Consultation outcome

Higher education: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice

This consultation has concluded

Detail of outcome

The white paper sets out our decisions, including:

  • making it easier for high-quality new providers to start up, achieve degree awarding powers, and secure university title status
  • requiring all universities to publish detailed information about application, offer and progression rates, broken down by gender, ethnicity and disadvantage
  • publishing employment and graduate earnings data to provide prospective students with the best possible information
  • establishing the Office for Students (OFS) as the new regulator for all higher education providers
  • implementing the Teaching Excellence Framework which, for the first time, will link teaching funding to quality and not just quantity, a principle long established for research
  • establishing new safeguards to protect students and the sector’s reputation, with a risk-based approach to regulation so the OFS can focus attention where it is most needed
  • establishing a single, strategic funding body that enables the UK to lead the world in multi-disciplinary research - our plans ensure that each Research Council and Innovate UK keep their identities and separate budgets, with the dual-support system protected for the first time
  • launching a call for evidence on switching course or university and accelerated degrees

See also, a technical consultation relating to the design of the second year of TEF.

Feedback received

Detail of feedback received

We received 618 responses form a wide range of interested parties including:

  • higher education providers
  • individuals
  • students’ unions
  • representative bodies
  • professional bodies
  • businesses/employers
  • charities
  • trade unions
  • awarding organisations

Original consultation

Summary

We're seeking your views on our proposed next steps for higher education reform.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

This green paper sets out proposals to change the higher education landscape.

We’re seeking views on proposals to:

  • introduce a Teaching Excellence Framework that will deliver better value for money for students, employers and taxpayers
  • increase access and success in higher education participation for those from disadvantaged and under-represented groups
  • create a new single gateway for entry and create a create common system for all providers
  • establish a new Office for Students to promote the student interest and ensure value for money, and to reduce the regulatory burden on the sector

The consultation also considers the implications of the proposals on the research landscape.

As part of his independent review Lord Stern is also seeking views on the Research Excellence Framework.

Documents

Fulfilling our potential: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice

Fulfilling our potential: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice (print-ready PDF)

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Published 6 November 2015
Last updated 16 May 2016 + show all updates
  1. Added summary of responses and the outcome. Added a link to the government response (white paper).

  2. First published.