Addressing Change in Built Environment Higher Education Provision Current and emerging higher education situations – issues and challenges Dr. Kath Galloway Higher Education Consultant to CIC

Background About change in England mainly – tuition fees up, public funding re-routed – but impacts expected throughout UK Grant reduction as tool to prevent over – recruitment by Institutions becomes increasingly less effective High grades policy, core and margin – and Key Information Set (KIS) introduced Changes outside higher education may affect propensity to enter it We’re told ‘don’t compare 2011 with 2012’ but in general, recruitment down Recruitment in some disciplines may be perking up (if relatively) but others could be heading for a fall in recruitment for a fourth consecutive year.

This presentation and its accompanying paper Desk research and conversation with respondents placed to give indicative views of what’s happened in last 12 months or so They were from Russell Group, plate glass, post 92 (large and small), higher education in further education And mainly HoDs, subject leaders, senior staff of further education colleges Some also spoke for CHOBE, ACED, CHOPS and overview of situation in architecture fed in Disciplines included; civil engineering, construction management, quantity surveying, property, planning, architecture, architectural technology, facilities management and building services engineering Rest of presentation; Prospective students, Student Number Controls, Numbers and impacts, Within Institutions, Student perceptions, Employability, Employer engagement and Strategies

Prospective students All respondents said prospective students have higher expectations now Getting a job worth studying for is more important than ever before ‘Fees are the really big thing’ Perceptions of financial arrangements, parental influence may be even stronger and information really does matter now KIS is much on minds, and could have made its sources (e.g. NSS, DLHE) even more important, also a few surprises Respondents talked about 24+ loans (HE in FE) and change to vocational qualifications (post 92), but there is change in additional areas that might affect propensity to enter HE

Student Number Controls High grades policy set at AAB+ could have contributed to falls in 2012 recruitment and may have pushed tariffs up Qualifications ‘equivalent’ to ‘A’ levels are very important for some in the context of high grades policy ABB+ for 2013 recruitment, taking more places from controlled student number than in 2012 Core and margin patchy in general Colleges had to have ‘direct’ funded places to apply for core and margin Disciplines may have been ‘squeezed’, even where a particular discipline is in a Russell Group university

Numbers and impacts Across all subjects full time undergraduate recruitment 2012, numbers increased at 13% high tariff and ⅓ of lower tariff Institutions, with greater fluctuation in lower tariff; 6% increase in higher education in further education Some colleges which gained places through core and margin would have ‘replaced’ places that were previously franchised In construction and built environment disciplines, reality can be worse than the national picture(and better) ‘Problematic across subjects’, but some thought there may be improvement in recruitment to particular disciplines Since 2010 recruitment, across all subjects part time undergraduate entrants down 40%, postgraduate down 27%; part time undergraduate ‘directly funded’ in further education colleges fell 27% in 2012 recruitment ‘Employers are slipping away’, it was assumed students would pay part time fees themselves. ‘They didn’t’ Increased movement in higher education labour market Increased competitiveness Progression within and from apprenticeship could be affected by lack of provision, decline in part time and pressure on particular disciplines

Within Institutions It is recognised fee levels could discourage Institutions from continuing to offer higher cost subjects ‘Success is measured by full time’ Most respondents felt increased pressure, more monitoring information wanted from them, and more to deal with Money seems to matter more now to senior management, though perhaps some saw this in context It was said it’s wise for those at course/school/ department level to know how senior management views the course/school/department Professional Institutions can be a source of information on senior management thinking

Student perceptions Almost all respondents felt the student attitude had changed ‘They’re more demanding’, ‘Very much aware of what they’re getting for their money’ Also suggested that students may not be taking into account enough of what they are getting for their money Complaints, including about lectures running slightly short (‘A new one on me!’), but a ‘wider value argument’ as well It might be that students could increasingly try to use informal means to question ‘Expect to be challenged’ and it appears to be expected that complaints will increase

Employability What employers say they want from graduates doesn’t seem to have changed much But employers may have increased expectations of what is provided in support of employability Some encouragement for substantial work experience from government; tuition fees for sandwich year from capped at 20% of maximum for a full time undergraduate Potentially greater recognition employability is about more than getting a first graduate job, important as this is

Employer engagement It is suggested that increased fees are accelerating downward trend in employer financial support for part time study There may be an ‘ironic’ reversal in higher education’s view of ‘closed’ courses Some Institutions driving hard on employer engagement and reports of employers ‘chasing’ for graduates and placements Government continues to push on apprenticeship at higher levels Apprenticeships intended at levels 6 and 7 Higher Apprenticeships projects

Strategies Institutions Recruitment targets; Class sizes; Focus on teaching/quality; Standing; Research; Administrative ‘juggling’; Overseas business; Avenues to market; Fees; Cooperation. For potential consideration Changing positions; Apprenticeship; Consultations, announcements and similar.