Project and used the survey results to determine
a reasonable extrapolation of the national number of plagiarism
incidents across UK HE—7.20 cases for every 1,000 students
or 0.72%, which is lower than other student surveys have previously
shown. The report also suggested that the vast majority of incidences
are first offences, which indicates that current punitive measures
are successful. JISC and HEA will continue to use such research
to support institutions and in the report they urge institutions
to improve their existing recording procedures to aid transparency
and communication within the sector.
Research Funding
33. In the decade since 1997, Government funding
for the UK research base has risen from £1.3 billion to £3.4
billion, and it will rise further during the CSR07 period. The
Government channels research funding for universities through
the dual support system, and remains committed to continuing it
(see Figure 5). The system aims to balance:
— a stable (but not static) financial foundation
with competitive funding for specific projects.
— the need for funders to promote specific
priorities with the freedom of universities to set their own agenda.
— the rewards for discovering new knowledge
with those for working with users.
— rewards for future potential with those
for established performance.
34. The main methods for assessing research
quality in the dual support system are the Research Assessment
Exercise (RAE), which informs the selective distribution of funds
by the UK higher education funding bodies, and peer review of
individual projects, which informs research council funding.
35. DIUS believes that the RAE has significantly
improved the quality of research over the past 20 years working
within a dual support system. This is supported by the 2002 House
of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee report on the
RAE which concluded that: "The RAE has had positive effects:
it has stimulated universities into managing their research and
has ensured that funds have been targeted at areas of research
excellence."
36. The 2008 RAE results will fully inform
HEFCE research funding until 2010-11 for all subjects. However,
it is our intention (announced in 2006) to replace the RAE with
the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The REF must take into
account the whole range of indicators of excellence, including
the broader contribution which academics make to policy development.
HEFCE is now refining the details of the new system, in consultation
with funding bodies and the university sector across the UK.
37. Research councils fund research through
the mechanism of peer review—academics submit research proposals
to a research council for funding, and expert peer review panels
then allocate funding to those that are judged to be of the highest
scientific merit. Academics are free to submit research proposals
on any subject in a research council's remit; in addition, research
councils will make calls for proposals in a particular area (proposals
received will be evaluated by peer review) and fund post-graduate
studentships and academic fellowships. Some (principally Medical
Research Council (MRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
maintain their own institutes which employ scientists directly.
38. In August 2008 RCUK published, on behalf
of all the research councils, a statement of mission and statement
of expectation on economic and social impact, reaffirming its
commitment to excellent research that extends the boundaries of
human knowledge but emphasising the need to take into consideration
the potential for societal and economic benefits when thinking
about future directions for research.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
AND SUPPORT
39. Since 2003 the Government has encouraged
the higher education sector to seek student feedback and to involve
students in developing further improvement initiatives. The most
tangible example is the introduction of the National Student
Survey (NSS)—a survey of all final-year undergraduates
on the quality of the teaching and learning on their course. The
most recent results from that survey show overall satisfaction
remaining above 80% (82%). All HE institutions now participate
and pass the 50% publication threshold Results are used by HEFCE
and the HEA to identify national development priorities and by
individual institutions (universities and HE colleges) to identify
specific areas for improvement. In addition the recent NUS student
experience survey also showed high satisfaction levels—with
85% rating the quality of teaching and learning as good or excellent
and 85% pleased they had chosen to attend university.
40. In October 2007, DIUS Ministers launched
the Student Listening Programme, designed to amplify the
student voice in Government—and to give a strong message
to the sector about the importance of directly engaging with students.
Students must be at the heart of discussions and decisions to
improve the student learning experience. Ministers regularly meet
students on their visits to HEIs to take their views.
41. As part of the Student Listening Programme
five Student Juries were held between November 2007 and
February 2008, giving "typical" students an opportunity
to listen to expert speakers from the HE sector, debate issues
of concern, and vote on their top priorities for the future.
a. Building on the Student Juries, a new National
Student Forum has been established in partnership with the
student representative organisations. The Forum members are a
representative group of 16 current students, with an independent
chair (Maeve Sherlock).
b. Since the creation of DIUS, we have designated
a Minister for Students—with responsibility to listen
to and speak up for students in DIUS and across Government. Lord
Young is now the Minister for Students in both higher education
and further education.
