Plans to put
students at the heart of the system were announced by Ministers
today, as they set out their response to the Higher Education
White Paper.
Red-tape barring some smaller specialist institutions from being
awarded the title of ‘university’ will be ditched. Previously,
institutions needed 4,000 students to become a university, but
from today this limit will drop to 1,000 - sweeping away an
arbitrary piece of regulation which was preventing excellent
institutions using the title. The change will come into effect immediately.
There will also be a review into how existing quality
assurance arrangements affect alternative providers, including
further education colleges offering higher education.
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince
Cable said:
“We rightly have a global reputation for excellent teaching
and research in the higher education sector. It’s vital that we
preserve this.
“The measures we’ve announced today will do this. They will
help ensure every student can be confident of the quality of
teaching, wherever they study higher education.
“These reforms will increase competition and flexibility, and
deliver on our promise to put students at the heart of the system.”
Commenting on the new proposals Minister for Universities and
Science David Willetts said:
“By cutting away the red tape, we are freeing higher
education providers from central Government controls.
“It is right to remove the red tape stopping good quality,
smaller Higher Education providers calling themselves a University.”
Also announced today are plans to bring alternative providers
and further education colleges that do not receive Higher
Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funding, into the
formal student number control system. We will consult later this
year on the process for applying these changes.
Notes to editors:
The Government’s White Paper/Technical consultation response can
be found at:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2012/Jun/he-white-paper-consultation-response-published.For
institutions of 1,000 students wanting to use the title
university: 750 of their students must be studying for a
degreeMore than 55 per cent of the overall student body should be
enrolled on HE programmesThey must have Taught Degree Awarding
PowersThey must meet criteria on good governance.The award of the
title ‘university’ is granted by the Privy Council for
publicly-funded providers. Other organisations must apply to
Companies House to use the sensitive word ‘university’ in their
name. Both routes involve meeting the above
criteria.BIS's online newsroom contains the latest press
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