1. the national policy context
High seas:
the national policy context
for UK HE
Louis Coiffait, Associate Editor
@LouisMMCoiffait
@Wonkhe

2. 1. Intros

3. Introducing Wonkhe (pron. “wonky”)
The home of higher education policy, people and politics
Wonk: a studious or hard-working person ... who takes an excessive interest in the details of policy.
We do TWO main things;
Publish articles (that we write, edit or commission)
Send briefings, to help explain what’s going on
We also have a podcast, run events, training, consultancy, present etc.

5. TEF & REF - Interactive - Caveated appropriately
Data
TEF & REF - Interactive - Caveated appropriately

7. Tour…

8. Email briefings; Monday, Daily (Tue-Thur)
FREE
SUBSCRIPTION
(free)
(£3.2k+VAT per org.)

9. Events, podcasts etc… https://wonkhe.com/events/

10. Wonkfest

11. 2. The good ship
HMS UK HE

12. English HE (in one chart)
OfS
Regulation
HESA
Charity Commission
QAA
HE providers
Home Office
Funding
Student
Interactions
UKRI
Students
OIA
7 research
councils
Innovate UK
UKRI – UK Research and Investment DH – Department of Health
OfS – Office for Students HESA – Higher Education Statistics Authority
UCAS – Universities and College Application Service QAA – Quality Assurance Agency
DfE – Department for Education OIA – Office of the Independent Adjudicator
BEIS – Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy SLC – Student loans company
Research England
DfE
SLC
UCAS
BEIS DH
Treasury

13. Stated government priorities
Economic growth post-Brexit – R&D, industrial strategy
A HE “market” – choice, new providers, competition
“Fair” value for money – between taxpayers and students

14. Value for (state/student) money
Parental contribution up to £5,523 per year (Martin Lewis)
IFS research
Martin Lewis’ blog, parental contribution if student living in London, academic year 2017/18, for new students and for continuing students not in their final year.

15. Pressure over fees, debt and interest
EPI research
6.3% interest from Sep

16. The IFS “education spending squid”
Currently being “updated”

17. 3. Current shipping forecast for HE

18. How’s UK HE feel at the moment?
Perfect storm (film, fictional)

19. The small gusts
REF (Research Excellence Framework) – 2021, similar game, different rules e.g. 25% “impact”
TEF (Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework) approaches to quality assessment
LEO (Longitudinal Education Outcomes) grad. Earnings
KEF - Knowledge Exchange Framework, inc. comm£rcial
Student recruitment – demographic dips/rises, intl.
Finances – borrowing, x-subsidies
Pay & conditions – vice chancellors and others, pensions
Free speech, OfS board appointment processes

20. The BIG prevailing winds
New market regulator – Office for Students (OfS)
Growing focus on metrics – data fundamentalism
Changing student employment and expectations
Open Access research already here, Open Textbooks crossing the Atlantic
Value for money for the individual/taxpayer
BrHExit – research funding, students, and staff
“Culture wars” and the role of “experts”
On BrHExit – research, EU budget, research funding UK govt needs to pay to play – or match it
On intl. students – hostile environment, Theresa May Home Office, inclusion in the CAP, Sep MAC report, too late for Oct negotiations

21. OfS – light/right-touch regulation?
New statutory market regulator and Regulatory Framework
Doors opened 1 Jan, started regulating April Fools Day
Lower bar to “market” entry, lower fees for small providers
Charges sector to be regulated, fees worst for mid-size HEIs
c.553 private/alternative providers still unregulated
More ‘teeth’ than HEFCE or OFFA, example(s) coming?
More interventionist, and initially … more political
But picked up good HEFCE work; attainment, hate crime

22. The big TEF (TEaSOF?) game
NOT about teaching excellence, a mixed-bag of (useful if used appropriately) measures
Reduced NSS role = less student input, helps Russ. Group/London
No significant impact on recruitment trends
Including LEO damages capacity of TEF to recognise excellence across sector, skewed by geography and class
Teaching intensity = inputs over outcomes
500+ students = mandatory TEF from Aug 2019
Subject-level TEF (re-)launch, 10 week consultation, coincides with 50 year one (unpublished) pilots, plus … apps?!

23. FAKE NEWS
Perfect storm (film, fictional)

24. NOT FAKE NEWS
Not fake news, a real wave, from Blue Planet 2. I’m not here to underplay the challenges. But I’ve got faith you can weather them.

25. ALWAYS CHALLENGES
There have always been challenges, there always will be. Hokusai’s ‘Under the wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)’ 1832

26. ENJOY THEM?
In time, you might even enjoy them…

27. Opportunities for institutions…
Tech, data, and analytics
Open publishing and research
The post-18 review (interim report Autumn)
Redefining “technical and professional” education
Integrating apprenticeships (inc. degree apps)
Accelerated (two year) degrees
But, ONE thing will really help…

28. Stay focused on the passengers
Your passengers

29. New types of students/study
More of these passengers

30. Help them be king of the world

31. To fly…
Help them to fly

32. Thank you! Louis Coiffait, Associate Editor @LouisMMCoiffait @Wonkhe