Parliamentary Committees and Public Enquiries
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Education Committee’s verdict following Office for Students Chair pre-appointment hearing
The Education Committee has endorsed the Government's preferred candidate, Professor Edward Peck, as the new Chair of the Office for Students (OfS).
The cross-party Committee has produced a report, which sets out its conclusions on page 7, after holding a pre-appointment hearing with Professor Peck on Tuesday, 4 March.
Professor Peck was questioned on topics including: recent criticism of the OfS by the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee; recommendations in the Behan Review; the OfS’s role in supporting students, particularly regarding mental health support and zero tolerance of sexual harassment; financial pressures facing higher education institutions; ensuring freedom of speech in academia and on campuses; ensuring the OfS’s independence from government; the student experience of higher education and value for money; how the OfS could widen access to HE among students from under-represented backgrounds.
Professor Peck became Vice Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University in 2014. Since 2019, he has been a trustee of UCAS and the Chair of UCAS since 2024. Since 2023, he has chaired the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce and has been the DfE Student Support Champion since 2022. In 2018-19 he was a member of the independent advisory panel to the Augar Review of Post-18 Education and Funding. His career began in NHS management.
The last OfS Chair, Lord Wharton of Yarm, resigned several days after the 2024 general election, six months before his four-year term of office was due to end. Sir David Behan has served as Interim Chair since 26 July 2024.
Original article link: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/education-committee/news/205663/education-committees-verdict-following-office-for-students-chair-preappointment-hearing/
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