42. The National Student Forum's first annual
report, which was published on 17 October 2008, focuses on Information,
Advice and Guidance (IAG) and Student Finance as two areas which
are of top priority for students. It also includes proposals for
further development by the Forum on employability and issues affecting
disabled, international and postgraduate students. The Government
responded publicly to the Forum's annual report and recommendations
on 10 December.[3]
STUDENT FINANCE
43. Non-repayable maintenance grants and
bursaries have been reintroduced, focusing help on the least well
off and families on modest incomes. The grants package has been
significantly enhanced since 2004-05 by raising both the grant
amount and the family income thresholds for receiving full and
partial grants.
44. In July 2007 it was predicted that a third
of students would get the maximum maintenance grant and a further
third a partial grant (see Fig 6 Data Annex). It is now expected
that about 40% of the students will be eligible for the full grant.
It has been necessary to make some adjustments to ensure that
the original intention of the announcement made in July 2007,
that is, that two thirds of students will benefit from a full
or partial grant is maintained. In 2009-10 all eligible new students
from households with an income of around £18,000 to £50,000
will benefit from higher levels of maintenance grant than in 2007-08;
and those from households with an income of around £57,000
will get more total support including subsidised loans. An additional
£100 million has been made available to meet that commitment.
45. In addition to subsidised loans for
tuition fees, and living costs and non-repayable maintenance grants,
students paying the full tuition fee and getting the full grant
benefit from a non repayable bursary of £310 from their university
or college. In fact many universities and colleges are paying
much more, to a broader range of students. A typical bursary is
around £800.
46. Students are also able to take out a
loan to cover their living costs, the majority of which is non
means-tested. Unlike commercial loans, student loans only attract
an interest rate linked to inflation, so borrowers will repay
no more, in real terms, than they borrow. Borrowers repay at a
rate of 9 per cent of their income over a threshold of £15,000
a year.
47. In 2004 the Government introduced a
package of support for part- time students for the first time
and this was subsequently enhanced. This includes non-repayable,
means-tested grants for fees, travel and course costs.
48. In addition, targeted support is available
for students with specific needs: including full-time students
with children or adult dependents, those with a disability and
those who are eligible for income-related benefits. The Access
to Learning Fund, a discretionary budget administered by higher
education institutions, is also available for full and part-time
students in financial hardship who might otherwise have difficulty
accessing or remaining in higher education.
49. As noted above, the NSF's annual report
made a number of recommendations on student finance. It reported
that students were not always familiar with the range of financial
support available to them and that further work may be necessary.
Currently there is an extensive information and advertising campaign
to raise awareness of HE and student finance.
THE FUTURE:
CONCLUSION
50. Next year we will publish our framework
for the development of higher education over the next ten to fifteen
years. It will address the expansion and development of higher
education in Britain. We need a framework to help us ensure that
higher education in this country meets the growing demands upon
it for research, teaching, international cooperation, economic
development and cultural influence in the 21st century and provides
a reference point for future policy decisions, including decisions
about funding and other priorities.
51. We invited contributions from external expert
contributors on issues such as demographic changes, institutional
performance, internationalism, intellectual property, part-time
study, research careers, and the student experience and e-learning.
Reports on these issues were published in November on the DIUS
website. Representatives of the users of HE have also been asked
to provide reports. The users will report shortly. They have been
selected from a variety of backgrounds: business, the arts, public
sector etc. The outcomes of the debate will help us ensure that
HE in this country meets the growing demands upon it for research,
teaching, international cooperation, economic development and
cultural influence in the 21st century. It will also set the essential
context for the work of the review of student tuition fees.
December 2008
3 Correction to paragraph 42-the Government now expect
to publish its response to the NSF annual report in January 2009. Back
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